Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-05
THE HESEAL-FISHERIES
ADJOURNMENT OF THE BEeIN0 SEA
JOINT COMMISSION.
Lord Salisbury Refuses to Renew the
"sfodus vtvendi"-rhe Substitute He
Oners Considered Inadequate.
[BY telegraph 70 the plspatch.l

WASHINGTON, March 4.--The joint CON-
mission on the Bering Sea seal-hsheries,
consisting OF Sir Baden-Powell and DR..
Dawson, representing Great Britain. and
Professors Mendenhall and Merriam. re-
presenting the United States, with Mr. j..
Stanley Brown, of the Treasury Depart
ment. as secretary, had its fnal session at
the State Department this afternoon.
After signing joint report embodying q
statement of facts as 10 all points con-
aected with the sealing industry on which
there Is no dispute the commission ad-
iourned sme de.
1t ia understood that no agreement was
reached on the main question az Issue-as
to whether or not a closed season and q
prohibition OF peagic sealing are essential
Tor the preservation Of the seal species. IL
Is said that the representatives of the
United States advocated = policy OF this
kild for a limited period and that the repre-
sentatives of Great Britain opposed It.
There will. therefore. be two separate re-
ports on this point. These. together with
the loint report on matters of minor i'm
portance, will be submitted to the board
of arbitration when that body shall have
been organized. In the mean time the
Il
ment for the enforcement OF the
laws in regard 10 the seal fish
cries, and the revenue-cutters Rush,
Corwin, and Bear are being htted
out at San Francisco for their annual
cruise IN Bering Sea. The sealing fleet has
already begun operations in the vicinity OF
the Columbia river, and the Treasury De.
partment is considering the advisability OF
dspatching revenue cutter to see that
DO sealing is done within three miles OF
United States territory.
THE noDUs vrvENDI.
The course ofthese negotiations has been
closely watched by the members of the
committees of the Senate and House
having 10 do with foreign relations. The
report from London published this morn
ing, TO the effect that Lord Salisbury had
refused TO renew the modus cirendi under
which the two governments last yeai
undertook to prevent Illicit seal
ing in Berine Sea. was received
with dissatisfaction. lt is realized thai
the arbitration provided for in the treaty
about to be submitted to the Senate can
not be completed in time TO avail for th,
protection OF the seal waters and The
counter-proposition made by Lord Sails
bury looking 10 the establishment of :
projected belt extending only thirty miles
| from the shores OF the IrIbylon lslands II
looked upon as being entirely inadequate
| TO meet the case. In the pendency OF th'
negotiations the members of the congres-
sional committees do not care to embar
rass the Executive by any comments upoI
| the subject, but privately they do not dis
| guise their belief that unless the British
Government shows q disposition TO ioir
in the work of protecting the waters o
Berinp Sea from poachers durinl
the progress of the arbitration
| the United States Government itself mus
undertake the task and execute the law
which has not been repealed, requiring i
| 10 protect the seal fisheries. II this cours'
il followed. the situation will assume.
phase very similar 10 that preceding th'
adoption of the mOdus rirendt last year
aud the government will resume the. pollcl
Of seizing offending vessels. which ma
| lead 10 energetic protests and perhap
retaliatory action by Great Britain.