St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-10
Received with Regret.

Department OF State, Washington, March
Sir: am directed by the president 20
say that he notices with the deepest regret
the indisposition of Her Majesty's govern
ment to agree upon an effective moduS Tor
the preservation of the seals in the BehTing
sea pending the settlement OF the respective
rights of that government and of the govern
ment of the United States i'll those waters
and in the fur seal fisheries therein
The United States claims an exclusive
right to take seals in a portion OF the Beh-
ring sea. while Her Majestys government
claims common right to pursue and take
the seals in those waters outside three
mile limit. This serious and protracted con-
troversy, it has now oeen happiiy agreed.
shall be submitted to the determination of
tribunal of arbitration and the Greatly only
awaits the action of the American senate.
The Judgment of the arbitration tribunal can
not however. be reached and stated i'll time
to control the conduct of the respective
governments and of their citizens during The
sealing season of 1892; and the urgent ques-
ton now is what does good faith. TO say
nothing of International comfy. require of
the parties to the arbitration.
If the contention of this government IS
sustained by the arbitrators then any killing
of seals by the Canadian sealers during this
season in these waters is an injury to this
government in its jurisdiction and properly.
The injury is, not measured by the skins
taken. Dut aHectS the I2tmauenC falue Oh
our property.
This government has already been advised
in the course of this correspondence that
Great Britain repudiaIes ali obligations to
Indemnify the United States for any in
yasion of its jurisdiction or any injury doue
TO its sealing property by the CANADIAN seal
ers The attempt to make damage clause
one of the articles of the arbitration agree
ment fsiled. because her majesty govern
ment would not consent that the question OF
its liability to indemnify the United States
for the injury done by The Canadian seaierS
should be submitted.
Mr. Wharton then reviews the correspond
ence of the summer. respecting liabilities Tor
damages and saws: 1.-The president cannot
relieve that while holding this view of its
accountability The government of Great
Britain will. pending the arbitration, coun-
tenance. much less JUSTIFY or defend, the
continuance of pelagic scaling by It's sub
ieets Ii should either assume responsibility
for the acts of these sellers or restrain them
from a pursuit. he lawfulness IF which is to
lie determined by arbitration
The letter then goes Oh to show from the
statistics of last season the danger OF utter
extinction Of seals, and says: The propOsi-
ton of Lord Salisbury 10 prohibit The killing
of seals Mt sea within zone extending 10
not more than thirty nautical miles around
the Pribyioff islands Is 50 oDyIOusiy made
ailate and SO impossible of execution that
this government cannet entertain it
THE prcsdeiit canuot agree now that the
terms of arbitration have been settled, that
the restrictions imposed hall be less than
those which both governments deemed to he
appropriate when ii was still uncertain
whether an early adjustment IF the conIro-
yersy was atiainable. lie therefore hopes
that her majesty government viii consent
10 renew the arrangement of last year with
the promptncss which the exisency demarcs
To and agree 10 enforce il br refusing all
clearanees TO sealing vessels for the pro-
hibi ell waters. aud recalling from these
waters all such vessels as have already
Gle red
The government will honorably ab;,le the
md ment IF the high iriuunal which has
haerI q reed upoi- whether that judgment be
flv:,ral.le q. unfavnrable. and will not seek
to avoid just responsie lily Tor any ef lis