The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-24
THE BEHRING SEA AWARD.
CANADA GETS MORE rHAN THE SUN
SHE oRiGINALLY CLAIMED.

Tse Claims Commission Awards 12a1,1Sn'
with Interest at . FER Cent. which Will
Increase the fetal to About ed0a, 0Oo-We
Meat Pay Counsel reep and ExpenaeS.
WARRINGTON, Doc. 23.-Ihe United States
will have TO pay n pretty penny for the seizure
Of Canadian scaling vessels in Behring Sea
prior to the Paris award of 1893. A copy OF
tho decroc Of tho Behring Sea Claims Com
mission-Judgo King Of the Supreme Court OF
Canada and Judge William l.. Putnam OF Maine
-receivod at the state Department yesterday,
shows that tho amount Of damages awarded TO
the Canadian scalors Is considerably more than
the S425,00O which Great Britain was pre-.
pared to accept in satisfaction OF all claims, but
which Congress declined to appropriate. In
addition TO the aggregate sum awarded by the
Claims Commission, the United States must
pay counsel fees and othor expenses. Just
what tho total In nobody ct the State Depart
ment appears to know. An official statement
given out this afternoon, after Gen. John w.
Foster had spent most of the day figuring QUE
the amount of tho award, with tho assistance
Of Assistant Secretary Cridlor. docs not clearly
Indicate how much the Canadians will get from
the United States Treasury. This Is the state
ment:
.The award OF the Bchrins Sea Claims Com.
mission has boon filed in tho Department Of
State. The claims as presented by the British
Government to the commission, on account Of
Canadian vessels seized in Bohring Sea. ag-
rregated, with interest, $4,000 900. Those
Included, under the claims treaty, several cases
mot embraced in the settlement proposed by
Secretary Gresham. The award now made
amounts to 1894, lS1.9l. to which is to be
added interest. which will increase tho total
about 30 per cont. Tho award Is final and dis
poses of all cases before 1t. Payment under the
treaty made DO paid within six months.
This statement conveys the impression that
the award is for something in the neighborhood
of $40. 900. but it is learned on good authori-
~ that the full amount will be a few thousand
less or q few thousand more than $780, 900.
The Abatement made in Ottawa yesterday that
the award will aggregate S464 900 is probably
correct. The sum originally claimed by
Canada was about SI5O, 900. A copy of tho
award cannot be obtained from the State De.
partment. where the information Is given that
it will not obtain publicity until IL is.present-
cd to Congress. Tho explanation given Of
tho failure to furnish the exact total 10 that
each claim awarded Is entitled tosinterest for a
certain period. and there has not been time to
figure out accurately how much this interest
will amount to. The rate of interest allowed
y 2 per cent. dating back in some instances as
The long controversy which has ended with
the award of tho Claims Commission began
with the Seizure OF Two CanaQlan SehlerS Dy q
United States revenue cutter in August. 1886;
Many other seizures were made, on the ground
that the Canadian sealers had no right to op-
crate In Behring Sea, which the United States
Government commended was a closed body of
water belonging to this country: The rela.
became severely strained, and when the sealer
Black Diamond was taken by an American
Vessel there was danger OF hostiiities. Then
Ry q decision of that tribunal in favor of Great
Secretary Gresham, pursuant to the findings
Of the arbitrator. negotiated with Sir Julian
tngton. to SECURE an agreement as 70 the amount
necessary to satisfy the claims of the Canadian
%sealers. and acting on Mr.. Gresham's advice.
House declined to appropriate the money,
tttions ensued. and the appointment of the
Claims Commission which has just rendered
1T Dom sHf NJ D Ges 1ne ou une ot the American ooun.
eel before the tribunal, which met at Halifax n
few months ago. to-day makes the following
There Is no official, announcement of tho
amount Of. tho award, but whatever IT may be
The compromise offered by the Cleveland Ad.
Immigration in August. 1894, as stated in Sen.
e,e I E5feSpts ~ Dqsa% men No; 81: was s4a3 600
adopted that as a ba SIS. as those papers claim
. legally Impossible theory, however-their
Of the seizures. The total sum would be, on
that basis, over 100000. If interest is given
only from tho date OF the compromise. on the
basis Of the compromise the award would be be-
tween $4,000 and 5000 900. So you see II
the basis taken by the Commissioners of prin-
cipal and added interest is as stated by the Cana
dian papers. the result must be far in excess Of
their guess. But after The defeat of the com.
promise the treaty was made under which this
Commission of Arbitration has been proceeding.
In that treaty were included large claims
which were not before the Governments on the
c~ompromise.as for instance. those designated
Is additional claims and the item of Great Bril-
tatn's expenses in tho courts. 1 have here the
original British rinted schedule OF them as pre-
scented to the Commissioners. The total. with
interest. as contidentially claimed on the proofs,
and which under the treaty they were entitled
70 present, Is, to be accurate. 81, 60s, n .. 80. and
Il the award that has been rendered gives them
this, Great Britain Is entitled to congratulations,
and their counsel to knighthoods or peerages,
eho same as the other counsel received inter
lhe Paris award. The British counsel deserved
them. for their labors anyway. for ADLER men
there are none, and no men ever did better or
moro laborious service In any cause"