The herald., 1897-11-28
CANADA CAN'T
Prohibit Taking of Seals
at Sea
ONLY AN IMPERIAL DECREE
CAN CURTAIL THE RIGHTS OF
BRITISH CITIZENS
ONLY AN IMPERIAL DECREE
Hope Is Still Entertained Of an Ar
rangement Mutually Profitable
to Countries Concerned
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
OTTAWA, Ont, Nov. 27.-The reply
yesterday of the Canadian government
to the proposition of the United States
that the Canadians should stop killing
seals for year, beginning January 1st
indicates that it is not possible to COM
ply with the proposal, as every British
subject has right to engage in pelagio
sealing unless prohibited by imperial
decree, which can only be issued by
authority of the imperial parliament
and parliament will not meet until Feb
ruary. The Canadian authority sug-
gests that the commission be appointed
and meet at once, upon conclusion OF
the negotiations upon the half-dozen
questions at issue, including the sealing
question, and action should be secured
from the British parliament and the
suspension of pelagic sealing go into
effect in the spring.
1t is authoritatively stated here that
the United States first proposed to pay
the Canadian government lump sum
of money to extinguish pelagic sealing,
q piOPOSdA WAiSAA A1iA w AiAAA>. A~~~A 80
refused.
WHAT THEY KNOW.
TORONTO, Nov 27.-Sir Louis IL.
Davies at meeting of liberals here last
night referred to his recent visit to
Washington to attend the seal confer
ence. He said:
1.-THE seal experts settled the question
of fact in such a way that hereafter 1t
cannot be opened up. We know exactly
where we are. We know that the seal
herd has diminished in an extraordinary
degree in late years, but we know that
pelagic sealing has diminished more
than the herd and by far greater per-
centage. We also know, as a declara
tion of the experts of both countries,
that there is no immediate danger of the
extinction of the herd, and that the
kind of pelagic sealing practiced by
Canadian fishermen does not imperil or
threaten the existence of the herd; and
we know further that as a commercial
venture it does not pay either country.
That is about the sum and substance of
the case"
Continuing, Sir Louis said that it was
pointed out to the Americans that Can
the tariff; had proclaimed and given
effect to preferential trade arrange
ment, and that the representatives could
not enter into any agreement which
should directly or indirectly prejudice
the people Of preference. They were
told that the right to catch seals being
national right, vindicated by the great
Paris tribunal as a legitimate industry
on the part of British subjects, could
not be disposed of for a mere money
considerations; that Canada dod not sell
national rights for money, but that her
representatives were willing that it
should be treated as one of a number
of those large questions and put, as it
We're, in the hodge-podge in the set
tlement. If the United States could see
their way clear to admit our lumber, to
make coal reciprocally free on both
sides, to make fish, salt and fresh fish,
such articles as barley. eggs, potatoes
and other things of that kind free an
arrangement might be made which
would be mutually profitable and salts
factory to both countries. Sir Wilfred
Laurier had not surrendered one iota
Of the Canadian rights or Canadian
privileges.