Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-28
The Answer to WhartOn's
Recent Note.
POachers Warned of the Risk
They Run.
The Question of Time Therefore Not
Urgent.
England Is willing to Renew the Modus
Vivendi Only Under the Condi-
ti0ns Heretofore insisted
Upon.

Associated Press Dispatches.
LONDON, March 27.-Lord Salisbury,
under date OF March Goth, replied as
follows to Sir Julian Pauncefote, in re.
sponse to Mr.. Wharton's note of March
22d:
"Notice has been given the owners o.
ships sailing for Bering sea that the
agreements to arbitrate and immediate
arrangements under discussion between
Great Britain and the United States
may affect the liberty of sealing in
Bering sea. They have had notice o.
their liability to interruption and will
sail subject to that notice.
"The question of time is therefore not
urgent. We concur in thinking that
when the treaty is ratified. our contract
will be governed by your note of June
IA, 1890, but when it is ratified both
parties must admit that the contingent
rights which both desire to protect be-
come vested in each other. We think
the prohibition of sealing, If it stands
alone, would be unjust to British sealers
if the arbitrators should decide adverse
ly to the United States. -sl, +.
"We are willing, however, when the
treaty shall be ratified, to agree to an
arrangement similar to last year, if the
United States will consent that the
arbitrators, in the event the decision is
adverse to the United States, assess the
damages inflicted on British sealers
during the pending arbitration, and, in
the event the decision is adverse to
Great Britain, assess the damages which
the Limitation of the slaughter shall,
during the tendency of the arbitration,
haze inflicted on the United States or
its lessees.
"As an alternative we are willing,
after the ratification Of the treaty, to
prohibit sealing in the disputed waters
II vessels be excepted from the ,prohibi.
tion which produce a certificate that
they have given security for such dam
ages az the arbitrators may assess in
case the decision is adverse to Great
Britain, the arbitrators to receive the
,neceetary authority in that respect. -
SIN this case the restriction Of
slaughter on the islands will not in point
of equity be necessary.
''Her maJesty's government is unable
to see any other than these methods of
restricting seal hunting in the disputed
waters during arbitration, which would
be equitable to both parties"
"A LATER NOTE.
A later note from Lord Salisbury to
Sir Julian Pauncefote, under date of
March Goth, says:
"With further reference to your tele-
gram of March 23d, am not prepared
to admit, as gather that the president
thinks that we objected to the arbitra-
tors having jurisdiction to award dam
ages inflicted in the past by
the party against whom the award
is given. only objected to
her majesty's government being liable
for action they have not committed. l
am ready to consent to referring on this
point on the following terms: In case
the arbitrators decide in favor of the
British government they may ask that
they further decide whether the United
States government, since 1885, has
taken any action in Bering sea directly
inflicting wrongful loss on British sub
jects, and also to assess the damages in
Cured thereby; that in case the arbi-
traitors decide in, favor OF the govern
ment of the United States. they may
ask them to decide further whether the
British government, since 1885, has
taken any action in Bering sea directly
inflicting wrongful loss on the United
States, and if 80 assess the damages in
CURED thereby"
RECEIVED AT WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, March Salisbury's
reply to Acting Secretary Wharton's
note of the 22d inst, expressing the
hope of the president that Lord Sails
bury would give prompt and friendly
assistance for the renewal Of last years
modus vivendi for the protection of
seal life in Bering sea, was laid before
the president this afternoon. 1t bears
the date of the Goth, and was received
by Wharton today through Pauncefote.
When Wharton laid it before the presi-
dent he had brief talk with him re-
garding the contents. Neither the presi-
dent nor the secretary would indicate
through the press the nature of the
communication.
PAUNCEFoTE's NOTE OF JUNE, 1890.
Pauncefote's note of June IA, 1890, to
Blaine, referred to in Salisbury's letter of
the Goth, expressed his regrets at the
failure to receive assurance that, during
the continuance of the negotiations for
CQo S0btlc-ucub VI bLc 56dl uSuluS Qucb-
ton, British vessels would not be inter-
fered with by the United States
revenue cutters in the Bering sea outside
of the territorial limits protested against
such interference with British vessels,
and said: "Her majesty's government
learned with great concern that the
government of the United States has
issued instructions to the revenue
cruisers about to be dispatched to
Bering sea, under which the vessels of
British subjects will again be exposed,
in the prosecution OF their legitimate
industry on the high seas, to unlawful
interference at the hands of American
officers. Her majesty's government is
anxious to cooperate to the fullest ex-
tent of their power with the government
of the United States in such measure
as may be found expedient for the pro-
lection of theTseal fisheries. They are
at the present moment engaged in ex-
amining, in concert with the United
States government, the best method of
arriving at an agreement upon
tho point, but they cannot admit the