CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 113 



depenfleiit on them that they cannot he contented, in certain gnlfs, 

 with the portion of the sea iyinff under the tire of cannon from the 

 coast. These exceptions from the j^eneral rule of the liberty of the 

 sea can only be made for weighty reasons, and Avhen the extent of the 

 arm of the sea is not large; thns, Hudson's Bay and the Gulf of 

 Mexico evidently are a part of the open sea. No one disputes the 

 power of England over the arm of the sea lying between the Isle of 

 Wight and the English coast, which conld not be admitted for the sea 

 lying between England and Ire hind ; the Ejiglisli Admiralty has, how- 

 ever, sometimes maintained tlie theory of "narrow seas;" and has 

 tried, lint without success, to keep for its own interest, under the 

 name of ''King's Chambers," some considerable-extents of the sea. 



Kliiber, "Droit rtcs Gens Modernes de I'Europe (Paris, 

 edition 1831)," torn, i, p. 21(5: 



An territoire maritime d'nn lOtat apjiartienncnt les districts mari- Proceedings of 

 times, on naragcs susceptiblcs d'une possession exclusive, sur lesnuels ■ " /," L .'".''' 

 lEtat a acquis (par occupation ou convention) et continiKi hi souver- 1377^ p. les. 

 aincte. Sont de ce nombre, (1) Les parties de I'occan <|ui avoisiuent 

 le territoire continental de I'Etat, dn moins, d'aprcs ropiuiou ])res(|ue 

 gcndraleinent adoptee, autant qu'elles se trouvent sous la ])ort('e dn 

 canon qui serait place sur le rivage; (2) les parties de I'oceau (iiii 

 s'dteudent dans Ic territoire continental de I'l^tat, si elks peuvent 

 etre gouvernces par le canon des denx bords, ou que I'entree seulcment 

 en pent etre defenduo aux ^■aisseaux (golfes, bales, et cales); (3) les 

 detroits qui so])areut denx continents, et qui egalement sont sous la 

 porteedu canon ])laci' sur le rivage, ou dontj'entreeet la sortie peuvent 

 etre defendues (dctroit, canal, bosphore, sonde). Sont encore du 

 mrme nomlire; (1) les golfes, dotroits, et mers avoisinant le territoire 

 continental d'nn fitat, lcs(|uels, (juoi(iu'ils lie soient pas enti( rement 



sous la portce dn canon, sont neaumoins reconnus par d'autres 

 149 Puissances comme mer fernice; c'est-i\-dire, comme soumis :\ 



line domination, et, par consc<iuent, inaccessiblcs aux vaisseaux 

 ctrangers qni u'tmt point obtenu la permission d'y naviguer. 



This view, moreover, was emphatically maintained ou 

 behalf of the United ^States on the oceasion of the seizures 

 in the year J 887. 



The following" is the extract from the Brief of the United 

 States on this occasion : 



BRIEF FOK TIIK UXITKI) STATES, SITKA, IX 1887. 



Concerning the doctrine of international law establishing what is 



known as the marine league l)elt, which extends the jurisdiction of a 



nation into adjacent seas lor the distance of 1 marine league, or 3 ^^T'^^ f"^ *^® 



miles from its shores, and following all the indentations and sinnosi- ili'i" i *^*J^V!^„* 

 ,. „ ., i ii • i *i ■ 1 ^ 4- 1- • li^ i iMled at Sitka 



ties or its coast, there is at this tlay no room lor discussion. It must October 12, 1887. 



be accepted as the settled law of nations. It is sustained b.\ the New York Her 



highest authorities, law-writers, and jurists. It has been sanctioned "'.'ii ^nf^^'n" ^? 



by the Ignited States since the fonndation of the Government. It .rViited states 



was aftirmed by Mr. Jefferson, Secretary of State, as early as 1793, Xo. 2(i890),"p 



and has been reaffirmed bv his successors — Mr. Pickering, in 1796; H-- See Appeii 



Mr. Madison, in 1807; Mr.'Webster, in 1842; Mr. Buchanan, in 1849; '^'^' "^o'- i"- 



Mr. Seward, in 1862, 1863, and 1864; Mr. Fish,* in 1875; Mr. Evarts, in 



■ This probably refers to Mr. Fish's letter already quoted at p. 109, 

 or to his letter to Sir E. Thornton, dated the 22nd January, 1875, which 

 is as l"ollows : 



" The instruction from the Foreign Office to Mr. Watson of the 25th 

 September hist, a copy of which was communicated by that gentle- 

 man to this Department in his note of the 17th October, directs hiin 

 to ascertain the views of this Government in regard to the extent of 

 maritime jurisdiction which can properly be claimed by any Power, 



S. Ex. 177, pt. 4 8 



