THIRTY-FIFTH DAY, JUNE 8"^", 1893. 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — I may perhaps, before continuing-, complete two ref- 

 erences wliicli I had not at the moment before me, as I ought to have 

 had yesterday. One was to a letter from Mr. George Canning of the 

 29th of May, 1824. It is to be found in our Appendix, Volume 2, part 

 I, at page 61. It is not of very great importance, but these are the 

 words I refer to : 



We take for granted tliat the exclusive claims of navigation and jurisdiction over 

 the North Pacific Ocean, which were put forward in the Ukase of September, 1821, 

 are to be altogether withdrawn. 



And I refer as well to Mr. Blaine's words in the 3rd volume of our 

 Appendix, page 498. 



If we take the words of Mr. Adams with their literal meaning there was no such 

 thing as Russian possessions in Amei'ica, although 44 years after Mr. Adams wrote 

 these words the United States paid Russia 7,200,000 dollars for these possessions, 

 and all the rights of land and sea connected therewith. 



Now, I am not snre, if Mr. Senator Morgan if you will allow me to 

 say so, whether, misled you yesterday in any way in explaining the 

 position of the Eraser Eiver as to where it comes out. Of course, it is 

 not in the open sea in this sense, that Vancouver Island is between it 

 and the main Pacific Ocean; but where it debouches at its mouth the 

 Strait is about 40 miles wide, and there are a great many islands. 

 That is the position of the water there. If I led you to believe that it 

 opened on the open ocean without anything to obstruct the view, I was 

 wrong in that, because it opens into a Strait 40 miles in width, the 

 Straits of Georgia I think they are called. 



The President. — It opens in that channel? 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — Yes. 



Senator Morgan. — The Straits of Fuca are different? 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — Yes. I think they call this the Straits of Georgia. 



Senator Morgan. — They run up on the other side of Vancouver? 



Mr. EOBINSON. — Yes; the other is called Juan de Fuca. 



The President. — The line with reference to the Arbitration of the 

 Emperor of Germany went higher up, according to the map? 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — Yes, into the Straits of Georgia. 



Sir John Thompson.— The Eraser Eiver debouches into the Straits 

 of Georgia. 



Mr. EoBiNSON. — Then, some references were made yesterday by my 

 learned friend, Sir Eichard Webster, as to the point raised by Mr. 

 Phelps, when he said that they did not intend to discuss the validity 

 of the seizures not considering that they were in issue here. I wish 

 to give the Tribunal two more references which seem to us to bear 

 on that point. In the first place, in the American Argument, at page 

 217, we find this expression. That is the section which deals with the 

 damages claimed by Great Britain. 



We, however, preface what we have to submit on this feature of the case by say- 

 ing that, if it shall be held by this Tribunal that these seizures and interferences 

 with British vessels were wrong and unjustifiable under the laws and principles 



603 



