Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-08-17
81 TELEGRAPH.
FEv Po,aIy losT.
81 useis g. eaias nseA y - osAsisl
- DoeisSoa-

PAKn, Aug. lA-The decision It the
Behring So tribunal Of arbitration was
handed down yesterday. After preamble
stating the ease submitted fur decision,
| the full text of the award runs IS follows:
| We decide and determine - 10 the Eve
poinrs mentioned in article as to which cur
sxard IL to embrace distinct decision upon
| each Of them
| As 10 the nrss Of said Eve potntz, we. Baron
de Coureel. John N. Harlan. Lord Haanrn-
sir John 5. D. Thempsun- Marquis EsnilAc
viscoati yeaassa and Gregero W. w cram
being MAJORITY Of said Aroitrztors, do decide
as follows
By the ukase % is.l Russia claimed jurts-
| dietson in this sea now known a. Beartns sfa
| 10 the extent Of i9G italian miles from the
coasts and islands belonging 10 herr 5al IA tle
| course Of the negotiations whiea iesI 20 tAe
coneiusion of the treaty OF is-4 " N the
United states and the treaty OF 70 WIZ
| Great Britain Russia admitted that Der iuris-
aletioa ia said sea should be restricted 80 A. to
| reach a cannon shot from shore. IL appears
tina: from thai tiGln ap TO the tiIse OF the ees-
| sion af Alaska U the United states Russia
never asserted In fact or exercised any uxela-
| siye jurisdiction in BrhFiaz sra. OF any sxelu-
| sive rights TO the seal fisheries therein. be-
yond the ordinary limit Of territorial waters.
As To the ssc1ha uf the avs paints we deeiae
| and determine that treat Britain did NOT
l recognise or ecEcssie any claim apota the part
| Of Russia Ia exclusive jurisdiction as TO the
1 seal fisheries in BchrtEg sea. outside the or
| binary territorial waters.
A Mach Disputed Point
| As to the third poins, a. To 50 much thereof
| a. regaiTes Us TO decide whether the body o.
| water uow known Behring se, WAS ineiGdeG
| in the phrase Pacific ossaIl'' a.s'sf In the
I e..t5. b..g. tan
| Russia. We Unanimously decide 20 determine
| that thr body of water naw known as Behrins
| sea Was included Ia the phrase "Faeine
| ocean as used in said treaty.
| On the fourth point W. decide and deter
| mine that all the rights o; Russia 10 iurisie-
| ton and TO the seal fisheries passed 10 The
| United States limited by the cession.
On the iifth point decide and determine
| that the tuite.i states have no right 10 the
| protection u or property in the seals ire
| quensing the islands Of the United States Ia
| BehTing sea when found outside the ordinary
thFee-iIiile limit
This last decision was made by arbitra
| tors john 7 Morgan Baron de Courcel'
| Marquis Viseouti Venosta and Judge
l Gram. Lord Hammer, John NJ. Harlan and
| Sir John Thompson dissenting.
| A close season is established, to beeiL
| May and to continue until July 81. This
North Pacific and in the Behring sea.
A protected l0ne is established, extend
| ing for 90 miles around the islands.
PelIgic sealing is allowed outside the
zone i'll Behring sea from Aug. l.
The use Of firearms in sealing is prohih-
| ted.
The American arhitrators have expressed
their satisfaction with the text Of the de
1 a. - h.Ali hat Ms
decided upon by the tribunal mean prae-
| tically the end of pelagic sealing and tina
| they are better terms than were heretofore
| offered to the United States by Great
Britain as Il settlement Of the questions
| involved
History of the Case.
The differences in connection with th'
zeal fisheries ietween the United States
md Great Britain resulted in an agree
| nent betwecn the two countries for TIT
| appointment Of Il joint high commissions
| which should settle finally the matter in
| iispnte Considerable delay took place in
| signing the treaty Ton joint commits sion
md it was nj, until Feb 30 is!t2, that il
vas formally signed, but il WAS not rati
| led by the United States senate until II
| month later The j1int commission -pen,
/
| Ill tie information possible To bear on the
proposed arbitration. The report of tho
| commission was not satisfactory, aud ne
| agreement between the TWO countries wa
| arrived at II WAS shown, however, THAI
since Alaska came into the possession ol
| he United States the number of seals hau
gradually diminished, and this decrea-'
| vas shown To b. due 10 the destruction Of
the animals by se,lers.
