PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL MEASURES, 1887-'88. 187 



3lr. Hnhhard to Mr. Bayard. 



No. 483.] United States Legation, 



ToJcio, Japan, June 23, 1888. (Keceived July IG. 



Sir,: Respecfcfiilly referring to the correspondence between the De- 

 partment of State and this legation, looking- to the conchision of a con- 

 vention between Japan and the United States and some other powers 

 for the protection of the fur-seal fisheries in Eehring Sea, and the pro- 

 tection of the sea otter, as subsequently suggested by Japan, I have 

 the honor to inform tlie J)epartmeut that instruction No. 171, of Novem- 

 ber 21, 1887, which has heretolbre been acknowledged, is the last that 

 has been re(;eived by me from the Department on this subject. 



I desire to inform the De])artment that the Japanese foreign office has, 

 in a friendly spirit of inquiry, asked if I could furnish information as to 

 Avhen my Government would be ready (as Japan had been ready for 

 sometime past) to resume the consideration of the proposed convention. 



1 have, in response to this inquii-y, forwarded to the foreign office a 

 copy of your said instruction No, 171, dated November 21, 1887, with the 

 accompanying note, dated June 20, transmitting the same. The Japan- 

 ese minister for foreign affairs has l»een recently advised by the Russian 

 minister to Japan that the United States Government and those of 

 llussia and Great Britain had discussed, at L(mdon, the nmtter of a 

 similar convention lor the ])rotection of the fur-seal fisheries and sea 

 otter in Behring Sea. He also connnunicated the fact that the Govcn^n- 

 ment at St. Petersburg desired to conclude with Japan a convention 

 for the mutual protection of the seal and otter within their own seas 

 and contiguous waters. 



This fact has been the immediate cause of the inquiry submitted to 

 me, to which the inclosure herewith is in response. 

 I have, etc., 



EiCHARD B. Hubbard. 



[Inclosure in No. 483.] 



Mr. Hubhard io Count Oluma. 



No. 28J.] United States Legation, 



Tokio, June 20, ISSS. 



SiK : Referrinij to my note to his excpllency Count Ito, dated Oetober 6, 1887, and 

 liis i(']>ly thereto dated No\ (miiIxt 8, 1887, eoneevjiiiiji; a proposed arraiigcMuent which 

 llic United states invited Jai)ini to enter into with the United States and certain 

 other [)Oweis, for the protection of the inr-seals in Behving Sea from indiscriminate 

 destrnction and cons(>qnent extermination, I have now tlie lionor to inclose an instrnc- 

 tion' from my (ioveinment in response to my dis]i!itch to the honorable the Secretiiry 

 of State, inl'orniiuf;' him of .Tajiaus willinjiuess to enter such an arrjuigenient. 



It will be observed by yonr excellency tlnit my Government is awaiting the replies 

 of some other forciou Governments to the invitation of the United States to enter 

 into snch a, convention. 



I have not c<jmmunicated with yonr excellency's department since my note of the 

 6th of October, on account of awaiting further instructions from my Governnit^nt in 

 the ])remises, to which the instruction herewith inclosed especially refers. The snb- 

 Btance of the inclosed instruction has not hecm heretofore communicated to your ex- 

 cellency's Government, ho})ing that I might, as indicated, ere now have been furnished 

 with linal instructions to conclude a conveu(ion between onr respective Governments, 

 embracing all the points of discussion on which a < onnnon and I'riendly concnrrence 

 and uuderstiinding had been reached, and of which my Government was advised iu 

 my dispatches to which the incloscil instruction is in response. 

 1 avail myself, etc., 



Richard B. Hubbard. 



' SeesM^?-a, Mr. Bayard to Mr. Hubbard, November 21, 1887. 



