The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-26
By Reason of Seizures of Sealing
Vessels
PAUNCEFOTE'S DISPATCHES
The Justice OF the Claims Is Insisted
Upon
Senator Morgan's Objection to the Proposed
Compromise Is Based Upon a his
apprehension OF the Facts
Associated Press Special Wire.

WASHING TON, Nov. 25.-The British
en- bassy today received from the foreign
Office the full correspondence respecting
claims for compensation on account O.
British vessels seized in Berirg sea by
United States cruisers. Brief cable ex
tracts FROM the report have appeared, but
the full correspondence is full OF inter
est, as it brings out the spirit with when
Sir JGlian Pauncefote, the British am
bass dor, answered the criticisms OF Sen
ator Morgan. In informing Lord Kim
berry that the house of representatives
had defeated the MEASURE for the pay
ment of the claim, Sir Julian wrote:
"Stro * party feeling would seem
alone to account for the rejection VI sc
just and desirable an arrangement, and
as your lordsbIp will have noticed by IN
closures in my dispatch, representations
have been made in congress which are
entirely misleading. both as to the law
and the facts of the case. 1t is argued
that the present claims are principally
made out OF indirect damages because
they include in some cases tn loss OF
profits of fishery seal only by sealing YES
sells warned out of Boring sea-
Again, it is pretended that great
majority OF the sealing vessels on behalf
OF which the claims were made we're the
property of United States citizens, where
there is no evidence whatever OF any
change of ownership in those vessels,
which all carried the British flag and q
British register. One speaker represented
the total amount of claims to be only
$542, 000 whereas it was over 500, 600.
Another concluded from the fact that the
offer of the lump sum and its acceptance
appeared in notes Of the same date that
the offer was made without previous in
sestlgation and WAS instantly snapped
at by her maiestys government, where
as the com promise recorded In those
notes was the result of laborious gotta
tons viii h were carried on during the
whole summer, there can be no doubt
that these inaccuracies were calculated
to prejudice the minds OF many mem bers
OF congress and also to turn puniiI opin-
ion against the settlement OF the ques-
ton which was both equitable and ad-
vantageous 10 both parties -
On March 18th Fir Julian wrote an elab-
crate answer to Senator Morgan's criti-
csms on the claims. After answering
one after another of the senator's state
ments he said:
The vItuperaiye epithets used were
quite unmerited and | will proceed that
The objection In question is not well
founded in TACT and apparently is bas' d
on mistaken view of the British navi-
After quoting the British shipping laws
Sir Jul an proceeds:
"Why should an American citizen be
called rascal? What law has he Vi lated
by advancing money for the prosecution
OF a lawful Canadian industry, carried
on by Canadians in Canadian vesses2 In
what respect ras the United States gov
err ment been robbed. considering that
il las no property in the fur seal as vas
d bsolutelv adjudged and declared by the
tribunal of arbit alton OF Paris?
These are questions which | submit
can only be reasonably answered IN a
sense absolutely fatal TO SenstorMorgan' S
contentious"
Lord Salisbury in acknowledging the
conf unicstions from Washington wrote
81 need scarcely say the arguments which
the United Stat bring forward in sup
port Of the validity OF those claims have
the entire approval and concurrence nj
her ma jesiy's government. The attempt
made by Senator MORGAN to dispute them
seems to be largely founded on mlsap-
prehersion and her majesty's govern
rpent cann1t orpt that when the full
facts are before me public in the L nted
States the LIABILITY of tina, country to
make compensation viii has never been
denied by the govern ment, will be geneI-
ally recognized both in and out OF con-
gross.