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1891. While that matter was being discussed Sir Julian Pauncefote, 

 under date of June 3, 1801, notified the Government of the United 

 States that Her Majesty's Government were prepared to assent to the 

 first five questions proposed to be submitted to arbitration in Mr. 

 Blaine's note of April 14, 1891. But he added : " Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment can not give their assent to the sixth question formulated in that 

 nete. In lieu thereof they propose the appointment of a commission to 

 consist of four experts, of whom two shall be nominated by each Gov- 

 ernment, and a chairman Avho shall be nominated by tLe Arbitrators. 

 The Commission shall examine and report on the question which follows : 

 'For the purpose of preserving the fur seal race in Bering Sea from ex- 

 termination, what international arrangements, if any, are necessary 

 between Great Britain and the United States and Eussia or any other 

 power V" U. S. Case, Apj)., Vol I, p. 305. 



Then followed some correspondence between Mr. Wharton, Acting 

 Secretary of State for the United States, and Sir Julian Pauncefote, in 

 reference to the proposed modus vivcndi for 1891. The terms of that 

 modus vivcndi, as proposed by the United States, were communicated 

 to Lord Salisbury. They were returned by the latter with certain 

 modifications and additions. The fifth paragraph of the agreement 

 proposed by Lord Salisbury was as follows : " (5) A commission of four 

 experts, two nominated by each Government, and a chairman nomi- 

 nated by the ^Arbitrators, if appointed, and if not, by the aforesaid 

 commission, shall examine and report on the following question : ' What 

 international arrangements, if any, between Great Britain and the 

 United States and Eussia or any otlier power are necessary for the pur- 

 pose of preserving tlie fur seal race in the Northern Pacific Ocean from 

 extermination'?'" U. S. Case, Airp., Vol. I, p. 311. 



It thus appears that the British Government proposed, in connec- 

 tion with the modus vivendi for 1891, to ascertain, by means of experts 

 representing the two Governments, what international arrangements 

 were necessary "for the inirpose of preserving the fur seal race in the 

 Northern Faeljio Ocean from extermination." 



President Harrison, however, insisted upon an agreement (such as 

 he had proposed) relating only to matters that were appropriate in a 

 modus Vivendi. 



Sir Julian Pauncefote wrote to Mr. Wharton, exj)ressing the regret 

 of the Marquis of Salisbury that his proposed modifications had not been 

 accepted. But he observed: "Nevertheless, iu view of the urgeucy of 



