CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 77 



DEBATES IX CONGKESS. 



Ill the debate which took place iii Congress upon the 

 subject of the acquisition of Ahiska, tlie value of the pro- 

 posed iturchase, and the nature of the interests and prop- 

 erty proposed to be accpiired were fully discussed. 



The debate was ])rotracted, and many leading Members 

 spoke at length. To none of them did it occur to suggest 

 the existence of an exclusive Jurisdiction over any waters 

 or fisheries distant more than 3 miles from laud. 



On the contrary, Mr. Sumner, who had charge of the 

 measure in the Senate, after i)ointing out that seals were 

 to be found on the "rocks and recesses:' of the territory to 

 be acquired, which would therefore make the acquisition 

 more valuable, in touching upon the fisheries and marine 

 animals found at sea, admitted that they were free to the 

 world, contending, however, that the possession of the 

 coast would give advantages to the United States fisher- 

 men for the outfitting of their vessels and the curing of 

 their catch. 



With reference to the whale fishery he remarked: 



The Narwhal wirh his two long tiisks of ivory, out of wliicli was , I'uited^ States 

 made the famous throne of the early Danish kings, belongs to the >'''o'**i'"-'^"/o??' 

 Fi'ozen Ocean ; but he, too, strays into the straits below. As no sea is Conf.,2nd Sess. 



now 7nare clausum, all these may be pursued by a ship under anj* p. 183.' 

 101 Hag, except directly on the coast and within its territorial limit. See Appendix, 



And j'et it seems as if the i)ossession of this coast as a conuuer- ^^ '.J^o-o- 

 cial base must necessarily give to its people peculiar advantages in 

 this pursuit. 



M)". Washburn, of Wisconsin, said: 



But, sir, there has never been a day since Vitus Behring sighted t^nited States 

 that coast until the present when the people of all nations have not Congressional 

 been allowed to fish there, and tocuretish sofarasthey canbecuredin •■Cou"^rossional 

 a country where they have only from forty-live to sixty pleasant days GlobeT' Decem- 

 in the whole year. England, whose relations with Russia are far less ''ei" n. I867^40tli 

 friendly than ours, has a treaty with that Government by ^^bich p|j'"jSj'^"^g|®^^*' 

 British subjects are allowed to lisli and cure fish on that coast. Nay, 

 more, she has a treaty giving her subjects forever the free navigation 

 of the rivers of Russian America, antl making Sitka a free port to the 

 commerce of Great Britain. 



In 18G8 Mr. Ferriss spoke as follows: ,, ^'"'twi states 



'- Conure s s i o n al 



cert 



to be liii out ill! ocii, aiiu. xiu vv iicio wiMiiiic) iiittiiiic lociguoovjx tuo i&iiiuiics iggg 4flfVi Con" 



or main shore. 2ud' Sess., Part 



Mr. Peters, in the course of his speech, remarked: iv.p.see*. 



I believe that all the evidence upon the subject proves theproposi- Ibid., p. 3668. 

 tion of Alaska's worthlessness to be true. Of course, I would not 

 deny that her cod fisheries, if she has them, would be somewhat val- 

 uable; but it seems doubtful if fish can tind sun enough to be cured 

 on her shores, and if even that is so, ray friend from Wisconsin (Mr. 

 Washburn) shows pretty conclusively tliat in existing treaties we had 

 that right already. 



Mr. Williams, in speaking of the value of the fisheries, 

 said : 



And now as to the fishes, which may be called, I suppose, the United States 

 arqumcntuM piscatorinm. . . . Or is it the larger tenants of the P.^Vfy^s-iional 

 ii -J.- c it- 1 1 1111 l)ebate.s, from 



ocean, the more gigantic game, from the whale, and seal, and walrus, ^i^^ppgji^ix to 

 down to the halibut and cod, of which it is intended to o)>eu the pur- "Co"ugressional 

 suit to the adventurous fishermen of the Atlantic coast, who are there <Tlobe,'' July 9, 

 already in a domain that is free to all? My venerable colleague (Mr. .In^*' s'ess. plrt 

 Stevens), who discourses as though he were a true brother of the angle y p.'49o. ' 

 himself, linds the foundations of this great Republic like those of See al-so Alas- 

 Venice and Genoa among the fishermen. Beautiful as it shows above, ^^i P-670. 



