ORAL ARGUMENT OF FREDERICK R. COUDERT, ESQ. 349 



which has continually increased until last year, when the total quantity was held at 



80,000 skins. 



That is the ouly approximatiou we have. . . 



That we have often heard, and from different sources, that these last named 

 skins are in the majority the skins of the female seal. The thinness of the hair 

 upon the flanks seems to confirm this assertion, although it is impossible for us to 

 test the absolute truth of this statement for ourselves, for when the seals have been 

 dressed the sijjns of the manimie disappear. At any rate the employment of these 

 skins is much less advautageons to our business because there is a great predomi- 

 nance of small skins, etc. 



There is a man who has had 400,000 seal skins passing through his 

 hands in twenty years, and who has received them in three different 

 conditions, first, in salt, when he bnys them from London: and yet he 

 says it is impossible to distinguish the sex. 



Mr. CouDERT. — I am quite aware, Mr. President, that Mr. R^villon 

 made that statement. 



The President. — Perhaps it is contradicted by others? 



Mr. CouDERT. — I have tried to reconcile it with the other testimony; 

 and it may be that Mr. Revillon is not as strong upon this point as 

 others, although his opinion is that there was this large proportion of 

 female skins. It may be that he, being the head of the firm, attending 

 perhaps to the sales, had not given it the attention that others had. 



But I say now, and I shall to-morrow morning produce before you 

 such an array of witnesses that I think I can say with confidence that 

 no doubt will be left upon the question, whether experts can distinguish ; 

 that the other side, in the British Commissioners' Report, admits that 

 it may be done, and that these men all say that they have done it, and 

 that their testimony is uncontradicted in the Case. This, with the per- 

 mission of the Tribunal, I shall take up to-morrow morning. 



Mr. Justice Harlan. — I was going to ask j'ou whether there is any 

 proof bearing on the question as to the ability to distinguish the sex, 

 according to the time when they are delivered to the furriers. I notice 

 that the gentleman whose deposition was just read by the President 

 says that it is difficult to determine the sex after the skins have been 

 dressed. Is not the sex more easily distinguished before they are 

 dressed? 



Mr. CouDERT. — Yes, sir. There is abundant testimony upon that; 

 and with the iiermission of the Arbitrator, I think it would be more 

 coherent if I addressed myself to the whole of it together. I have 

 endeavored, so far as I was able, to answer the questions of the Arbi- 

 trators and have been obliged to deflect a little from the ordinary 

 course; but I can assure the High Court of Arbitration that I appreciate 

 the importance of this point. It is one upon which we rely and we are 

 very confident, respectfully confident that the character and amount of 

 testimony that we produce is such as to leave no question on the 

 subject. 



Senator Morgan. — Mr. Coudert, at the time the question was put to 

 you by Lord Hannen, some half an hour ago I think it was, since which 

 there has been a discussion or examination of this question, you were 

 reading a part of the record here and had not completed it. Will you 

 be good enough to complete it. 



Mr. Coudert. — I will, sir. I have gone very far from my starting 

 point: but the discussion was interesting and I hope I have to some 

 extent been able to answer the questions. 



Lord Hannen. — I am very sorry if I have deflected you from your 

 argument. 



