The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-29
CAUSE OF THE QUARREL
History of the Boring Sea Trouble
From the Beginning.
AN AcCOUNTOF A GREAT QUESTION.
Conditions Tint Led TO tho alodus
Vlvcndi.-Why England Did Not
Want TO Renew It.-our Rights In
tho 3inttcr-soIxurc aud Sale of Yes.
sells Already Caught Poachlns.


tho 3inttcr-Scixurc aud Sale Of Yes.
Sells Already Caught Poachlng.
Ntw Yort Pren
After tho purchase OF Alaska from
Russia by tho United States in 1867
there was for twenty years no dispute
between this government and Great
Britain about tho killing OF seals in tho
Boring sea, Since last Thursday, the
question has become one OF the greatest
international importance.
The whole case is well stated by SEN
ator FELTON,, OF California, who said to u
correspondent; 81 served four years in
tho house on a committee charged with
the duty OF investigating this subject,
and took pains to make myself familiar
with it. l believe that NIL tho claims
brought forward By this nation are just,
and should be maintained. l don't be.
lieve that the fact that England posses.
ses largo navy should induce us to lot
her destroy our property. On the high
est principles OF international law
what might DO called the highest law
our position is fully justified. Interna.
tional law Is based on the right OF every
country 10 tho undisturbed enjoyment
its own. Each government has full
control OF the waters for three miles
from its shores. This is simply because
tho old guns could shoot three miles.
ii they could have shot fifty miles tho
limit would have been fifty miles.
TILE LIMIT NECESSARILY EXTENDED.
Now, in Alaska wo have form OF
property that cannot be protected with
an extension OF tho limit. When
We bought Alaska wo bought it in the
face OF all the world, subject 10 all its
natural conditions. All the world
knew that the chief value OF tho coun-
try lay in its seal fisheries, and that
the observation Of these fisheries dc.
pended entirely upon allowing the
mother seals to swim unmolested over n
space extending sixty or seventy miles
from tho island in search OF food for
themselves and their young. Russia
had enforced tho necessary regulations
to that end for over century and
We enforced them for over sixteen
years, until lot OF Canadian thieves
found temporary profit in destroying
our industry, that was common benefit
to the whole world. l&
81 know it is said that We had pro-
tested against the Russian claim in the
early part Of this century, but that is
not true. When ukase was issued,
claiming precisely the rights subse.
quently coded to US, We made no COM
plant, but Mr.. Adams did protest
against subsequent ukase that claimed
nearly the whole EARTH.
OTHER GROUNDS FOR THE CLAIM.
In taking q firm stand on this mat
ter We shall be protecting not only our
own interests, but those of the whole
civilized world, including England her
self. Enslishmen have marde about rs
much out Of the sealing industry as we
have. The poachers pay our govern
ment nothing, but for every seal killed
on the islands this government gets q
tax OSLO Notwithstanding the Boring
sen was closed last year and patroled by
naval vessels Of Great Britain and the
United States the catch OF the poachers
aggregated nearly 10000 seals, and it is
believed that the opening OF the sea to
the extent proposed by Lord Salisbury
means the utter determination of the
species"
now THE PIRATES WORK.
1t could not be expected that the
American flag floating from three small
revenue cutters, the Corwin, Bear and
Rush, would deter these ocean rovcrs
from carrying on lucrative business
upon SO vast an area as Boring sea,
especially when they flew from their
mast heads the meteor flag" of Eng
land. The fact is that all the Pacific
coast limo belonging to the United States
has been without adequate naval or
military protection ever since its settle
ment by the American people. The
poor little government vessels are slow
sailing jests for all mariners from San
Francisco to Point Barrow
The Alaskan natives conception of
the army and navy OF the United States
is derived from marine corps ,oi thir-
ty-six men stationed at Sitka and such
abnormal specimens OF warships rs the
old arctic whaler Thetis and the anti
quated, rebuilt government tug .Pinta
Following Immediately upon tho
transfer Of Alaska by Russia to the
United States in 1867 and tho ratifica-
tion by Congress OF tho treaty then
made a California corporation known
MS the Alaska Commercial Company
secured lease OF the seal islands from
our government. guaranteeing to it
certain restricted privileges for period
OF twenty years. BY its terms the
company was given the exclusive right
to kill fur seals upon the Pribylof Is
lands-that is, st. Paul and St. George
and upon the adjacent waters, tho
number being limited to 100000 an
nually. Under this lease the profits
OF the company were enormous and
the revenue derived by. the govern
ment satisfactory. II any depredations
were made upon tho seal rookcries or
unlawf full killing of seals upon Berine
Sen from 1867 to 1854 it excited only
local irritation, and there appears to
have arisen no occasion for. the seizure
OF vessels or tho Intervention of pro-
ceedings in tho United States courts
until after 1854. VIE
Perhaps this quietudo was owing to
lack OF information not then possessed
by ocean freebooters as to the great
profits to be realized by defiance OF the
law passed by Congress in 1865 for the
protection of fur bearing animals in