ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 371 



I inclose a form of joint resolution authorizing such investigation, 

 and I would ask that you expedite its passage through the House. 

 Eespectfully, yours, 



C. S. Hamlin, 

 Acting Secretary. 

 Hon, Nelson Dingley, Jr., 



House of Eepresentatives. 



JOINT EBSOLUTION to authorize a scientific Investigation of the far-seal fisheries. 



Be it resolved by the Senate and Uouse of Representatives of the United States of America 

 in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, aud is hereby, author- 

 ized to expend from any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated a sum 

 sufficient to provide for the employment of persons to conduct a scientific investiga- 

 tion during the fiscal years 1896 and 1897 of the present condition of the fur-seal 

 herds on the Pribilof, Commander, and Kooril islands, in the North Pacific Ocean 

 and Bering Sea, said amount not to exceed for both said years the sum of $5,000. 



The President is also authorized to detail for the purposes of assisting in this 

 investigation any officer or officers or employees of the United States Government, 

 their actual expenses and the expenses of the person or persons employed under the 

 preceding paragraph to be paid i)y the Secretary of the Treasury out of any moneys 

 in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



The Presidf^nt may detail a vessel of the United States for the purpose of carrying 

 out this investigation. 



Department of State, 

 • Washington^ June 9, 1896. 



Sir: Eeferring to the Department's letter to you of the 27th of May, 

 1895, transmitting to you a copy of a communication from the British 

 Foreign Uftice, dispatch No. 93, of May 17, 1895, to Sir Julian Paunce- 

 fote, on the subject of the necessity of further i^rovisious to preserve 

 the fur-seal herd of the Northern Paciiic Ocean and Bering Sea; and 

 referring also to the Department's note on the 24th of June, 1895, to 

 Lord-Gough in regard to the same subject (see Foreign Eelatious, part 

 1, 1895, pp. 649-653), I have the honor to inclose for your information 

 and consideration a copy of a further note of the 4th instant, from the 

 British ambassador at this capital in regard to the matter in question. 

 I have the honor, etc., 



ElCHARD Olney. 



The Secretary of the Treasury. 



[Inclosiire.] 



Washington, June 4, 1896. 



Sir: With reference to the question raised in your note to Her Majesty's charge 

 d'affaires, No. 133, of June 24, 1895, whether the computation made by the British 

 Bering Sea commissioners of the seal catch of 1891 within the awarded area included 

 the number of seals caught on the Asiatic side of Bering Sea, I have the honor to 

 transmit you herewith, l)y direction of Her Majesty's secretary of state for foreign 

 alfairs, a report of the collector of customs at Victoria, giving full particulars of the 

 catch for the year in question and showing the respective localities from which the 

 yield was secured. 



The total Asiatic catch was 6,595 seals. The deduction of this figure leaves the 

 total for the award area at 43,361, including the catch of the United States schooner 

 City of San Diego, lauded at Victoria and taken on the American side, which amounted 

 to 641 skins. 



The figures given for 1894, however, include the Indian catch on the British Colum- 

 bia Coast, viz, 3,989 skins. This figure was very properly added, since these skins 

 were secured from animals belonging to the so-called American herd. For purposes 



