St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-25

This is crime against nature. This
government expects to show, ii the arDl-
tration proceeds, that female seals con-
stitute the larger per cent of the catch
OF the pelagic sealerS.
Saiibury's Weakness.
That in view of this serious and con-
fldent contention of this government
his lordship should assume that an
other years suspension OF such sealing
is not necessary ITO prevent an undue
diminution of the seal herds" and
should insist that pending an arbitra-
ton it shall 60 on, precisely as if no
arbitration had been agreed upon, is as
surprising as it is disappointing. If her
majesty's government so little respects
the claims and contentious OF this gov
eminent as to be unwilling to forbear
| for single season to disregard them,
the president cannot understand why
| Lord Salisbury should have proposed
| and agreed to give to those claims the
dignity and standing which reference
| to high court of arbitration implies.
| From the moment all arbitration was
| agreed upon, neither party was at lib
| erty to disregard the contentious Of the
! other. 1t must be assumed that the
sincere purpose of the two governments
was to promote peace and good will, but
1 if, pending the arbitration, either deals
with the subject of it solely upon the
| basis of its own contention and i'll utter
| disregard of the claims of the other,
this friendly end is not only not at
! tanned, but new sense of injury and
| injustice is added, even if it should be
1 found possible to proceed with an arbi-
tratlon under such conditions.
| For it must not be forgotten that. If
! her maiesty's government proceeds dur
i,,,r I'M IA nCic
| of its contention as to the rights of the
! Canadian SealerS, no choice is left to
| this government but to proceed upon
| the basis of its confident contention
! that pelagic sealing in the Behrng sea
| is an infraction of its jurisdiction and
| property rights. His lOrdShip will
| hardly fail to see this. Herein. in the
| opinion of the president. consists the
gravity Of the present situation, and he
is not willing to be found in any degree
responsible for the results that may
follow the insisteDce by either govern
ment during this season upon
The Extreme Rights
claimed by it. In his opinion it would
discredit in the eyes of the world the
two great movements involved If the
pallry profits of single season should
be allowed to thwart or even to disturb
the honorable and friendly adjustment
of their differences, which is so nearly
concluded; but if his lordship shall adj
here to his refusal to unite with us in
prompt and effective measures to stop
pelagic sealing and shall insist upon
free sealing for British subjects, the
question, as it affects this government,
is no longer one of pecuniary loss or
gain, but one of honor and Self-reSpect.
This government, notwithstanding
the fact that its right to take seals upon
the Prbyloff islands is undiSputed and
wholly uninvolved in the arbitration,
has proposed to take no profit from the
island catch, but to limit the taking of
seals to the necessities of the natives of
those islands; and it cannot consent
that, with Indemnity or without, the
contested rights-ef British subjects to
catch seals in the Behring sea shall be
exercised pending the arbitration.
The president finds it difficult to be-
lieve that Lord Salisbury is serious in
proposing that this government shall
take separate bonds from the owners of
about 100 Canadian sealing vessels to
indemnify it for the injury they may
severally infliet upon our jurisdiction or
property, and must decline to discuss
suggestion which only his respect for
Lord Salisbury and his belief that his
lordship has a due appreciation of the
gravity of this discussion, enable him to
treat with seriousness. We should
doubtless have to
Pursue and Capture
upon the sea many of the owners of
those vessels to secure the bonds Sug-
gested, and as the condition is to be
that, the obligors shall pay ''any dam
ages which the arbitratorS may adj
Judge" while the treaty gives the arbi-
traitors nospower to eadjudge any dam
ages the transaction would be without
risk to the oblgors and OF no value to
us. This government cannot consent
to have what it believes to be its rights
destroyed or impaired pending their de-
termination by an agreed tribunal. how
ever adequate the security offered.
The reference in my last note to the
| Inconsistency of her majesty'S govern
ment in denying responsibility for the
acts of the Canadian SealerS was not in
tended to suggest a willingness Oh our
part under any circumstances to see our
property converted into a claim for
damages, and particularly as such
claim cannot now be heard or deter
mined by the arbitrator without
reformation of the treaty. for his lord
ship must remember that while he now
for satisfying any damages which the
afbitrators may adjudge," he has
already carried his point in the treaty
that the arbitrator shall have no juris
diction to award any damages.
Compensation Claims.
AS to his lordship's suggestion that
Canadian spalers may have some claim
for compensation if Great Britain shall :
restrain pelagic sealing, the president
directs me to say that he is not able TO
see how the citizen or subject of either
of the treaty powers can by any rule of
law or equity support any claim against
their res pective governments growing
out of such necessary trade restraints as
the government may lawfully impose to
promote the larger conditions of the
public good and international peace.
The suggestion that the conclusions
of the board of arbitration may not be
reached and announced in time to gov
ern the conduct OF the, parties
during tie season Of 1898 is, the preSi-
dent thinks, fully provided against
by the treaty itself. If the present
treaty is promptly ratified and eX-
changed our mutual interest would be
an absolute guaranty against delay.
The president has found no obstacle in
the way of such consummatiOn, eX-
cept the belief now unfortunately
prevalent here that the refusal of Great
Britain to agree to the preservation of
the status quo of the property during
the arbitration, and her insstence that
pelagic sealing shall go on, to the in
jury, If not destruction. of our rights,
largely defeats the object of the treaty.
Least We Can Accept.
The president directs me to say, in
conclusion, that the modus of last year
is the least that this government can
accept. In reason the restraints. after
treaty of arbitration, should be more
absolute, not less. He does not desire
to protract this discussion, and having
now in the most friendly spirit sub
mitted the considerations which sup
port the just demand of this govern
ment, that the property which is the
subject of an agreed arbitration shall
not be subject to spoliation ending
the arbitration, he expresses the hope