2o6 Transactions of the Royal Canadian Institute [vol. x 



gateway . . . 450 miles wide." As early as 1886, Canadian sealers 

 were seized by American cruisers and their crews detained, some 

 imprisoned and some turned adrift in San Francisco. As the place of 

 seizure was sixty miles from land in the open sea, this was intolerable, 

 and immediate and vigorous protest was made. 



At length, after much negotiation and a renewal of seizures in 1889, 

 it was agreed by Article I of a Treaty signed February 29th, 1892, that 

 the questions which had arisen "concerning the jurisdictional rights of 

 the United States in the waters of Behring's Sea" should be referred to a 

 tribunal of seven Arbitrators, two to be appointed by each party, one 

 each by the President of France, the King of Italy and the King of 

 Sweden and Norway. 



The British Arbitrators were Lord Hannen, Lord of Appeal in Ord- 

 inary and Sir John S. D. Thompson, Minister of Justice of the Dominion 

 of Canada (he became Prime Minister pending the reference). The 

 American Arbitrators were John M. Harlan, Justice of the Supreme 

 Court of the United States and Senator John T. Morgan of Alabama, 

 afterwards commissioned to frame a code for the Hawaiian Islands. 

 The President of France appointed Baron Alphonse de Courcel, a senator 

 of France, who became president of the Board; the King of Italy, the 

 Marquis Emilio Visconti Venosta, a Senator of Italy; and the King of 

 Sweden and Norway, Mr. Gregers Gram, a Minister of State. 



These seven met at Paris in 1893, and, August 15th, 1893, made an 

 award substantially in favour of the British contention. It is of interest 

 to Canadians to note that Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper was agent, and 

 our own Christopher Robinson one of the Counsel on the British side. 



19. The amount of damages to be paid Canadians, etc., for wrongful 

 seizure was not determined by this Board; but a Convention signed 

 February 8th, 1896, left this to be determined by Commissioners. Each 

 nation was to appoint one ; and any case in which these two were unable 

 to agree was to be left to an Umpire appointed by the Government 

 jointly, or if they could not agree by the President of the Swiss Con- 

 federation. 



The Commissioners appointed were George Edwin King, Justice 

 of the Supreme Court of Canada, and WilUam L. Putnam, a Judge of 

 the United States Court of Appeals. They agreed on an award, December 

 17th, 1897, of $473,151.26, which sum was paid forthwith by the United 

 States. It was not necessary to appoint an Umpire. 



20. The boundary between the United States and British territory by 

 this time was well settled, except at Alaska — there, there was much un- 

 certainty and difficulty. July 22nd, 1892, was concluded a con- 

 vention for joint surveys of the line ; but surveyors cannot decide matters 

 of this kind. On January 24th, 1903, a convention was entered into for 



