ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 329 



[luclosure.] 



CONSUr.ATE OF TIIK UNITED STATES, 

 rictoria, British Columbia, May 13, 1895. 

 Sir: In reply to yonr rlispatrh, No. 19, of the 4tli instant, received to-day, inclosing 

 copy of letter from' tbo Tieasnry Department reqnestinj>- information with respect to 

 the'final disposition of the sealing schooner Wanderer, seized dnring the sealing sea- 

 son, 1894, I beg leave to inform the Department that the said schooner was released 

 l>y the eomniunder in chief of the Pacific station, Admiral Stephenson, of H. M. S. 

 li'oyal Jrlhiir. 



This schooner was seized by the U. S. S. Concord by reason of the fact that one 

 nusealed gnn was fonnd in one of her berths. 



She was turned over to 11. M. S. Pheasant and brought to this port. Upon investi- 

 gation it was fonnd that all her other guns and her entire armament were sealed, and 

 that her master was not aware and had no knowledge that there was a gun aboard 

 unsealed in violation of the inovisions of the Paris award. 



Collector A. R. Milne, of this port, and from whom I get this information, advises 

 me that his Government at Ottawa instructed him to take no official action whatever 

 in the matter, and that the commander in cliief of tliis station, after careful investi- 

 gation, and acting under legal advice, ordered the release of the schooner, the con- 

 clusion having been reached that no case could be made ont against her. 

 I am, sir, etc., 



W. P. Roberts, United States Consul. 

 Hon. Edwin F. Uhi., 



Assistant Secretary of State, Wasliington, I). C. 



Treasury Department, 

 Wasliington, D. C, June 12, 1895. 



Sir: I have the Honor to acknowledge the letter dated May 23, from 

 the Acting- Secretary of State, inclosing for my consideration a com- 

 munication from the United States consul at Victoria, British Columbia, 

 to the etfect that the British sealing schooner Wanderer, seized June 9, 

 1894, in the North Pacific Ocean by the commander of the United States 

 cruiser Concord and formally delivered to the commander of H. M. S. 

 Fhcasanf, was subsequently taken to Victoria and released by Admiral 

 Stephenson, of H. M. S. Boyal Arthur. 



It is further stated in said communication that upon investigation it 

 was found that all the guns of the Wanderer except one were secured 

 under seal; that her master had no knowledge that there was a gun on 

 board unsealed, in violation of the provisions of the Paris award, and 

 further, that the "commander in chief of this station, after careful 

 investigation, and acting under legal advice, ordered the release of the 

 schooner, the conclusion having been reached that no case could be 

 made out against her." 



The Department also understands that the sealing schooner Favorite, 

 seized in Bering Sea August 24, 1894, by the commanding officer of 

 U. S. S. Mohican, was similarly released on being turned over to the 

 British naval authorities. I deem it to be my duty to call to yonr atten- 

 tion this action of the naval authorities of Great Britain, with the sug- 

 gestion that it is not in accord with evident intent and spirit of tlie 

 legislation enacted by the respective Governments for carrying out the 

 provisions of the Paris award. 



These vessels were seized under authority of the order in council of 

 the British Government dated April 30, 1894, authorizing United States 

 officers duly commissioned and instructed by the President to seize any 

 British vessel which has violated the Paris award regulations, as con- 

 tained in the act of Parliament known as the Bering Sea award act, 

 1894, and bring her for adjudication before any British court of admi- 



