96 . CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



in fit least one newspaper published at each United States port of 

 entry on the Pacitie coast, warning all persons against entering said 

 Territory and waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of 

 said Section; and he shall also cause one or more vessels, of the Ignited 

 States to diligently cruize said waters and arrest all ]iersons, and 

 seize all vessels found to be, or to have been, engaged in any violation 

 of the laws of the United States tlierein. 



CONFERENCE OF THE HOUSES. 



This Bill did not pass tlie House of Eepresentatives, but 

 Mr.Ed.^ardes to the above scctiou was added by the House as au ameiul- 

 MTrch^^2?\"89. '"^ut to a Bill fov the " Protection of the Salmon Fisheries 

 juiie Book, of Alaska," which originated in the Senate. The Senate, 

 Na°2*a^89o^)!'^*p^ however, refused to accept the House amendment, and the 

 243. See Appen- i^jn ^rj^g accordinclv referred to a conference of the Houses, 



uix vol ill o i/ J 



and the section, as finally modified and adopted in the Act 

 01 the 2nd March, 1889, reads as follows : 



Ibid. p. 237. Section 3. That section 1956 of the Revised Statutes of the United 



States is hereby declared to include and apply to oU ihe dominion of 

 Ihe rnitcd Slates in ihe waicrs of Behring Sea, and it shall be the duty of 

 the President, at a timely season in each year, to issue his Proclama- 

 tion, and cause the same to be published for one month in at least one 

 newspaper (if any such there be) published in each United States 

 port of entry on the Pacific coast, warning all persons against enter- 

 ing said waters for the purpose of violating the provisions of said 

 section, and he .shall cause one or more \ essels of the United States to 

 diligently cruize said waters, and arrest all persons and seize all ves- 

 sels found to be or to have lieen engaged in any violation of the laws 

 of the United States therein. 



Ibid., p. 234. Ou the 21st March, 1889, President Harrison issued his 

 Proclanuition accordingly, warning "all persons against 

 entering the waters of Behring Sea Mithin the domain of 

 the United States for the purpose of viohiting theprovisions 

 of said Section 195G of Eevised Statutes." 



INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT PROPOSED. 



On the 19th August, 1887, after the seizure of the " W. 

 P. Sayward," and while she was in custody, the United 

 States' Secretary of State wrote identic instructions to the 



United States Ministers in France, Germany, Great 

 126 Britain,* Japan, liussian, and Sweden and Norway 



in the following terms: 



Senate Ex. Doc. Recent occurrences have drawn the attention of this Department to 

 |*'*'a N°"'ior"°'^ ^^® necessity of taking steps for the better protection of the fur-seal 

 ^ess.. o. ' I'- fisheries in liering Sea. Without raising any question as to the excep- 

 tional measures which the i)articu]ar character, of the property in 

 question might justify this (Jovernment in taking, and without refer- 

 ence to any exceptional marine jurisdiction that might ])roperly be 

 claimed for that end, it is deemed advisable — and I am instructed by 

 the President so to inform you— to attain the desired ends by inter- 

 national co-operation. 



It is well known that the unregulated and indiscriminate killing of 

 seals in nuvny parts of the world has driven them from jjlace to place, 

 and, by breaking up Their habitual resorts, has greatly reduced their 

 number. 



* The invitation conveyed by the instructions was not, however, 

 communicated to Great liritain until November 11, 1887. See 50th 

 Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Ex. Doc. No. lOG, ]). 87 ; and lUuo Hook, " United 

 States No. 2 (1890);" Sir .]. Pauncefote to Jiaron Plessen, October II, 

 1887. See Appendix, vol. iii. 



