Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-03-30
BERING SEA TREATY
Unanimously Ratified by the
Senate.
IN SECRET SESSION TWO HOURS
The Proceedings to bs Conducted in the
English Language. ~.

The Board Il to be Composed OF DlstIn-
tinguished Jurists, and They Arc to
Meet In Paris Within Twenty Days After
the Counter Case, or What Might be
Called Evidence in RebuEtal-F1ve Cues
tiOns to be Submitted.
or convention providing for arbitr alton
in the settlement of the differences be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States over the Jurisdiction of the Beh-
ring Sea was ratified by the Senate yes
terday afternoon by q unanimous vote.
The secret session which resulted in
the ratification lasted two hours.
Shortly after the doors were closed,
call of the Senate was ordered and an
unusually large number of Senators an
swered to their names, the number be-
ing increased to - hOSore the vote on
tn g treaty was taken.
There was some general discussion con-
corning the perfection of the treaty, and
Mr. Sherman announced that the propo'
sitions made by some Senators at pre-
vious sessions that the arbitration pro-
ceedings should be conducted in English
had met with favorable response from
Lord Salisbury. After Mr.. Sherman
made this statement the treaty was
amended so that English should be the
language used in the conduct of the pro-
ceedings.
The treaty provides that the BehrinR
Sea controversy shall be submitted to
tribunal of arbitration, to be composed
of seven arbitrators, the President of
the United States and Her Britannia
Majesty to name two each, and the Presi-
dent of France, the King of Italy and
the King of Sweden and Norway to name
one each. The arbitrator are to be dis
tinguished jurists in their respective
countries, and the treaty provides that
they shall meet in Paris within twenty
days after the delivery of the counter
case, or what might be called evidence
in rebuttal. The printed case of the
two parties, accompanied by documents,
official correspondence and other evil
dence is to be delivered in duplicate TO
| each arbitrator, and to the agents of
each high contracting party, as soon as
possible after the appointment of the
tribunal, but within q period not ex-
ceeding three months from the exchange
of the ratification of the treaty. Within
| the next three months, unless more time
| is required, the counter cases are to be
| delivered.
! kproceed impartially and carefully to
examine and decide the questions that
have been OF shall be laid before them. -
All questions considered by the tri-
Eunal, including the final decision, are
to be determined by majority of the
>arbitrators. Five questions are to be
| submitted to the arbitrators. These are:
First-What exclusive jurisdiction in
the sea now known as Behring Sea, and
was exclusive rights in the seal fisheries
therein did Russia assert and exercise
, prior and up to the time of the cessiOn
of Alaska to the United States?
2. How far are those claims of juris-
diction as to the seal fisheries recognized
and considered by Great Britain?
3. Was the body of water now known
| as Behring Sea included in the phrase
"Pacific Ocean" as used by the treaty of
1925, between Great Britain and Russia,
and what rights, if any, in the Behring
| Sea, were held aud exclusively exercised
by Russia after said treaty.
| 4. Did not all the rights of Russia as
to jurisdiction and as to the seal fisher
les in Behring Sea east of the water
boundary, in the treaty between the
United States and Russia of March 80,
| 1867, pass unimpaired to the United
States under that treaty?
s. Has the United States any right,
and if so what right of protection of
property of the fur seals frequenting the
islands of the United States and Behring
Sea, when such seals are found outside
the ordinary three-mile limit?
If the arbitrator decide that the con-
currence of Great Britain is necessary to
| the establishment of regulations for the
| proper protection and preservation of the
fur-seal in Behring Sea, the arbitrators
| shall then determine what concurrent
regulations outside the jurisdictional
limits of the respective Governments are
necessary, and over what waters such
regulations should extend. The high
contracting parties also agree to cooper
ate in securing the adhesion of other
Powers to such regulations. The ques-
tion of the liability of either Government
for damages is to be subject to further
negotiation, although the arbitrators
may decide on questions of fact involved.
The treaty also provides for the ap-
pointment of two commissioners by each
of the high contracting parties to inves-
tigate and report facts having relation
to seal life and measures necessary for
its preservation. The decision is to be
made within four months after the close
of argument on both sides, and it is tt
be final.
The exchange of the ratification of the
treaty is to be made either at Washing.
ton or at London, within six months OF
its date February 29) Or earlier, if pos
sible.