The record-union., 1897-11-20
CONTROVERSIES
WITH CANADA.
Another Commission viii Meet at
Washington City
To Consider Many Questions Which Are Of
Important Nature.

thlpuitdilt ndtuics
Canadians Hopeful that the Meet
ing Will Result in the Bringing
About Of Such Reciprocity Ar
rangements as Are Most Desira-
BILE to Both Countries.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 19-The dis
patches from Ottawa announcing that
/ the Canadian Cabinet has decided to
send commission TO Washington TO
negotiate with a similar commission
to be appointed by the United States
| Government to consider all questions
at issue between the United States and
! Canada has had the important effect
| of drawing forth here for the first
time statement OF the exact propo-
sition that was laid before the Ca
madam contingent, who were in Wash
! ington a few days ago. 1t can now
be stated that the proposal Of Mr.. Fos-
ter, representing the United States,
which Canadian officials took home
with tEem to submit to their council,
was:
! "First-That both nations agree at
| once to suspension of all killing of
! seals during the next season in the
| Pacific Ocean and Behring Sea, the
modus to go into operation ON the
! first of next month.
! ''Second-That representatives of the
| Governments of the United States and
/ Great Britain, including Canada, be
designated to enter, with as little de-
| lay as possible, upon the consideration
Of all unsettled questions between Can
| ada and the United States, with the
| view to settlement by treaty, this
| to include the sealing question and any
other matter which either Government
may choose to bring forward"
So far the State Department has not
been advised that the Canadian coun-
Gil has acted upon the propositions, but
that an early answer is expected is evil
denced by the fact that the date set
for the beginning of the modus stop
ping 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 dispatch
is that the modus must be agreed upon
positively before our Government con-
| sents to the commission. In other
words, there must be no killing of seals
while the commission is at work. The
commission might occupy long time
in its deliberations, and if pelagic seal
! ing is to go on meanwhile, it is be-
lieved by our experts that there will
| be no seals left to serve as basis for
negotiations.
The proposition of our Government.
having been SO explicitly stated, it may
be understood that the announcement
of the purpose of the Canadians to ap-
point a commission implies that they
have decided to accept the premise,
| namely the agreement upon a modus
vivendi.
Nothing has yet been done toward
arranging the details of the commits
sion's work, should one be agreed upon.
Foster and Kasson, and, probably, Mr..
| Hamlin, will be on our side, and, ow-
ing to the nature and cOmplexity of
the questions that will come before the
commission under the liberal permis-
sive clause, other members might be
required in the nature of experts in
particular lines, such as the fisheries,
reciprocity, labor, immigration ques-
tions, mining and timber issues and
such matters.
A definite feature of the proposed
commission is that Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, the British ambassador, shall be
at the head of the British Canadian
commissioners, and in all probability
that Sir Wilfred Laurier shall be as
socated with the ambassador ON the
commission. This choice of the British
Embassador is significant as showing
the purpose of this Government to fully
recognize the imperial character of the
negotiations and to conduct them only
through the authorized representatives
of the British Government
Up to the present time there has been
no intimation as to how the British
Government would view the formation
of a commission. Mr.. Adam of the
British Embassy was present at the
meeting at Mr.. Fosters house, when
the question of a commission was dis
cussed 1t is understood, however, that
Mr.. Adams attendance was unofficial
and not as a representative of the
British Government.
CANADIANS HOPEFUL.
OTTAWA (Ont), Nov. 19-Sir Will
fred Laurier and Sir Louis Davies have
returned from Washington. Within
couple of hours after their arrival a
meeting of the Cabinet was held, at
which the Premier explained the re-
cent negotiations with President Nc
Kinley and his Ministers. AS a result
of this it is stated that the Cabinet has
decided to send a commission to Wash
ington, composed of men familiar with
with a similar body of men appointed
ON behalf of the United States, with
ex-Secretary Foster at its head and
endeavor to reach a settlement on all
boundary and other questions at pres
ent at issue between the two coun-
tries.
At the conclusion of the Cabinet
view, said:
TT is plain to us that the sealing
question cannot be settled by itself. 1t
can only be considered in connection
with other irritating and important
questions. There is no Intention what
ever of negotiating any reciprocity
treaty that would interfere with or af-
feet Canada's existing British prefer
entail tariff
Sir Louis Davies said:
Il have just been reading the press
report sent out from Washington, and
it seems TO represent our final conclu-
sion fairly well. The representatives
of the American and Canadian Govern