32 CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



FIRST ASSERTION OK KXCLl SIVE JURISDICTION. 



By this Ukase Russia first attempted to assert, as against 

 other nations, exclusive jurisdiction of riglits over the 

 shores of America and Asia bounding the Pacific Ocean, 

 certain islands therein, and over a x)ortion of the Pacific 

 Ocean including what is now known as Behring Sea. 



rURPOSE OF IMvASE OK 1821. 



Baron Nicoiay The purpose of the Ukase, so far as the attemiited exclusion 

 dernToctliber""! <^f foreigners from 100 miles of the coasts is concerned, is 

 (November 12). explained by Baron de Nicoiay in his note to Lord Lon- 

 ^'^f • . ,. donderrv, the 31st October (12th J^ovember), 1821. 



See Appendix, " ' ^ '^ 



vol. ii, Part I, 

 No. 1. TO PREVENT ILLICIT TRAFFIC. 



39 He insists that the operations of "smugglers " and 



"adventurers" on the coast — 



Have for their object not only a fraudulent commerce in furs and 

 otlicr articles which are exclusively reservedto the Russian-American 

 Company, but it appears that they often betray a hostile tendency. 

 . It was, he continues, therefore necessary to take severe measures 

 against these intrigues, and to protect the Company against the con- 

 siderable injury tliat resulted, and It was ivitli thai end in view that 

 the annexed Reguhitiou lias been published. 



And again : 



The Government, however, limited itself, as can be seen by the 

 newly published Regulation, to forbidding all foreign vessels not only 

 to laud on the Settlements of the Aiuericau Company and on tbe pen- 

 insula of Kamtcliatka and the coasts of the Olvhotsk Sea, but also to 

 sail along the coast of these possessions, and, as a rule, to approach 

 them within 100 Italian miles. 



The justification for the Ukase, and the Eegulations 

 made thereunder, is stated on the face of the Ukase in the 

 words : 



And finding that the principal cause of these difficulties [i.e., impedi- 

 ments caused by "secret and illicit traffic"] is want of Rules estab- 

 lishing the boundaries for navigation along these coasts, * * *, 



TO EXTEND TERRITOHIAL JURISDICTION. 



That the object of the Ukase was to extend territorial 

 jurisdiction over the north-west coast and islands and to 

 proliibit the trade of foreigners, rather than to jn-otect any 

 existing or i)rospective fishery is further indicated by No. 

 70 of the Regulations of the Russian-American Company. 

 This Regulation reads: 



See Appendix, W. Aslii])()f war, after visiting, not only the Company's Settlements, 

 vol. i, No. 2. but also, and more particularly, the channels which foreign merchant 



vessels are likely to fretinent for the purpos ■ of iUicit traiUii(/ with. the. 



natives, will return to winter wheiever the Government orders it. 



AdamJ ^Febru- Tlic motive atul purposc of this TTkase is further explained 

 ary28,i822. by the letter of M. de Poletica, Russian JMinister at Wash- 



See Aiipi'ndix, . ' i i i j. >.oi.i n i i ...... 



vol. ii, I'art II, Jiigton, dated tlie 2<Sth rebruary, ls22. 



■'^"- '• That Russia's aim was to acquire a vast North American 



Territory apjtears by tlic consti nctiou ])ut by ]\I. dc Roletica 

 on the Ukase of the Emperor I'aul in 17!»0, as conveying 



