The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-20
SEALING MUST STOP
ONE POINT UPON WHICH THE
UNITED STATES WILL NOT
YIELD.
TEXT OF THE PROPOSITION.
ALL UNSETTLED QUESTIONS TO BE
SUBMITTED TO A-COM-
MISSION.
ENGLAND MUST GIVE SANCTION.
Dispatches From Ottawa Indicate
That Canada Is Disposed to
Accept the Terms.
ENGLAND MUST GIVE SANCTION

patches from Ottawa announcing that
the Canadian cabinet has decided to
send a commission to Washington to
negotiate with similar commission to
be appointed by the United States
government touching all the questions
at issue between the United States and
Canada have had the important effect
of drawing forth here, for the first
time, a statement of the exact propo-
sition that was laid before the Can
adian contingent when they were in
Washington a few days ago. 1t can
now be stated that the proposal of Mr..
Foster, representing the United States
government, which the Canadian dele
gates took home with them to submit
to their council, was:
First-That both nations agree at once to
a suspension of all killing of seals during the
next season in the Pacific ocean and Bering
sea, the modus to go into operation on the
first of next month.
Second-That representatives of the gov
ernments OF the United States and Great
Britain including Canada be designated to
enter with as little delay as possible upon
the consideration of all unsettled questions
between Canada and the United States with
the view to settlement by treaty, this, to
include the sealing question and any other
matters which either government may choose
TO bring forward.
So far the state department has not
been advised that the Canadian coun-
ell has acted upon the propositions,
but an early answer is expected, as is
evidenced by the fact that the date
set for the beginning of the modus
stopping the killing of the seals is no
later than the first of next month.
One important fact that is not clear
ly disclosed in the Canadian dispatches,
is that the mOdus must be agreed upon
positively before our government con-
sents to the commission. In other
words, there must be no more killing
of seals while the commission is at
work. The commission might occupy a
long time in its deliberations and if
pelagic sealing is to go on meanwhile,
it is believed by our experts that there
will be no seals left to serve as basis
for negotiations. The proposition Of
our government having been so eX-
plicitly stated. it may be understood
that the announcement of the purpose
of the Canadians to appoint a commits
sion implies that they have decided to
accept the premise, namely. the agree
ment upon a mOduS ViVendi.
Nothing has yet been done towards
arranging the details of the commits
sions work, should one be agreed
upon. Probably Messrs Foster and
Kasson and possibly Mr.. Hamlin will
be on our side and, owing to the nature
and compleXity of the questions that
would come before the commission,
under the liberal permissive clause.
other members might he required, in
the nature of experts in particular
lines. such as the fisheries, reciprocity.
labor, immigration questions, mining
and timber issue, and such matters. a
definite feature of the proposed com
mission is that Sir Julian Pauncefote,
the British ambassador, shall be at the
head of the British Canadian commits
sioners, and in all probability that Sir
Wilfrid Laurier shall be associated
with the ambassador on the commits
sion. This choice of the British am
bassador is significant as showing the
purpose of this government to fully
recognize the important character of
the negotiations and to conduct them
only through the authorized represen-
tatives of the British government.
The dispatches from Ottawa in this
respect are said to be misleading. There
can be no Canadian commission, and
nobody representing Canada can con-
duct negotiations with the United
States government This was fully
recognized during the recent meetings
and it took form in the propositions
submitted AT least one of these pro-
rangement of the commission shall be
made between the government of her
Britannia majesty and the United
States. and that the British ambassa-
dor should be at the head of the COM
mission representing the British
American side. Much misrepresentation
was caused during the recent visit of
the Canadians by the unofficial charac-
ter of their discussions, as it was
recognized that official negotiations
were possible only between the United
States and Great Britain, and not
through the medium of the Canadian
officials. This misrepresentation cannot
arise again, it Is said. Any commits
sion determined upon at Ottawa would
first have to be submitted to the colon
ial office at London, and if approved in
that quarter 1t would assume an official
form, as between the United States and
Great Britain. The action of the Cana
dian cabinet is not, therefore, final,
but is expressive of the wishes of the
Dominion authorities. subject to final
action in London. Up to the present
time, there has been no intimation as
to how the British government would
view the formation of a committee.
Mr.. Adam, of the British embassy. was
present at the meeting at Mr.. Fosters
house when the question of a commits
sion was discussed between Mr.. Eos
ter and the Canadians. 1t is under
stood, however, that Mr.. Adams at
tendance was informal and unofficial,
and not as a representative of the
I'll.