The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-21


Washington, Dec. 20. Secretary Gres-
ham today sent to the House, in an
swer to a resolution calling Tor an ex-
PLANTATION of his reasons for arranging
with Great Britain for the payment OF
claims of British sealing vessels. the
following letter:
To the Honorable, the Speaker of the
House OF Representatives
The undersigned is directed by the
President to respond to the resolution
adopted by your honorable body on the
10Th inst. requesting the secretary OF
state ITO communicate TO the House
of Representatives. if not inconsistent
with the interest Of the pubic service.
lall correspondence, reports and other
/, documents not heretofore made public.
touching the payment by the United
States of $4,000 to Great Britain for
damages growing out of the controversy
las to fur seals in Bering sea or the
seizure of British vessels engaged in
taking seals in those waters
The undersigned accordingly has the
honor to communicate to the House of
Representatives. copies of the cores
pondence exchanged on the subject
covered by the resolution In which will
be found a statement Of the claims
filed by Great Britain for damages sus-
tanned by British subjects by reason
of the seizure Of their sealing vessels
in the Boring sea or of being warned
+ to cease operations there.
The Paris tribunal Ce arbitration held
! that the United States had no right OF
protection of property in the fur seals
in Bering sea outside the ordinary three
mile limit Article of the convention
OF February 30, 1892 whereby ques-
fions which have arisen between the
two governments concerning the juris-
dictional rights of the United States in
the waters Of Bering sea, were sub
united 10 arbitration, recited that the
I high contracting parties had, been I'M
/ able to agree upon a reference which
would include the question of the la-
'bility Of each for the injuries alleged to
lhave been sustained by the other,
whereby its citizens in connection with
the claims presented and urged by 1t
and being solicitous that this subordi-
mate question should not interrupt or
i longer delay the submission and deter
animation of the main questions, they
have agreed ."aThat either may submit
to the arbitratOTs any question of fact
involved in said claims and ask for a
finding thereon, the question of the
liability of either government upon The
facts found to be the subject Of further
negotiations
| British Sailing Vessels Seized.
Under this article. the arbitrators
unanimously found that a numbar of
! British sealing vessels were seized on
the Boring sea or warned therefrom by
4 cruisers of the United States on
| the days and at the places in
the special finding mentioned.
the question Of the value of the said
vessels or their contents or eiTner Of
them, and the question as TO whether
the vessels mentioned in the schedule
to the British case CT any of them were
wholly or in part the actual property
of citizens OF the United States"
! If the plan of settlement recommend
ed by the president in his annual mes
sage is not acceptable to Congress the
remaining controverted questions must
i'be determined either by the organiza-
ton OF a joint commission or 10y nego-
tiations between the two governments.
Experience has shown that interna-
tional commissions are slow and ex-
pensive. Should such a course be re-
sorted to, the evidence would be found
mostly on the Pacific coast, widely
scattered. and counsel would be needed
to examine and cross examine witness
ses.
Iquential damages having been with
drawn from the tribunal Of arbitration,
the pending claims are for British yes
sells actually siezed in Bering sea or
warned out Of it by cruisers of the
United States. 1t will appear from
the submitted correspondence that the
agreement to pay lump sum os $780,
900 in full settlement was proposed by
this government. The amount is con-
siderably below the damage claimed
iiby Great Britain exclusive of interest
for a number of years.
If this agreement does not receive
the approval of Congress and the dis
puted questions are submitted to an
international commission, it, is believed
that the amounts allowed and the ex-
penses of the tribunal, including wit
nesses and the taking of their testi-
mony, will largely exceed S425, 900.
In view of all the facts and what
may be reasonably expected as the
result of the commission, the under
lsigned submits that prompt and final
settlement of the vexatious contro-
versy by an appropriation of the lump
sum agreed upon is advisable.
Respectfully submitted,
W. @. GRESHAM.
Department of State,
Washington Dec 20. 1894