CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 31 



by tliein direct to Chinese sea-ports, while the Oorapany, j^^|^i'^^™^ei'i«ff' 

 as a rule, had still to depend on the overland route from cited' in note to 

 Okhotsk to Kiakhta on the Anioor. lleeafsoAfaska, 



Domestic com])etition had in fact ceased, and the mostp. 446: Rezanofs 

 serious drawback to the success of the Company consisted c«"'i'iaiutini806. 

 in the com[)etition from abroad. 



The difficulties resulting to the Company on account of 

 foreign competition appear prominently in the comi)laints 

 made by its agents at this time, and the new claim of the 

 right to exchide foreigners from trade is embodied in the 

 Ukase of 1821. 



TKXl' OK VKASK OF 1821. 



The following is the translation of the Ukase which was Se<> Appendix, 

 issued by the Emperor Alexander in 1821 : '*''• ^' ^"^ ^■ 



EDICT OF HIS IMPEHIAI. JMAJKSTV, AUTOCRAT Ol' ALL THE RUSSIAS. 



The Directing Senate niaketh known to all men : Whereas, in an 

 Edict of His Imperial Majesty, issued to the Directing Senate on the 

 4th day of September [1821], and signed by His Inii)erial Majesty's 

 own hand, it is thus ex])ressed : 



Observing from Reports submitted to us that the trade of our sub- 

 jects on the Aleutian Islands and on the north-w(!st coast of Anunica 

 appertaining unto Russia is subjected, because of secret and illicit 

 traffic, to oppression and impediments, and tinding that the principal 

 cause of these difticulties is the want of Rules establishing the 

 boundaries for navigation along these coasts, and the order of 

 38 naval communication, as well in these places as on the whole 

 of the eastern coast of Siberia and the Kurile Islands, ^^•e have 

 deemed it necessary to determine these communications by specific 

 Regulations, which are hereto attached. 



" In forwarding these Regulations to the Directing Senate, we com- 

 mand that the same be published for universal information, and lliat 

 the proper measures be taken to carry them into execution. 



(Countersigned) "Count D. Gukiefk, 



" Minister of Finances. 



" It is therefore decreed by the Directing Senate that His Imperial 

 Majesty's Edict be published for the information of .all men, and that 

 the same be obeved by all whom it may concern." 



[L. S.] 



[The original is signed by the Directing Senate. On the original 

 is written in the handwriting of His Imperial Majesty, thus:] Be it , 

 accordingly, Alexandeh. 



Rules established for the ijmits of navigation and order 



OF communication ALON(i THE COAST OF THE EASTERN SIBERIA, 

 THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF AMERICA, AND THK ALEUTIAN, KURILE. 

 AND OTHER ISLANDS. 



"Section 1. The pursuits of commerce, whaling, and fishery, an<l See Appendix, 

 of all other industry, on all islands, ports, and gulfs, including the vol- 1. J^o- 1- 

 whole of the north-west co.ast of America, beginning from Behriug 

 Straits to the 51st of northern latitude ; also frcmi the Aleutian Islands 

 to the eastern coast of Siberia, as well as along the Kurile Islands, 

 from Behring Straits to the south cape of the Island of Urup, viz., to the 

 45'^^ 50' northern latitude, is exclusively granted to Russian subjects. 



" Section 2. It is therefore prohibited to all foreign vessels not only 

 to land on the coasts and islands belonging to Russia, as stated above, 

 but also to approach them within less than 100 Italian miles. The 

 transgressor's vessel is subject to confiscation, along with the whole 

 cariro . '' 



