The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-09

tension OF tho territorial claim and 10
the assertion OF maritime jurisdiction.
In view OF this fact it has lccn claimed
that tho position Of tho United States
was untenable in holding that Boring
sca Is 4 closed sea. /.
WHAT THIS COUNTRY DESIRES. Is.
Ina letter from Secretary Blaine to
tho British minister, dated December
II, 1890, Is an interesting paragraph
bearing upon this very point. 1t is as
follows: 3l
"Tho repeated assertions that the
government OF tho United States do
mands that tho Boring sea bo pro-
nounccd marc clausum are without
foundation. Tho government has never
claimed II and never desired 1t. 1t OK.
prcssly disavows 1t. At the same time
the United States does not lack abund-
ant authority, according to the ablcst
eXponents OF international law, for
holding q small section OF tho Dering
sea for the protection OF tho fur seals.
Controlling q comparatively restricted
area OF water for that ono specific pur-
pose is by no means the equivalent OF
declaring the sea, or any part thereof,
mare clausum. Nor is 1t by any means
so serious an obstruction as Great
Britain assumes to mako in the South
Atlantic, nor so groundlcss m interior
ence with tho common law OF tho sea as
is maintained by British authority to-
day i'll tho Indian ocean," - I,
AT an earlier point in tho same letter
Secretary Blaine wrote rs follows: "Tho
United States desires only such control
over limited extent OF the waters in
tho Boring Sea, for part OF each year,
as will bc sufficient to insure tho pro-
lection OF the fur seal fisheries. already
injured, possibly to m irroparablo eX-
tent, by the intrusion OF Canadian ves-
sells, sailing with the encouragement OF
Great Britain and protected by her flag.
Tho eravest wrong is committed when
las in many instances is the easel Amer
lean citizens,' refusing obedience to the
tho laws OF their own country, have
gone into partnership with the British
flag and engaged in the destruction OF
the seal fisheries which belong to the
United States. So general, so notorious
and SO shamelessly avowcd has this
practice become that last season, ac-
cording to the report OF tho American
Consul Mt Victoria, when the intruders
assembled Mt Ounalaska on the Fourth
OF July. previous to entering Bering Sea-
the day was celebrated in patriotic and
spirited manner by the American citi-
zens, who at the time were protected by
tho British flag in their violation Of the
laws OF their own country"
The suggestion made by Lord Sails
bury as TO the establishment of zone
around Pribyloy Islands, within which
the fisheries shall be restricted, as re-
garded by the state department as so
impracticablc rs to reach almost to u
point OF absurdity.
III one OF his letter. to the British
minister Mr.. Blaine made uso OF these
words:
ut is perfectly clear that if your
claim for British vessels to kill seals
within ten miles Of the Priblov Islands,
directly after the mothers are delivered
of their young, should bo granted, the
Bering sea would swarm with vessels
engaged in sealing-not 40. or so, as
now, but many hundreds, through the
summer months. II that privilege
should be given to Canadians they
would certainly, ass matter Of common
right, be thrown open to citizens OF tho
United States. Tho seal mothers, which
require an area Of from 40 to so miles
from the islands. on all sides, to secure
food for their young, would be slaugh-
tered by hundreds OF thousands. and in
a brief space OF tina there would bo no
seals in,the Bering sea"
TIE ENGLISH POSITION.
With reference to q suggestion as to
restrictions that Great Britain might be
willing to make TO protect the seal fish
cries, letter was received from Sir Ju-
lian Pauncefote on June 0, 1890. 1t is
interesting at the present crisis and
reads as follows:
is entirely beyond the power OF
Her Majesty's government to exclude
British or Canadian ships from any por-
ton OF the high seas, oven for an hour,
without legislative sanction. Her Ma
jesty's government have always been
willing, without pledging themselves to
details OH the questions OF area and date,
to carry on negotiations, hoping there
by to come to some arrangement for
such q close season as is necessary in
order to preserve the seal species from
extinction, but tho provisions OF such
an arrangement would always require
legislative sanction so. that the measures
thereby determined may be cnforccd.'
l,n oil cf ~, of
officials who have had to deal with this
question that the attitude assumed by
Great Britain in regard to the modus
vivendi is untenablc. 1t is safe to say
that unless the modus vivenii is re-
! moved and unless the United States
goes back on tho attitude taken all
along, orders will be issued to the
revenue marine vessels to capture all
sealers, who may be regarded as poach-
crs. This may lead to ,some serious
complications and it is generally adj
mitted that tho situation ut tho present
time is 4 really critical one. IL rs it
has been claimed, all that Great
Britain desires in the mattcris to have
vessel seized in order that perfect
test case may be brought before the
United States Supreme Court, she is
very likely to have her wish satisfied.
Such claim, however, Is anything but
consistent with the protest that Sir
Julian pauncefotc made on June II,
1890.
\ SHORT SESSION.
Tho House Adjourns Out of Respect to tho
tot ti,,, ysc,,Ion