The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-31
REGULATIONS ISSUED GOVERNING
THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE
ANTI-SEALING ACT.
RIGID IN THE EXTREME.
SKINS WILL BE coNFIscATED
WHERE THERE IS ANY POS
sIBLE QUESTION.
Personal USE IS NO CRITERION
Only Seal Fur DIN the Ocean Before
the Law Was Signed Excepted
From Its Terms.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-The secre-
tary of the treasury, with the approval
of the president, has issued regulations
under the act of congress, signed yes
terday, prohibiting the taking of seal
skins by American citizens except on
the Pribyloff islands, and inhibiting the
Importation into this country Of pelagic
sealskins. The regulations provide that
no sealsk1ns, raw, dressed, dyed or
otherwise manufactured, shall be adj
mitted to entry in the United States,
except there be attached to the invoice
a certificate signed by the United States
consul at the place Of expectation that
said skins were not taken from seals
killed within the waters mentioned in
said act. specifying in detail the To-
cality of such taking, whether on land
or at sea, and also the person from
whom said skins were purchased in
their raw and dressed state, the date
of such purchases and the lot number.
Consuls shall require satisfactory evil
dence Of the truth Of such facts by oath
or otherwise, before giving any such
certificate. 1t is further provided that
or otherwise manufactured shall be adj
mitted to entry as part of passengers
personal effects, unless acceptance by
an invoice certified by the United States
consul. Ali fur sealskins, whether raw,
dressed, dyed, or otherwise manufac-
tured, the invoices of which are not
accompanied by the certificate above
prescribed, are directed to be seized by
the collector Of customs and destroyed.
Every article manufactured, in whole
or in part, from fur sealskins, to be i'm
ported into the United States, is re-
qrired to have legibly stamped thereon
the name of the manufacturer and the
place of manufacture, and shall be ac-
companied by a statement In writing
under the oath of the manufacturer,
that the skins used in said article were
taken from seals not killed at sea with
in the prescribed waters mentioned,
specifying the locality in detail, and
also the person from whom said skins
were purchased in their raw and dress
ed state the date of said purchase and
the lot number. 1t is also provided that
when an application is made to con-
sui for a certificate under these regu-
lations the invoice and proofs of origin
presented by the exporter shall be sub
mitted to the treasury agent designat-
ed for the purpose of investigation.
All manufactured articles from seal
skins and imported into the United
States shall have the Innings SO arrar g
ed that the pelt of the skin or skins
underneath shall be exposed for eX-
animation and all such skins or articles,
whether imported as merchandise or
as part of a passengers effects, are re-
CURED to be sent to the public stores
for careful examination and inspection
to prevent evasion of the law.
All garments of this character taken
from this country may be re-entered
on presentation of a certificate of own
ership from the collector of customs
of the port of departure, which certifi-
cate shall have been obtained by the
owner of the garment by offering the
same to the collector for inspection
before leaving this country
In speaking of the scope of these
regulations, Assistant Secretary Howell
said that neither the law nor the reg
ulations would be made to apply eth
er to skins or garments made of skins
which were shipped to- the United
States and were actually on the ocean
Wednesday morning. Dec! 20, the time
the act was signed by the president
Evidence of the time Of shipment,
however, would be required.