212 



suppress or materially diminish j)elagic sealing', liowever necessary 

 siich regulations may be for the protection and preservation of this race 

 of animals, if, in view of all the probabilities of the situation we con- 

 jecture — it can be nothing more than conjecture — that other nations 

 will not approve them. This would enable Great Britain to accomplish 

 precisely what it could have accomplished had it been permitted to 

 sign the Treaty with a reservation of authority for the Arbitrators to- 

 make the assent of the maritime jjowers a condition of our regulations, 



ill for its snccess. Some other less important question even than this, if it can be 

 found, may probably be started. The effect can only be to exhaust the time allotted 

 for arbitration. We must act mutually on what is probable, not on what is re- 

 motely possible. 



"The President suggests again that the proper mode of proceeding is for regula- 

 tions to be agreed upon between the United States and Great Britain and then sub- 

 mitted to the principal maritime powers. That is an intelligent and intelligible 

 process. To stop now to consider the regulations for outside nations is to indefi- 

 nitely postpone the whole question. The President, therefore, adheres to his ground 

 first announced, that we iniist have the arbitration as already agreed to. He sug- 

 gests to Lord Salisbury that any other process might make the arbitration imprac- 

 ticable within the time specified." 



Sir Julian Pauncefote, under date of December 11, 1891 : 



"I have the honor to inform you that I telegraphed to the Marquis of Salisbury 

 the substance of your note of yesterday respecting the sixth article of the proposed 

 Bering Sea arbitration agreement, and that I have received a reply from his lord- 

 ship to the following effect: In view of the strong opinion of the President, reiter- 

 ated in your note of yesterday, that the danger apprehended by Lord Salisbury, and 

 explained in my note of the 8th instant, is too remote to justify tlie delay Avhich 

 might be incurred by guarding against it now, his lordship will yield to the Presi- 

 dent's appeal and not press for further discussion at this stage. 



"Her Majesty's Government of course retain the right of raising the point when 

 the question of framing the regulations comes before the arbitrators, and it is under- 

 stood that the latter will have full discretion in the matter, and may attach such 

 conditions to the regulations as they may a jyriori judge to be necessary and just to 

 the two powers in view of the difficulty pointed out. 



" With the above observations Lord Salisbury has authorized me to sign the text 

 of the seven articles and of the joint commission article referred to in my note of 

 the 23d ultimo, and it will give me much pleasure to wait upon you at the State 

 Department for that purpose at any time yon may appoint." 



Mr. Blaine, December 14, 1891, in reply : 



"I have the honor to advise you that I submitted your note of the 11th instant to 

 the President. After mature deliberation ho has instructed me to say that he objects 

 to Lord Salisbury's making any reservation at all, and that he cannot yield to him 

 the right to appeal to the arbitrators to decide any point not embraced in the arti- 

 cles of arbitration. The President does not admit that Lord Salisbury can reserve 



