The record-union., 1893-08-18
special to the REcoRD-UN1oN.

4 = -
the operation of the mOdus UigenoG or
those seized as poachers prior to the
agreement. In accordance with Article
". OF the convention for the renewal of
the Dl9o1tS UieeRdi, the arbitration tribu-
nal must decide how much compensation
is due Great Britain from the United
States to be used for British subjects for
abstaining from the exercise of the right
to take seals i'll Behring Sea during the
pendency of the arbitration. 1t is under
stood that the Commissioners of Arbitra-
ton have already passed on the subject
| but their report has not been made pub
lie. So much was definitely settled with
regard to the damages this Government
will be obliged to pay, and they must be
paid promptly by the agreement i'll the
treaty renewing the HtOdns UlUendi, but
the main question of damages for seiz-
ures made was not in defnabe and set
tied condition.
Nothing in the arbitration treaty or
convention for the renewal of the molJus
Ultendi makes provision for allowing
damages to persons who have been in
| Jured through the unlawful seizure of
! sealing vessels, and it is stated at the De-
partment of State that the matter must
take the course unusually followed in
| diplomacy claims against the United
States, either Individually or III bulk. to
be filed by owners of vessels seized. In
case of a failure to come to some basis for
a settlement without resort to arbitration,
and it predicted q failure will occur. tho
two Governments will agree to leave the
question to the judgment of an unpreiu-
diced tribunal, and to this end claims
commission will be appointed. 1t is,
therefore, to be seen that time must elapse
! before definite arrangement can be reached
respecting the course of procedure with
reference to the assessment of seizure
damages.
An eB raordinary and unexpected
sequel OF the controversy is that the
lessees of the Pribylov Islands, who,
since the agitation Of the questions now
decided by arbitration, have year by year
been restrained by the United States
within narrower limits in regard to the
number of seals captured, have now
been officially advised that the full
amount of their stipulated rental will be
exacted from them by the United States,
and that the action of the previous ad-
ministration in reducing the rental to
correspond with the reductions of the
| catch was illegal.
Secretary Carlisle to-day made an Of
fetal demand on the North American
Commercial Company for $3.50, ,717 for
rental and bonus of Pribylov Islands.
The amount due by years is stated as fol-
lows: 1890, S47. .4O3; 1891, SI33, ,62S; 1892,
Sl08, $50. The action of Secretary Carlisle
was based on an opinion rendered by At
torney-General Olney. In his letter to
Lloyd Tevis of San Francisco, President
of the North American Commercial Com
pany, Secretary Carlisle says:
The action of my predecessor in max
ing reduction in the rental and bonus
which your company agreed to pay to the
United States under it's contract for the
exclusive privilege of taking fur seals in
Alaska, is without authority of law. The
| original contract was entered into in 1889
and fixed the annual rental at $50. 600 per
year and limited the maximum catch of
any one year to 100000 seals, which catch
could be reduced in the discretion of the
Secretary of the Treasury. In addition
to this rental, the Government was to re-
ceive 81 go per skin on each seal taken.
besides other provisions as to the care Of
natives"
The Secretary of the Treasury fixed
the limit of the catch this year at $500
seals. The next year 1900 were taken.
and in 1892, I0,500. Acting on the opin-
ion rendered by Attorney General Miller.
Secretary Charles Foster as he had re-
duced the catch of seals from the original
contract of 100000, reduced the rent in
proportion. This action of Secretary
Foster is now declared to have been ille-
gal. Hence the demand made, which. it
is understood will be followed by legal
proceedings in case the demand is not
complied with.
PECULIAR FEATURES OF THE DECISION.
LONDON, Aug. 1.-THE Paris CORE
spondent Of the London Times quotes a
passage from the speech of Baron de
Courcei in closing the session of the
Behring Sea tribunal, as follows: 1--WE
have sought to maintain intact the ftlnda-
mental principle that this august right of
the peoples which extends like the
vault of the sky about all nations. and
borrows from the laws of nature itself
to protect one people of the earth against
another, and to inculcate in them the
principles of mutual goodwill On the
regulations we were intrusted to elaborate
we had to decide between divergent
rights and interests which it was difficult
to conciliste. This part of our work con
socrates a great innovation. Hitherto the
nations had agreed to leave outside of all
special legislation the vast domain of the
seas. Our work is the first attempt to
share the products, hitherto underlined. of
the ocean by ruling to be applied to
goods which have escaped every other
law except that of the first comer.' II
this attempt succeeds, it will undoubtedly
be followed by numerous limitations un-
til the entire planet on the waters. as on
the continents, shall have become the
object of jealous division. Then, perhaps.
the conception OF property will change
among men,"
CREDIT To SALISBURY.
LONDON, Aug. 1.-THE Times, in an