Evening star., 1895-10-24
BERING SEA CLAIMS
A Convention to Adjust Them to
Meet Next Week.
CANADIAN OFFICIALS 70 CONE here
A Result of the Award of the
Arbitrators.
THE YES ELS SEIZE ID

1t is stated officially that the Hon.
| Mackenzie Bowel, premier of Canada, and
Sir Charles Tupper. minister of justice in
the Canadian cabinet, will arrive in Wash
ington Morday next to assist in the Bering
sea CONVEX ton. The meetings of the con-
venticn will be held at the State Depart
ment, Secretary Olney representing the
United States and Sir Julian Pauncefote
the British ambassador representing her
| majesty's government. The two members
of the Canadian cabinet will act in an ad-
visory capacity to Sir Julian. This will as
sure a strong presentation of the British
position. Sir Charles Tupper was minister
of marine and fisheries at the time the Ca
madam sealers were seized by United States
revenue cutters, and he has exhaustive in-
formation of the circumstances involved.
Sir Julian and the Canadian premier eIso
have had long experience with the ques-
ton.
It is not expected that Mr.. Olney will be
aided in conducting the American side
of the case. These most familiar with the
American position are Messrs. Phelps of
Vermont. Coudert and Carter of New York,
Senator Morgan and ex-Secretary OF State
Foster. but so far as known none of them
will be called into the convention.
The Issue One of Fact.
The issue involved is largely one Of fact
and not of law. The Paris tribunal held
| that the Canadian sealers captured in Ber-
ing sea had a right TO be there, and that
they were entitled to damages for the
seizure. The sealers claim over 81 ,OOO, ,OO0
but this was scaled down to si72,O00 by an
agreement between the late Secretary
Gresham and Sir Julian PauncefOte Con-
gress refused to ratify the agreement, it
being asserted by Senator Morgan in the
Senate and Representative Hit in the
House that the amount was excessive. The
coming convention will seek to reach
fair mode of adjustment Under .he Paris
award some sum must be paid by the
United States. so that the only question
involved is how much that payment should
be.
Cnuse of the Convention.
This convention grows out of the Bering
sea arbitration of '93. The award of the
arbitrators was against the United States
claim of jurisdiction over Bering sea cr pro-
prietorship over the seal. which we We're
seeking to protect
This award involved responsibility upon
the United States to pay British subjects
damages for seizure of Canadian sealers
between the years 1856 and 1891, under the
assumption of jurisdiction by this country.
The amount of damages remained after
the arbitration to be settled between the
United States and Great Britain. The
claims of the Canadian sealers amount to
more than a million dollars and involve not
only compensation for actual loss. but also
an allowance for what the sealers might
have made had their business not heen in
terrupted.
MIR. Gresham's Recommendation
An agreement was reached between the
State Department and the British repre-
sentatives for a settlement on the imme-
diate payment of $425.O0O by the United
States, Congress consenting. Secretary
Gresham urged the appropriation of this
sum by Congress, but Congress refused to
provide the money, preferr.ng to have the
question of amount Of damages legally
adjusted by joint convention. 1t is this
convention which Is to meet next week.
The adjustment will start upon the basis
of the original claim of over million dol
lars, but it is probable that the amount
will be cut down below that for which the
British were willing to settle as compro-
mise without formal adjustment of indi-
vidual claims.
Vessels Captured.
The vessels captured were the Carolina,
Thornton, Onward and Favourte, in 1886;
the Anna Beck, W. P. Sayward, Dolphin,
Grace. Alfred Adams, Ada and Triumph,
in 1887; the Juanita, Pathfinder, Triumph,
Black Diamond, Lily, Ariel, Kate and Min
ME, in 1889. and the Pathfinder in 1880.
The question was fully discussed in the
House of Representatives when the propo-
sition was made by Secretary Gresham to
make & spot cash settlement
Representative Hits Views.
Representatives Henderson and Hit, both
familiar with the subject, convinced the
House that the amount asked was eXces-
sive Mr. Hit said that Of the whole ag-
gregate claim of 42,C00, Americans were
the real parties in interest. He gave list
Of the ships for which damage was claimed
and showed how they had been transferred
from one party to another iii order 10 make
it appear that they were in the British
service. Mr.. Hit also pointed out the fact
that most of these claims were for pros
pective earniI gS," something which the
great Geneva tribunal, in passing upon the
Alabama claim, distinctly declared should
not be considered in awarding indemnity.
This tribunal refused to recognize the pres
pective earnings of the American vessels
destroyed by British ships.
The British claim in this Berins sea mat
ter is largely made up of claims for "esti-
mated catches" Mr.. Hit said: "Out OF the
$439, 16l.4S of claims filed at Paris, and set
out fully in the large blue book printed by
the British government, Ss5:,353 is for 'es
timated CATCH that is, for the catch which
they did not catch. Adding all the clain,S
that have been brought since. making up
the S542, 600 of present claims, I find it is
S377 900 that is estimated catch. This is
more than three-fourthS of the whole.
'"The claims of ships for what they did
not catch is three times as great as for all
loss actually suffered, taking their losses
at their own eXtravagant figures. Take the
s377, 600 claimed for estimated catch out OF
the $5i2,000 and there is but s1Go,000 of
damages for real losses to British and pre-
tended British claims, and these losses are
greatly exaggerated"
Mr.. TIitt declared that If a competen.
commission was appointed to investigate
these real claims the government of the
United States would probably in the end
pay about $4,000 worth of them.
Army Orders.
First Lieut.. Edward S. Curtis, second
artillery, has been ordered to report to the
min I'd a Nfanraa 20,