ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR RICHARD WEBSTER, Q. 0. M. P. 257 



I am only desirous tliat tlie position of Her Majesty's Government 

 sliould be" known. AVe submit that it is established that the maximum 

 number of seals to be killed on the Pribilof Island ought to be limited 

 in any year to the number which the condition of seal life upon the 

 islands will permit without unduly reducing the stock. 



Senator Morgan. — Have you any number, SirEichard, to state? 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — It must be less than 1(10,000, Mr. Senator. 

 I should say, if you ask me to make a submission to the Court; the out- 

 side number, according to the present state of things, would be about 

 00,000 as a real, regular annual figure. 



That such maximum number should be from time to time fixed by 

 competent inspectors appointed by the United States Government, hav- 

 ing regard to the observed state and condition of the seals, and that 

 full and sufficient records should be kept of the number and sexes of 

 the seals on the islands. 



Senator Morgan. — And subject to a reduction below 60,000 in case 

 of necessity. 



Sir Richard Webster. — Certainly, I have indicated that by saying 

 it should be fixed from time to time by the United States Inspectors, 

 looking to the observed condition on the Islands. 



That all drives on the Islands ought to be carried out under the per- 

 sonal supervision of competent United States Government ofiQcials who 

 should be responsible for the due observance of any regulations laid 

 down by the United States. 



The President. — That is a suggestion of yours. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — I am iiointing out to you what are the con- 

 ditions that are necessary for seal life as a whole, regarded as distinct 

 from pelagic sealing in Beliring Sea. I am assuming that what was so 

 much pressed by Sir Julian Panncefote is being considered, that is to 

 say, the general welfare of seal life in Behring Sea on the Islands and in 

 the Pacific. 



The President. — Altogether. 



Lord Hannen. — Did not I catch from you something about a joint 

 action between the English and the United States. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — I was suggesting this, which is only that 

 which has been agreed to by Eussia, that suitable persons designated by 

 the Government of Her Britannic Majesty should be permitted to visit 

 the seal islands from the 15th June to the 15th December to inspect and 

 take copies of the records and confer with the officials in order to obtain 

 necessary information as to the real conditions of seal life. 



Senator Morgan. — Thatis with a view to further negotiations between 

 those Governments. 



Sir EiCHARD Webster. — Quite so, Senator. It is with a view that 

 you may understand the position which has been for more than five years 

 maintained consistently and ])ersistently by Her Majesty's Government, 

 and that, upon those conditions being assented to or arranged, Her 

 Majesty's Government are perfectly willing to provide by necessary leg- 

 islation that there should be no pelagic sealing outside, that is to say 

 anywhere at all prior to the 1st May on the assumption that the United 

 States would agree equally to limit their nationals fixing a correspond- 

 ing date, it may be a fortnight earlier; I do not know. The question was 

 put to me — San Francisco is about 800 miles lower down, and I should 

 think that a fortnight/<earlier would be the proper date to take. That 

 is suggested to me by ]\Ir. Tupper and those who well understand this 

 matter, that a fortnight would be a reasonable time between Victoria 

 and San Francisco. 



B S, PT XIV— "17 



