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to sign the articles which the two Governments agreed should be 

 inserted in tlie Arbitration Agreement, with a reservation that the 

 Eegnlations woukl not become obligatory on Great Britain and the 

 United States "until tliey have been accepted by the other maritime 

 powers." President Harrison refused, through Mr. Blaine, to permit 

 any such reservation. Lord Salisbury, subsequently, stated that his 



progress made in the negotiations, Sir Julian Panucefote wrote to Mr. Blaine, 

 under date of November 23, 1891, expressing tlie assent of Lord Salisbury to that 

 conrse. But for the purposes of obviating any doubts that might arise as to the mean- 

 ing of Article VII, Sir Julian said, in that letter: 



" His lordship understands, first, that the necessity of any regnl.ations is left to 

 the Arbitrators, as well as the nature of those regulations, if the necessity is in their 

 judgment proved; secondly, that the regulations will not become obligatory on 

 Great Britain and the United States until they have been accepted by the other 

 maritime powers. Otherwise, as his lordship observes, the two Governments would 

 be simply handing over to others the riglit of exterminating the seals. 



"I have no doubt that you will have no difficulty in concurring in the .above 

 reservations, and, subject thereto. I shall be prepared to sign the articles as pro- 

 posed." 



To this letter Mr. Blaine, November 27, 1891, replied : 



"You inform me now that Lord Salisbury asks to make two reservations in the 

 sixth article. His first reservation is that 'the necessity of any regulations is left 

 to the arbitrators, as well as the matter of those regulations if the necessity is in 

 their judgment proved.' 



"What reason has Lord Salisbury for altering the text of the article to which ho 

 had ao-reed? It is to bo presumed that if regulations are needed they will be made, 

 if they are not needed the arbitrators will not make them. The agreement leaves 

 the arbitrators free upon that point. The iirst reservation, therefore, has no special 

 meaning. 



"The second reservation which Lord Salisbury makes is that 'the regulations 

 shall not become obligatory on Great Britain and the United Statcjs until they shall 

 have been accepted by the other maritime powers.' Does Lord Salisbury mean thiit 

 the United States and Great Britain shall refrain from taking seals until every mari- 

 time power joins in the regulations, or does he mean that scaling shall bo resumed 

 the 1st of May next, and that we shall proceed as before the arbitration until the 

 regulations have been accepted by the other 'maritime powers?' 



" 'Maritime powers' may mean one thing or another. Lord Salisbury did not eay 

 the principal maritime powers. France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Au.itria, Turkoy,Russia, 

 Germany, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, are all maritime powers in the sense that they 

 maintain a navy, great or small. In like manner Brazil, the Argentine Confedera- 

 tion, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and .Japan are maritime powers. It would require a long 

 time, three years at least, to get the assent of all these i)owcrs. Mr. Bayard, on the 

 19th of August, 1887, addressed Great Britaiu, Germany, France, Rus.sia, Sweden 

 and Norway, and Japan with a view to securing some regulatioxia in regard to the 