There was disagreement rs to til,
| source Of this destruction, the United
| States commissioners charging it to the
| leel-sea killing carried on by Canadian
,ealers, while the British representatives
| attributed it 10 the killing Of seals permit
| ted under contract lay the United State
| treasury GA the &tth of February, 1892.
| a treaty was signed in Washington by Mr.
| Blaine on the part of the United States
| 1ud Sir Julian Panncefote on tile part OF
| Great Britau, by which the whole CON
| troversy was rrlegatei 10 an international
| arbitration commission to be composed OF
| seven members. The points To he su init
| ted to arbitration We're set out in the sixth
| article of the treaty rs follows:
The Stumbling Block.
| l. What exclusive jurisdiction i'll the sea
I &
| rights in the seal fisheries therein did Russia
| assert aud exercise prior and M 10 the time vi
| the cesson of Alaska tn tie United STATES?
| 2 How far were these claims nf jurisdiction
| rs to the seal fisheries recognized and conceded
| by Great BRITAIN
3. Was the hply of water now known n
| Bchring SEA included in the phrase "Paettt
ocean" rs used in he treaty of $50 between
treat Bril- ain aud Russia, aud what rights u
| ,ny, in Behring sea were held and exclusively
| exercised by Russia after said treaty.
| I. Did not all the rights Of Russia as &,
| jurisdiction and ~ 10 the seal Fisheries III
| Behring sea east of the water boundary ia
| the treaty betvern the United States ami
| Russia of thc;sfh of tlarrh, i@ii, pass uniIn-
| pnireti to the nitpd STATES under tho treaty.
| g. Has the United states any right, aud II
l so what right, IT protection 90 property ii. Tie
| fur seals frequrntiBg the islands of the ni'ci
| States Ia Rehriug =ea when such seal, are
| found outside the ordinary three-inile iimitf
These points were . be decided by seven
| arbitrators, two To be named by the presi
| dent, two by ,he queen. one by the pre.i
| dent of the French republic and one each
| by the king of lttjy and the king Of
| Swetlen and were to meet in Paris
The question of damages was settled II
| the satisfaction OF both governments, and
| on the 18th If April Secretary Blaine and
| Sir Julian Pauncefote eJnciu lei a new
| mOdus viveudi pfovi ling IL a close sea-
son. as did that of 1891, but including the
| agreements a. To damage, and it was sent
| to the senate April 49, Ist2
| Briefly stated these articles prohibit the
| British and Americans from seal killing
| In Behring sen md islands, save 700 seals
| to he taken uii the islands for the sub4st-
| ence Of the natives during the arbitration,
| provide for the seizure OF offending vessels
AID permit che residence Of British AGENT
m the islands during the season. Arti-
eles 3 and REID as follows:
oth.r Arguments.
Article g. lf the result Of the arbitration
| tc to affirm tie right of British se,iers 10
| tlkr seal, in Eehriug within the bounds
| -tainird hy the United States under its pHr-
base frnn Russia, ihcB compensation shall
ltslnade by he | nited States 30 Great Britain
| for the Use of her subjects for abstaining from
the exercise of that rislit during the tendency
II the arbitration upon the basis of such
regulated and limited catch or catches as In
he opinion of the arbitrat0rs might have
been taken without an undue liminution Of
the seal herds, and On the Other hand. il
the result Of the arbitration shall be to deny
the right of British sealers to take seals
within the said waters, then compensation
shall be made by Great Fritain to the United
states flor itself. It's citizens and lessees, for
this agreement, TO limit the island catch TO
80 seals upon he basis of the difference be-
tween their number and such larger catch a.
IA the opinion df the aTbitrntors might have
neen taken without an undue diminHtion Of
the seal herd The amount awarded, If any,
Ia either case shall I've such as, under all the
circumstances, is Just and equitable and shall
be promptly paid
Article 6. This convention may be re-
nnnDcpfI by either of the high contracting