156 DIPLOMATIC COEEESPONDENCE. 



Sir L. 8. SacJcville West to Mr. Bayard. 



Washington, JDecembcr 7, 1880. 



(Eeceivecl December 8.) 



Sir: Referring to your note of the 12th instant [ultimo f] on the sub* 

 jcct of the seizure of British vessels in the Behriny Sea, and promising to 

 convey to me as soon as possible the facts as ascertained in the trial and 

 the rulings of law as applied by the court, I have the honor to state that 

 vessels are now, as usual, equipping in British Columbia for fishing in 

 that sea. The Canadian Goverument, therefore, in the absence of in- 

 formation, are desirous of ascertaining ^Yhether such vessels fishing in 

 the open sea and beyond the territorial Avaters of Alaska would be ex- 

 X)osed to seizure, and Her Majesty's Government at the same time would 

 be glad if some assurance would be given that, ])ending the settlement 

 of the question, no such seizures of British vessels will be made in Ber- 

 ing Sea. 



I have, etc., 



L. S. Sackville West. 



Sir L. S. SacJcvlUe West to Mr. Bayard. 



Washington, January 9, 1887. 



(Received January 10.) 



Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have received instruc- 

 tions from the Earl of Iddesleigh, Her Majesty's principal secretary of 

 state for foreign affairs, again to bring to your notice the grave repre- 

 sentations made by Her Majesty's Government respecting the seizure 

 of the British vessels Carolena, Onward, and Thornton in Behring Sea 

 by the United States cruiser Corwin, to which no reply has as yet been 

 received. 



On the 27th of September last I had the honor to address to jon a 

 note, in which I stated that her Majesty's Government requested to be 

 furnished with any particulars which the United States Government 

 might possess relative to this occurrence. 



On the 21st of October last I had the honor to inform you that I was 

 instructed by the Earl of Iddesleigh to protest in the name of Her 

 Majesty's Government against such seizures, and to reserve all rights 

 to compensation. 



In a note dated the 12th of November last you were good enough to 

 explain the delay which had occurred in answering these communica- 

 tions, and on the same day I had the honor to communicate to you a 

 dispatch from the Earl of Iddesleigh, a copy of which, at your request, 

 I placed in your hands. 



On the 7th ultimo I again had the honor to address you, stating that 

 vessels were equipping in British Columbia for fishing in Behring Sea, 

 and that the Canadian Government were desirous of ascertaining whether 

 such vessels fishing in the open sea and beyond the territorial waters 

 of Alaska would be exposed to seizure, aiid that Her Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment would be glad if some assurance could be given that pending 

 the settlement of the questions no such seizures of British vessels Avould 

 be made in Behring St'a. 



The vessels in question were seized at a distance of more than CO 

 miles from the nearest land at the time of their seizure. The master of 



