18 ORAL ARGUMENT OF SIR CHARLES RUSSELL, Q. C. M. P. 



The President. — But, General Foster, I believe that the general 

 purport is admitted, that in those two years there was a great destruc- 

 tion of the fur-seals. 



Mr. Foster. — There was a great destruction iu 1868, and a lesser 

 destruction in 18G9. 



Sir Charles Eussell. — I have read the figures, 242,000 in 1868; 

 150,000 in 1809. The figures for the first year are taken from the Tenth 

 Census Report of the United States, page 40, The figures for the sec- 

 ond year are taken from Executive Document No. 32, page 37, of the 

 41st Congress. There need be no comment about these figures. 

 741 But there is another consideration. Who knows what part in 



the future, as a matter of relative importance, this seal fishery 

 may have in the economy of the world, even from the point of view 

 of the interest of the United States"? We know that the United States 

 have, all along this Alaskan territory, great salmon rivers, with nas- 

 cent industries, which will only reach their full development when the 

 growing population of the United States overflows to these to a large 

 extent still uninhabited regions. 



Who is to say that this fashion of the day, which may change to- 

 morrow, may not entirely disappear: just as the fashion of the beaver 

 disappeared when it was found that the ingenuitj^ of man, by the inven- 

 tion of the silk hat, had supplied an article that was quite preferable to 

 the " beaver" ? Wlio knows that, compared with the permanent interest 

 of the world in the great food supplies so much more largely in recent 

 than in former years derived from the plentiful bounty of nature in the 

 bosom of the seas, this ocean seal industry may not in a very short time 

 indeed sink into a position of insignificance; and signs are not wanting 

 that the citizens of the United States themselves regard it in that light. 

 I should like to refer iu this connection to only one manifestation of that 

 opinion. I refer to the Report of the Board of Trade of Port Townsend, 

 a port of Washington Territory, which you know, is immediately south 

 of British Columbia, and abutting upon Puget Sound. I am referring 

 to page 71 of the second part of Volume III of the Appendix to the 

 British Case. 



We do not believe tliat the lease of the " Pribilof Islands aud adjacent waters" ever 

 ■was meant or intended to mean the whole waters of Behring Sea; but that the limit 

 of one marine league from the shore is the recognized limit, outside of which the 

 waters are known to the civilized world as the high seas, where our citizens should 

 he encouraged to pursue their avocations of fishing aud hunting. It is shown by the 

 reports of Government officials iu the publication of the Tenth Census that the 

 destruction of fish life by seals, sea lious, and other animals whoso sole food is fish, 

 is very largely in excess of the amount of fish takeii by the whole of the fisheries of 

 the United States; and to protect these ravenous animals is to cause the destruction 

 of enormous quantities of nutritious food, which should be utilized as a means of 

 supporting the lives of the millions of people in these United States. 



The Chamber of Commerce consider that the order of the Government by act of 

 Congress closing Behring Sea is an act, not for the benefit of the people to secure 

 them a cheap article of food, but is for the sole benefit of a simple monopoly, to 

 enable them to supply articles of luxury for the fashionable clothing of the rich. 

 We believe this act of Congress to be a species of class legislation for the benefit of 

 the wealthy few, and as such is opposed to the principles of sound policy ; aud we 

 protest against its further continuance. 



These views may be right or wrong. 



Mr. Phelps.— What city is that"? 



Sir Charles Russell. — Port Townsend in Washington Territory. 



Mr. Phelps. — I did not know there was such a place. 



The Tribunal here adjourned for a short time. 



The President. — Sir Charles, we are ready to hear you now. 



