Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-10
BERING SEA LETTERS
Sent to the Senate by the President,
and Discussed Yesterday.
THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT.
President Harrisons Ultimatum in Regard
to Q M0dus Vivendi
SENT OVER THE NAME OF MR.. WHARTON

WASHINGTON, March 9.-The corre-
spondence in regard to the Bering Sea ques-
tion, sent to the Senate by the President to-
day, covers the period from April 20, 1881,
to the date Of recent correspondence. The
most important letters are two from Sir
Julian Pauncefote under dates of February
20 and March Z, and the reply sent. yester-
day. In his note of February 20 Sir Julian
informs Mr.. Blaine that Lord Salisbury
does not admit, as previously in
dicated BY MI. Blaine. thar the delays
have been greater on the part of Great
Britain than the United States He says
British commissioners have reported there
is no danger of serious diminution of the
seals, and therefore the necessity of modus
vivendi is not apparent. Still, he would
not object to the prohibition limited to q
zone not more than 80 miles around the
Pribyloff Islands, provided the catch on the
islands be limited to &c, 1000.
salisbury's Objections Set Forth.
In his note of March T., Sir Julian presents
arguments in support OF Lord Salisbury's
refusal to accede to another modus vivendi-
He says the first was agreed to under stipu.
pealed, and that there is no apparent danger
to the seal species. he adds that the zone
proposed is more extensive than that men
toned by Mr. Blaine on March 16, 1891, and
that the anticipation of conflicts, considered
in the note of May 4, 1891, has been met by
the provisions of the Bering Sea act Of Par
liamsnt and order in council
In the response sent yesterday Assistant
Secretary Wharton states that the President
notices, with the deepest regret, the indis-
position Of Her Majesty's Government to
agree upon an effective modus for the pre-
servation of the seals in the Bering Sea
pending the settlement Of the respective
rights of the two Governments in those
waters and in the fur seal fisheries therein.
He calls attention to the fact that the
treaty Of arbitration awaits only the action
of the American Senate, and that the judg-
ment of the arbitration tribunal can be
stated in time to control the conduct OF the
sealers during the present season.
The Requirements Of Good Faith.
The urgent question, he says, is what
does good faith, to say nothing of inter-
national comfy, require Of the parties to
arbitrations? Was it ever heard before, he
asks, that one party to such q controversy
whether nation or On individual-could
income and profits, much less the body
of the contested property, pending the
litigation, without accountability? 1t is
no answer for the tresspasser, it is con-
tended, to say that the true owner will have
an undiminished harvest near. Last years
harvest was his also, and, further, this Gov
ernment has already been advised that
Great Britain repudiates all obligations to
indemnify the United States for any inYa-
sion of its Jurisdiction or any injury done
to its sealing property by the Canadian
sealers.
In conclusion, it Is stated that this
Government will honor the judg-
ment of the arbitration tribunal which
has been agreed upon, whether that judg-
ment be favorable or unfavorable, and will
not seek to void Just responsibility for
any of its acts which by that Judgment are
found to be unlawful; but certainly the
United States cannot be expected to sus-
pend the defense, by such means as are
within its power, Of the property and
jurisdictionsl rights claimed by 1t, pending
the arbitration, and to consent to receive
them from that tribunal if awarded shorn
of much of their value by the acts of ire
sponsible persons.