SEIZURES OF 1889. 197 



Majesty's GoveriimeTit, wliicli 1 had tlio honor of cominmiiontinji- toyou 

 ill uiy note of the L'-tth of Auiiust, that iii.stnictions miiy be sent to 

 Ahiska to prevent the possibiUty of the seizure of British ships in 

 Behring- Sea. Her Majesty's Goveriinient are earnestly awaiting- the 

 reply of the United States Government ou this subject, as the recent 

 reports of seizures having taken place are causing much excitement 

 both in England and in Canada. 

 I remain, etc., 



n. G. Edwardes. 



Mr. Blaine to ilfr. E<Jwanles. 



Bar Harbor, 8ei)iemler 11, 18S9. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your personal 

 note of the 12th instant, written at Washington, in which you desire to 

 know when you may expect an answer to the request of Her Majesty's 

 Government, "that instructions may l)e sent to Alaska to prevent the 

 possibility of the seizure of British ships in Behring Sea." 



I had supposed that my note of Augnst 24 would satisfy Her Maj- 

 esty's Government of the President's earnest desire to come to a friendly 

 agreement touching all matters at issue between the two Governments 

 in relation to Behring vSea,and I had further supposed that y<mr mention 

 of the ofilicial instruction to Sir Julian Pauucefote to proceed, immedi- 

 ately after his arrival in October, to a full discussion of the question, 

 removed all necessity of a ijreliminary correspondence touching its 

 merits. 



Eeferring more particularly to the question of which you repeat the 

 desire of your Government for an answer, I liave the honor t(> inform 

 you that a categorical resi^oiise would liave been and still is impracti- 

 cable — u'ljust to this Government, and misleading to the Government 

 of Her Majesty. It was therefore the judgment of the President that 

 the whole subject could more wisely be remaiuled to the formal discus 

 sion so near at hand which Her Majesty's Government has proposed, 

 and to which the Government of the United States has cordially as- 

 sented. 



It is proper, however, to add that any instruction sent to Behring Sea 

 at the time of your original request, upon the 24:th of August, would 

 have tailed to reach those waters before the proposed departure of the 

 vessels of the United States. 

 I have, etc., 



James G. Blaine. 



The ]\Inrq7ils of Hali.slniri/ 1o Mr. Edwardes. 



[Left at the Department of State by Mr. Edwardes.] 



Foreign Office, Ocioher J2, isS9. 

 Sir: At the time when the seizures of British ships hunting seals in 

 Behring's Sea during tlie years 18S(> and 1887 were the subjects of dis- 

 cussion the Minister of the United States made certain overtures to 

 Her Majesty's Government with resx^ect to the institution of a close 



