New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-15
THE SEAL FISHERY AFFAIR.
REPORTS FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE
SENATE.
. FEW MORE SPEECHES FOR RATIFyING THE
ARBITRATIoN TREATY-A SIGNIFICANT EDI-
ToR1,I, IN THE LONDON TIMES"
Try TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRibCNE


rBY TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRIBUNE!
Washington. March 14-Littlc additional prog
,ess was made to-day toward the ratification OF
,bo seal fishery arbitration treaty or the renewal
~ last wears arrangements for close sealing
soason No reply was received from Lord Sails
burv 10 the Presidents announcement, through
Mr.. Wharton that this country considered ule
revival of last years modus vivendi matter OIL
obligation on the part of Great Britain ana
condition almost vital to the success OF the schehe
of arbitration In the absence Of an answer from
Iondon no further step could he taken mere
either by the President or by the senate. ihe
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations sui mas
tbe arbitration treaty under CONSIDERATION HUI
having reported it back vet for action
Tb. Rehrinc Sea controversy came again pelore
Tho Senate late this afternoon, however, 'hIo"s'
,be rcceipt from the White House of message
irclosipc further information as 10 thc eA'e"V
~ the rayaces among the seal hcrds coilllv'eu
bv the omen sea hunters The Senate had aSNe"
for some official statement as to the haNcc uo"c
by pelagic sealing and the PRESIDENT trahsiii'''"
in renlv. besides the reports from various agents
Of the United States sent 10 the seal lslahus III
the last few wears. extracts from the joint report
of the English and American Commissioners WHO
visited the Pribyloff Islands last summer ana
recentlv finished their labors by succession OF
sttines in this city, Though the Joint statement
Of the four experts is barren and lnc0ncluslVe
as 70 almost all the points discussed there was a
definite agreement the one fact that the seal
herd had been noticeably depleted IN the IasV
few seasons by the hand of man, this depletion
being charged wholly to the wanton methods OF
the open-sea poachers.
The Senate ordered the report of the joint com
mission read, some interest having been exhibited
in the contents of the paper, which, though really
brief in substance and practically Valueless as
an aid 10 arbitration, has been Withheld from
publication TO be presented confdentlaHy az inc
first meeting of the board OF arbltratOrs Other
documents were read bearing upon the wasteiul
and barbarous results of pelagic sealing; ana
another discussion of the general phases OF the
Behring Sea difficulty, similar in character to tho'e
of last Tuesday and Wednesday, was afterward
engaged in Senator's Sherman, Butler, Morgan
Patt and White all made speeches, the general
drift OF the talk being in the direction OF ratlfy-
ing the treaty but at the same time asserting
VIGOROUSLY the right of the United States to pro-
tect the seal herds and 10 enforce without ques-
tion q suspension OF pOaching while the property
rigllt of this country in the seals was being de-
fined and established good deal Of last week S
talk il was found. had been based on more or less
Inaccurate knowledge OF the conditions of seallIg
in Alaskan waters, and there was general us
position shown TO go on with the consideration oil
The treaty with entire deliberateness and without
excitement. The reports We're finally referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations.
The latest issue of The London Times re-
oeived here, that of March 2, contains an editor
isl on the Behring Sea controversy, in which 1t
is announced that there need be no hurry about
sgning the arbitration treaty; because the modus
yyendi will have to be renewed in any event. Tor
tie coming sAason. This expression of opinion.
taken with many Others received here, is regarded
as indicating pretty plainly that public entiment
in England as far as it is concerned at all about
the sealing dispute has looked all along upon
renewal Of the close season agreement as matter
Of course, and that it will scarcely sustain Lord
Salisbury now in his proposed Abandonment OF
the seal herds TO indiscrlmnate ana wantoh
slaughter by Canadian and other poachers. lmS
evidence that such a feeling exists or has existed
I'D 10 March . in England gives some conn
dence Of the successful revival OF the modus
vivendi Of sol. c.. 49,.
mittee on Foreign Affairs tor ReatlOnsl was az
the White House this morning and had confer
encc with the President and the Attorney-Genrral
in regard TO the Behring Sea arbitration treaty
now awaiting the action of the Senate. IL Is uil-
derstood that the question considered was as 10
The advisability Of acting on the treaty, penang
settlement OF the question of the renewal OF last
years modus vivend Later in the day Generai
J. w. Foster and F.. J. Phelps, eX-MiniSter 10
England had an interview with the President Oh
the Behring Sea affair.