The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-08

Mr. Bodweu Concluded His Speech Yester
day After Five Days of TaIking-He il
| Followed by Sir Charles in the Same
| Line.
Halifax, September AT the hearing
before the Behring Seal commission to.
day, Mr. Bodwell took up the question OF
price of skins. He claimed the following
figures for the different years in which
seizures were made: 1886, 81; 1887, Sc. so;
1883, sl2.25; 1889, sl1.00 3.4; 1880, SIS to
SIG, and in 1892, sl4. The speaker asked
that the award be made for the highest
price in the year.
1t was shown that all skins taken by
peiagic- sealers were shipped to London
and there sold to certain fixed periods.
At these sales the buyers of the world
were present 1t was on the prices realized
at these sales that the claims of Great
Britain were based.
Touching on the method of computing
the estimated catch, Mr.. Bodweu con-
tended that the Mary Ellen was the only
vessel which could be considered as hav-
ing finished an uninterrupted catch.
Mr.. Bodwell, after five days, conclud-
ed his address by referring to the seIec-
tion made for the sitting of the COM
mission as the scene of many triumphs
of war. He hoped that all future claims
might be settled by such tribunal as
the one now setting.
Sir Charles Tupper then opened his ad-
dress. He referred TO the appointment of
two eminent jurists each famous in his
own own country. They were, however, not
there as representatives of any country,
but as arbitrators to settle a long stand
ing dispute. There were just as impor-
tant points before the commission as be-
fore the Paris tribunal. The questions
were not then settled. These were cues.
tions that had threatened the peace of the
two great countries and they were now
to be amicably settled. He charged the
United States with vacillation and
change of front.
He wished to know when the United
States assumed the control of that coun-
try, was it before 1886 OF after 1886, or
was 1t after the seizure OF the British
shipsa He assumed that they were face
to face with plausible case, but one
that had never been discussed This was
proved by the correspondence between
This was that if a United States citizen
owned share in British registered yes
sci that the United States had right to
seize such vessel ON the high seas, to
tear off the mark of registry and tear
down the flag of nationality. He claimed
that this was a most dangerous doctrine
for the United States or any other coun-
try.
There was the serious charge made that
American citizens had under the protec-
tion of the British flag abruptly violated
the laws of their own country. He claimed
that foreigners were often interested in
the sealing vessels. These ships were al
ways treated as British ships and found
by the Paris tribunal to be British
ships.
!. He claimed that the finding Of the COM
mission must be on sound principles of
International law. If the argument of tt Q
onlueu States questioned goodsthe faith
of England in the administration of her
shipping laws, he contended that the
convention should not consider any
such charge.
Sir Charles quoted extensively in re-
gard to the claim relative to American
ownership of the vessels. X