220 ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEBSTER, Q. C. M. P. 



dent. At page 19 is the report of Mr. Murray of the 31st of July 1890, 

 the last paragraph but two, on that x)age: 



The meeting was adjourned from time to time until they had thoronglily discussed 

 the most important questions raised, and at tlie last meeting, held 23rd May, they 

 unanimously declared that it was their firm belief and honest opinion that the seals 

 had diminished and would continue to diminish from year to year, because all the 

 male seals had been slaughtered without allowing any to grow to maturity for use 

 on the breeding-ground. 



That is Mr. Murray's statement in 1890, perfectly independent of Mr. 

 Elliott's report, before it had been published, at a meeting, reporting 

 to his Government from St. George Island of what had been the result 

 of his investigation in that year, 1890; and that is quite as strong, 

 though not so valuable in its bearing, and the deductions to which it 

 leads, as anything in Professor Elliott's report. 



The President. — That is not the opinion of Mr. Murray; that is the 

 opinion of the natives. 



Sir EiCHARD Webstek.— I am quite aware of that, Mr. President. 

 As a matter of fact, it is the opinion of Mr. Murray, too. But I am 

 not upon that for the moment. Would you kindly look at the next 

 paragraph : 



I made a note of the suggestion on the journal that day, and I am now fully con- 

 vinced by personal observation that it is only too true, and that the natives were 

 correct in every particular. 



But you, Mr. President, were perfectly right in one sense. I was not 

 calling attention to it for the purpose of endorsing or proving Mr. Mur- 

 ray's oj)inion. I do so now because you directed my attention to it. 

 But the significance of it is this : that long before the report upon which 

 it has been attempted to throw discredit, had been published, the Treas- 

 ury agents, reporting independently, had said identically the same 

 thing in regard to this matter. 



Then Lavender. He reported on the 2Gth of July, 1890. You will 

 find it on page 21. I will not read it again, because I read it this morn- 

 ing; but I only call your attention to the passage. It begins: 



The writer was surprised when he visited the rookeries, to find no young bull seals 

 upon them. 



That was written on the 26th of July, 1890, from St. George's Island 

 to the Government. 



On the 31st of July, at page 48, Nettleton, writing from St. Paul, 

 says: 



In relation to the condition of the seal rookeries and hauling-grounds of this 

 island, I do not feel called upon to go into details in view of the full and exhaustive 

 manner in which the subject is treated in your Report of this year, and also in view 

 of the forthcoming Report of Professor H. W. Elliott, who was sent by the Depart- 

 ment especially to examine and report upon the condition of seal life on this and the 

 Island of St. George. 



Does any man believe that if Mr. Elliott's report did not represent 

 fairly what it was, that some of these othei- agents who had been 

 eyewitnesses of the fact which he had described, and had partially 

 described it themselves, would not have been called upon immediately 

 to report as to the real facts by the United States Government? Not 

 one of these is asked to report — not one of the experienced men, but 

 an entirely fresh mind is sent in the year 1891, who had no experience 

 whatever of the seal islands. 



The President. — Mr. Nettleton did not make his report to the Gov- 

 ernment, but to Mr. Goff. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — He reports to Mr. Golf. From my point 

 of view it makes no difierence, because it is intended to be forwarded to 



