The Green Forest tribune., 1894-02-22
Not Satisfactory.

arbi traitors is not entirely satisfactory
to either the United States or Great
Britain. 1t appears, however, that the
dissatisfaction is based rather upon
matters of detail than upon any ebjec-
ton to the broad principles upon which
the arbitration was based. These mat
ters are now the cause of some concern
to the two nations, and for months
ence and many personal interviews be-
tween Secretary Gresham, Sir Julian
Pauncefote and Minister Bayard with
view to their adjustment.
Senator Morgan, who WAS one Of the
arbitrators in behalf of the United
States has also been frequently consult
ed by the state department officials in
the effort to clear up certain cloudy
points in the agreement. One Of the
flaws which Mr.. Gresham is said to
have found in the agreement is a fail
ure to provide penalties for infraetion
of its provisions, and, as it would be of
little avail to capture pelagic sealing
vessels, only to have them turned loose
again upon Che seal heards as soon ss
the case could be brought before the
courts, the secretary is trying 10 have
this defect cured.
The United Ststes is able to punish
sealers brought before its courts, but
the Canadian law is defective, and thus
an International agreement is desiI-
able.
The Canadians also have cause of
complaint. They appear to have dis
covered at this late date that the rigid
ment would destroy their seal fishing
industry They have brought great
pressure to bear upon the British for
eign Office, with the result that Sir
Julian Pauncefote is now laboring
strenuously to mitigate the misfortune
Of the Canadians by securing a consid-
cradle restriction of the closed zone
around the seal islands, within which
seals may not be taken by vesselo, and
shortening of the closed season,
which now extends from the first of
May to the last of August
Necessarily some time is required to
complete the negotiations, and, pending
their conclusion, the British govern
+ ment is making an effort to secure
recall of the modus vivenda under
which operations in the seal waters
were governed last year.
But this suggestion has further COM
plicated the subject as it touches the
rights under their lease of the North
American Commercial Company. Un-
der the modus this company was per-
mitted to take only $500 seals last
year, and was thereby deprived of the
large income til at might have been re-
allied under the terms Of their lease,
besides being put to heavy expense to
feed the natives of the Sea Islands,
who subsist upon the rookeries.
So the company has en- tered an ener-
getic protest against the renewal of the
modus, and in this way they are not
without sympathy at the State Depart
ment, as the renewal would subject this
government to the loss of revenue de-
rived from the taking of skins to an OBJ
| LEGATION to assist in the maintenance of
the natives, and also of disagreeable
clause in the modus permitting the res
idence on the Sea Islands of two Brit
ish inspectors. This last feature is
found Objectionable, not SO much from
fear of any Irregularities that might be
discovered, but because of it's unpleao-
ant suggestion of lack Of confidence in
I the integrity of our own treasury
agents.
In addition to this objection, the
/ lessees Of the island have declared that
under the modus the pelagic sealers
managed to take 100 600 skins last sea-
son, while they were limited to Z 800.
! Meanwhile there is need Of speedy
agreement of some kind, as il evidenced
by the frequency Of Sir Julian Pannce-
fotes visits to tha State, Department
and the fact that already = namber of
sealing vessels are reported To have
cleared for the sealing waters. and are
consequently almost beyond the reach
of proper notice Of tha change Of regu-
lations.
A. w. DIHsaoRE, father of Congress
man II. A. Dinsmore Of this dRstrict, died at
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