The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-10
BERlNG SEA CORRESPONDENCE.


WASHINGTON, March 9.-The president
today sent to the senate the CORES espoadence
in regard TO the Bering sea question cover
ing the period from April 90 1891, TO date.
OF the recent correspondence the most i'm
portant letters are from Sir Julian
Pauncefote, under dates of Feb % and
March Z, and the reply sent yesterday.
Ia his note of Feb. - Sir Julian informs
Secretary Blaine that Lord Salisbury does
not admit, as previously indicated by Mr..
Blaine, that the delays have been greater
on the part of Great Britain than on the
part of The United States. He says that
the British commissioners have reported
that there is danger of serious
diminUlion in the number of seals, and
that therefore the necessity for moGuS
Viyendi is not apparent. Still, he would
not object TO a prohibition limited to a
zone OF not more than thirty miles around
the Pribylof islands, provided the seal
catch ION the islands, be limited to 1000.
In his note of March Sir Julian pre-
sents statement in support of Lord Sails
bury's refusal to accede TO a new modus
vivendi. He says that the first was agreed
10 under the stipulation that the measure
could be repealed when there was no APP
parent danger TO the seal species. He
adds that the zone proposed is more extern
slve than that mentioned by Mr.. Blaine
on March lG, 1891, and that the anticipa-
May 4, 1>9l, has been met by the pro-
visions of the Bering sea act of parliament
and the order in council
In the response Of yesterday, Assistant
Secretary Wharton states that he notices
with the deepest regret the disposition of
ler majesty'S government to not agree
upon an effective modus vivendi for the
protection of the seals in Bering sea,
pending a settlement of the respective
rights of the two governments in those
waters and In the fur seal fisheries therein.
lie calls attention TO the fact that the
treaty of arbitration awaits only the
action of the American senate, and that
the judgment of the arbitration commit
tee cannot be stated in time to control the
conduct of the sealers during the present
season. The urgent question, he says,
is what does good faith, 10 say
nothing of international comfy, require
of the parties to the arbitration. Was it
ever heard of before, he asks, that one
party 10 such controversy, whether q
nation or an individual, could appropriate
the whole or any part of the income or
profits, much less The body of the contested
property, pending litigation, without ac-
coGntablllty! 1t is no answer for the
trespass, it is contepded, to say that the
true owner will have an undiminished
harvest next year CAST years harvest was
his ALSO, and. further, that the govern
Britain repudlstes all obligations to in-
demnify the United States for any in
vasion OF its jurisdiction or any injury to
the sealing property by Canadian sealers.
In conclusion, 1t is stated that this gov
ernment will honorably abide the iudg-
Inent of the arbitration tribunal which has
been agreed upon. whether that Judgment
be favorable or unfavorable. and will not
seek TO avoid just responsibility for any of
It's acts which by the Judgment are found
10 be unlawful. But certainly the United
States cannot be expected to suspend de-
feuse, by such means rs are within its
power OF the property and jurisdictional
rights claimed by it. pending arbitration,
nnd consent to receive them from that tri-
buual, If awarded, shorn of much OF their
value by the acts of irresponsible persons
1t is learned that the illness of Secretary
Blaine prevented any consultation with
him as to Lord Salisbuly's note opposing
q renewal Of the modus vivendi of last
year, and the reply thereto, dated the s. h
inst, and transmitted by Mr. Wharton.
was in fact written by the president.
IN THE SENATE.
The senate spent nearly three hours this |
afternoon IN consideration of the Bering
sea seal fishery question. On the con
Clusion of the reading of the correspon-
dence on the subject the debate was begun
it appeared from the discussion that a
large majority of the senators were of the
opinion that the treaty should be amended
by the addition OF a clause providing for
renewal of the modus vivendi. or that the
resolution OF ratification should be accom-
panied by direction TO the president to
withhold the exchange of ratificatious |
until Great Britain consented TO 4 renewal
Senator Sherman urged that the treaty