The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-29
CONSERVATION IN VICTORIA.
President Harrison Will Accept the
British Governments Proposition.
The Treaty Will Now Be Ratified at
Once-Canadians Angry With Sails
bury, Who Suddenly Comedies All
He Had Before Refused.

private kilograms. Collector of Customs
A. r. Milne by Saturdays mail received
number of official letters from Ottawa.
upon which. however, no action was taken
until after Sunday. Then came the sur
prise. The steam sealer Thistle and the
new Eastern schooner Brenda had cleared
on Saturday for Bering sea, but had not
yet got away. So the collector visited
them and left with the master of each the
following documents:
To Masters and Olraers Of SchooRers: / am
directed by the commissioner of customs to
furnish you with a copy of the annexed dis
patch from the colonial secretary to the govern
or general of Canada, and your special attention
is called thereto that you may be particularly
warned OF the possible consequences in case of
any non-attention to the intimations therein
contained. A. r. MILNE.
Collector of Customs.
Lord KRutsford to Lord Stanley, March 49, 1899:
Please direct the proper port authority at all
harnors on the Pacific coast to inform owners
who are clearig or have cleared this year for
Bering sea tina. ne- majestys government and
the United states government have agreed, sub
ject TO ratification OF the Senate, to submit to
arbitration the question whether sealers have
right OF the United States to seal in the eastern
half OF Bering sea to the east of the Russian
line, and that ii IL is possible the sentence of
said tribunal may be given within the present
fishing season Moreover. that the United States
government and her majesty's government have
made propositions for intermediate regulations,
restraining the catch OF seals in said waters in
case said arbitration agreement should be rati-
fed. Neither the arbitration agreement nor any
intermediate agreement has been yet definitely
adopted between the two governments, and
whether they are adopted and on what date is
necessarily a matter of uncertainty, but notice
is hereby given to all sealers proposing to seal
in said waters that they do so at their own risk
and after warning of the liability to Interrupt
ton to which they may be exposed in conse-
(signad) KNUrsFoRp.
Collector Milne will notify each of the
schooners in port-there are only two or
three-and report the name of each, after
it receives the warning, to Ottawa. He
will also inform the department authori-
ties that all the fleet, with the exception
of few stragglers, are now hundreds of
miles at sea. and that, further, they will
not accept warning to leave Bering
sea unless it comes from British source.
If Americans are allowed to serve warning
it must be in writing, with British sigma
lures, to be respected and needed by Brit
ish subjects.
Owners of sealing schooners whose hopes
have been revived by Salisbury's assertion
that he would not agree to a renewal of
the modus vivendi, were indignant when
quite understand the governments action.
but think that it is simply renewal of
the modus vivendi of last year,
with the exception that the Brit
ish government will leave the seal
| ers to the mercy of American cutters.
Captain J. G. Cox, president of the seal
ers' association. says he. like all the seal
ers, considers the action very harsh and
81 lie, I
there is now no chance of communicating
with them, so that they will go into the
sea and stand risk of seizure. Salisbury's
avowal that he would not agree TO a modus
vivendi led sealers to fit out at q heavy ex-
pense. while several new schooners have
been built. If the imperial government
had bought the schooners and laid them
| up it would have been fair, but as it is the
government is showing its friendship to
the Americans at the expense of the seal
ers. 1t will compel sealers, under the cir
cumstances, to complete their voyage into
the more friendly waters of the czar.
Tonight the sealers held long meeting
to discuss the latest phase of the question.
| The documents from Ottawa were con-
sidered, in conjunction with the sub
sequent correspondence between the
! TWO SONeTHiUeHiS, anu tHc uIdl
conclusion reached was that the
| position of the sealers is not materially
! changed. Collector Mines instructions
are not interpreted as a notice not to enter
| Bering sea, but as an intlmation that they
run the risk of receiving no compensation
in case of being interfered with during the
season. In brief, it was taken that all now
| hinges upon the result of the arbitration.
| Salisbury's last communication to the
! president, stating the grounds upon which
| he consented to renew the modus vivendi
| was laid before the Senate this afternoon.
| In transmitting the paper to the Senate, the
| president added to his formal letter a
! statement to the effect that Salisbury's
! reply was very satisfactory, and that he is
| preparing suitable response. The char
acter of this response causes a belief that
| the presidents letter will be a substantial
| acceptance of Lord ,Salisbury's tender,
! with few notifications that will doubt
| less be arranged without difficulty.
There can be no question that the recep-
ton of the communication largely re-
| moved any doubt of favorable action by
| the Senate upon the treaty, and, in fact,
| when an adjournment was had it was the
| general pel4el t4lat Ile treaty Will De r2tl-
| fed tomorrow. Much debate today
was devoted to the question of damages
| that might be awarded by the arbitrators
| for or against this country. Senator
George took prominent part in the dis
cussion of this point, and, fortified by a
! number of authorities, proceeded to ad-
! dress the Senate at length, the feature of
| his speech being eulogistic reference to
President Harrison's attitude in the nego-
| tiatious.
No specific prediction of the amount of
| the damages Is attempted. Senator'S famil-
| lar with the subject cite figures to show
| that the poachers secured 5000 sealskins
| last year, which meant the destruction OF
over 10000 seals, lnasmuch as only
small portion OF those killed
| at sea are recovered; but it Is
| believed that more than 1900 skins
were taken in Bering sea proper. aud tax.
! ing the government valuation of $40 per
| skin damage, we could rightfuIly cain
| that for the last years operations of poach.
| ers, it would not be less. on the othe,
| hand the loss sustained by the Canadian
vessel owners, assuming that they we're H.
! legally excluded rom seal waters, mus;
| have been much larger than our own.
WAsHISGTos CITY, March 2S.-It is said