CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 93 



upou every skin, had now to face the competition of the 

 pelagic sealers, who paid no rent or royalty. The Company 

 therefore exerted all its intinence, especially powerful at 

 Washington, to check and, if possible, destroy this compe- 

 tition. Till the development of the pelagic sealing industry, 

 the actual circumstances had been such as to allow the 

 Company largely to control the markets for seal-skins, and 

 to enable them to exercise a practical monopoly of sealing 

 in the North Pacitic. 



INSTRUCTIONS TO KEVENUE CUTTERS. 



In the year 1886 the United States Government for the 

 first time furnished revenue cutters with instructions to 

 prevent any vessel from sealing in any part of Behring 

 tSea to the eastward of the geographical limit mentioned 

 in the Treaty of Cession. 



This action of the United States was the first attempt to ^.^n^P'^J/^^iSl 

 actively interfere with tbe right of the vessels of other inse'.'^p. 48; Tss?' 

 nations to navigate and fish in the waters of Behriug Sea }!-{}^;jgJj^*®^j°'^^g 

 other than territorial waters. No. 2 (i890), " j. 



45. See Appcii 

 dix, vol. iii. 

 .SEIZURE OF THREE IJIMTISIl VE.SSELS. 



In iiursuance of the above-mentioned orders, three Brit- soo Judso 

 ish vessels were seized during this year while fishing out- „,hrgaVin "case 

 side ordinary territorial waters, and subsequently con- 'j'[j Jj J^''™*"^^." 

 demned upon the ground that the waters in which they united states 

 were fishing, formed part of the waters of Alaska and ^[,°- ^g^g*'^^'j',j,gP: 

 were subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. dix, vol. iii. 



PROTEST OF RRITISII GOVERNMENT. 



Sir L. S. Sackville West, British Minister at Washington, 

 at once, by instruction, made a formal ])rotest in the name 

 of Her Majesty's Government against these seizures of 



British vessels. 

 12li Attorney-General Garland issued the following 50th Cong., 2nd 



order, after the British protest: d''c'.'Io!'1K: 



Washinuton, D. C, January '26, 1887. ^^^" 

 Jiidfje Lafayette Dawson and M. T). Ball, United States District Attorney, 

 Sitka, Alaska. 



I am directed by tbe President to instruct yon to discontinue any 

 furtber proceediug.s in tbe matter of tlie seizure of tbe Britisb vessels 

 "Caroleua," "Onward," and "Tboruton," and discbarge all vessels 

 now beld under sucb seizure, and release all jiersons tbat may be 

 under arrest in connection tberewitb. 



(Signed) A. H. Garland, 



Attorney-General . 



Mr. Bayard, however, the Secretary of State, wrote, on the ibid., p. 40. 

 3rd February, 1887, to Sir L. S. Sackville West that this 

 order was issued " withoiit conclusiouof any questions which 

 may be found to be involved in these cases of seizure." 



RENEWED SEIZURES. 



Fresh seizures took place in July and August of 1887, 

 and renewed protest was made by Great Britain. 



