The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-09
IT WILL STOP SEALING
A Sweeping Measure Introduced
by the Committee.
PENALTIES ARE ATTACHED
The Passage of the Bill Will Have a Sal
utary Effect on the Diplomatic Ne
gotiations for the Preserva-
ton of the Seals.

Washington Dec. S-The senate COM
mittee ca foreign relations to-day author
lied a favorable report upon the bill pro-
hibiting pelagic sealing by people of the
United States. The bill is Joint pro-
duction of the state and treasury de-
partments and its passage Is asked upon
the ground that with such q law upon
the statute books the administration VIII
be in better position than at present
TO ask other governments 10 prohibit
pelagic sealing. The bill was reported 10
the senate later in the day. The flrst sec
tion of it is as follows:
That no citizen Of the United States nor
any person owing duty or obedience 10 the
laws and treaties of the United States,
nor any person belonging to or on board
a vessel of the United States shall Kill,
capture or hunt at any time or in any
manner whatever any fur seals in TIE
waters of the Pacific ocean north OF
the 35th degree of north latitude and
including Boring sea and the Sea Of
Okhotsk.
The bill also prohibits any citizen Of the
United States from equipping, using or
employing or furnishing supplies TO any
vessel engaged in killing or hunting fur
seals and declares that no United States
vessel shall be employed in this work.
The penalty for violating the proposed
law is Imprisonment for not more than six
months or a fine of not less than 500 or
more than S2.oo0. or both. and the forfeit
ure of vessels so engaged.
The fourth section of the bill is fol-
lows: If any vessel of the United States
shall be found within the waters to which
this act applies having on board fur seal
skins bodies of seals or apparatus or
implements suitable for killing taking
seals it shall be presumed that such v,s-
sci was used or employed in the killing
of seals. or that said apparatus or imple
41Rse
until the contrary is proven to the salts
faction of the court. The United States
courts in Alaska, California. Oregon and
Washington are given jurisdiction over
cases arising under the act.
1t is especially provided that the act is
not to interfere with the privileges of
coast Indians nor with killing of seals on
the Pribyloff islands. Officers of the navy
and the revenue cutter service are em-
powered TO search suspected vessels. The
Importation by any person of seal
skins taken contrary TO this law is pro-
hibited, and all such skins so imported
are to be seized and destroyed.
Representative Hit of Illinois. chair
man of the committee on foreign affairs
of the house, introduced a similar bill in
the house.
This measure supplements the diplo-
matte negotiations which have been going
on for some time between the United
States. Great Britain, Russia and Japan.
Throughout the negotiations with the rep
resentatives of Great Britain. an effort
was being made to have British citizens
stop pelagic sealing while at the same
time the United States permitted its own
citizens to carry on this practice. When
the American commissioners urged that
pelagic sealing was contrary to the die
tates of humanity they were invariably
met with the answer that this inhumanity
was sanctioned by the laws of the United
States. The state department desires to
overcome this objection. The law as it
stands permits citizens of the United
States TO take seals outside of the three
mile limits surrounding the Prbylon
islands. This was never intended. but
has come about by supreme court de-
cision respecting the Paris award.
The law reads that citizens of the
United States shall not take seals in
the waters of Alaska" 1t was supposed
that this was a universal prohibition to
our citizens. But the Paris court of ar
hitration held that the United States held
no property in the seals outside of the
three-mile limit Of the Pribylotf islands
In constituting this the supreme court held
that the United States held no property
outside of the three-mile limit the law
prohibiting the destruction of seals n
the waters of Alaska did not apply to
pelagic sealing on the high seas. In con-
sequence poaching by American vessels
was in effect legalized and quite a num-
Der of American vessels have been seal
ing in Boring sea. although the govern
ment has been seeking to show that this
sealing was unjustifable. 1t is expected
also that this step by the United States
viii have salutary effect i'm the negotia-
lions now progressing between Great
Britain, Canada and the United States
Mr.. Hit will call the bill up Tomorrow
and the purpose is to have il reported and
passed with the least DELAY possible.