The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-19
BEHRING SEA CONVENTION
IT NOWBEFORE THE SENATE FOR
 RATIFICATION.

IT IS SNOWBEFORE THE SENATE FOR
 RATIFICATION.
 It Was Signed by Secretary Olney and Sir Julian Pauncefote More Than Week vention.
 Washington, Feb. 18.--The Behring Sea convention was signed by Secretary Olney and Sir Julian Pauncefote over week ago. It is now before the sen- ate for ratification, and was referred in executive session to the senate Feb ruary Il to the foreign relations com mittee, where it was discussed on We'd nesday last, when Senator Morgan pro- posed to amend it by including the claims of American citizens as well as those of British subjects which were alone included in the convention as laid before the senate as subjects for award by the tribunal to be established. If this amendment should be adopted by the senate the exchange of notifications may be delayed until the British gov ernment determines whether the pro- posed treaty thus modified is accepta- ble
 The actual facts in regard to the questions still pending between Great Britain acting as sponsor for it's Can adian possessions, and the United States in regard to unsettled dam ages, for seizures in Behring Sea, seem l~a 1Io,,- Canada, and to some extent in this country also
 The findings of fact proposed by the agent of Great Britain and agreed to as proved by the agent for the United States and submitted to the Geneva tribunal of arbitration for it's consider ation, were as follows, abbreviated of some of their legal tautology:
 That the several searches and seiz- ures, and arrests of masters and crews, respectively mentioned in the schedule to the British case were made by the authority of the United States govern ment. The questions as to the value of the said vessels or their contents and the question as to whether the ves- sels were wholly or in part the actual property of citizens of the United
 
 have not been considered by the trib unal, it being understood that it is open to the United States to raise these question or any of them, if they think fit, in any future negotiations as to the liability of the United States govern ment to pay the amounts mentioned in the schedule to the British case.
 The vessels enumerated were the Opy fd 70 ri fa Anna Beck w. P. Sayward, Dolphin, Grace. Alfred Adams, Ada, Triumph, Juanita, Pathfinder Black Diamond, Lily, Ariel, Kate, and Minnie, all seiz- ed or warned off by the revenue cut ters Rush and Corwin at a distance of from IS miles to 115 miles from shore during the years 1886 to 1890.
 In regard to these vessels, damages for which are now in controversy, and are to be subject to adjudication by the Joint commission provided for by the proposed treaty the Geneva trib- unal made the following finding in re- gard to the distance from shore where they were seized:
 And whereas the government of her Britannia majesty did ask the said ar bitrators to find the said facts as set forth in the said statement, and where as the agent and counsel for the United States government tfereupon in our presence informed US that the said statement of facts was sustained by the evidence, and that they had agreed with the agent and counsel for her Brit annie majesty that we, the arbitrators, if we should think fit so to do might find the statement of facts to be true.
 Now we. the said, arbitrators, do unanimously find the facts as set forth in the said statement to be true"
 It is maintained by the British and Canadian authorities that the United States has thus practically confessed judgment, and that the only question to be determined is one of damages MT Gresham offered $4250O0 but con- gress refused to appropriate. It is not clear to those handling the British side fthe case as to how any counter claim can now be set up on the part of the United States, as is said to be proposed by Senator Morgan, who was one of the arbitrators.
 Al sicle 8 of the treaty of arbitration passed upon at Geneva, it is true, pro- vided that the high contracting parties, having found themselves unable to agree upon a reference which shall in- clude the question of the liability of each for the injuries alleged to have been sustained by the others or by it's citizens in connection with the claims presented and urged by it, * ** do agree that either may submit to the arbitrators any question of fact in- ! volved in said claims and ask for finding thereon, the question of liability of either government upon the facts { found to be the subject of further ne- gotiation.''
 The essential weakness of the United States position in this matter is alleged to be that this country submitted no claims to the tribunal, but, on the con trary, entered practical confession of { judgment on the claims presented by the Canadians.
 Died of Her Injuries,