220 ■ DIPLOMATTC CORRERPONDENCE. 



Sir Julian Paimccfote to Mr. Blaine. 



Washington, June G, 1800. 



Sir : I liave the lienor to acknowlodoe tlie receipt of your official note 

 of til e 4tli instant, eoinnientiiig upon the reply Avliicli 1 returned to the 

 inquiry contained in your letter of the 2d instant, whether the Marquis 

 of Salisbury would, in order to promote a friendly solution of the fur- 

 seal question, agree to the total exclu.sion of British sealers from the 

 Behring Sea during the present fishery season. You express the regret 

 of the President that 'Miis considerate and most friendly proposal for 

 the adjustment of all troulde connected witli the Behring Sea should be 

 so promptly rejected," 



I have this (lay transmitted a copy of your note to Lord Salisbury, 

 and pending further instructions I will abstain from luirsuing the dis- 

 cussion on the Vii.rious points with which it deals, especially as the 

 views of Her Majesty's Government on the main questions involved are 

 stated with great ])recisiou in Lord Salisbury's dispatch of the 22d of 

 May, which 1 had the honor to read to you yesterday, and of which, in 

 accordance with your desire, I left a copy in your hands. I would only 

 observ^e that as regards the sufficiency or insufficiency of the radius of 10 

 miles around the rookeries "Avithin which Her Majesty's Government 

 proposed that sealers should be excluded " no opportunity was afforded 

 me of discussing the question before the i^rojiosals of Her Majesty's 

 Government were summarily rejected. 



I may mention, also, that 1 fear there has been some misapprehension 

 as regards a request which you ajijiear to have understood me to make 

 respecting the date of the sailing of United States revenue-cutters for 

 Behring Sea. I have no recollection of having made any suggestion 

 with reference to those revenue-cutters, except that their commanders 

 should receive explicit instructions not to ajtply the municipal law of 

 the United States to British vessels in Behring Sea outside of territorial . 

 waters. 



I have, etc., 



Julian Paunoefote. 



Sir JnJian Vaunccfoie to Mr. BJainc. 

 [Extract from tclogram from the Marquis of Salislniry.] 



(Received June 0, 3 800.) 

 Lord Salisliury regrets that the President oi" the United States should 

 think him wanting in conciliation, Init his lordship can not refrain bom 

 tliinkiiig tiiat the Picsident does not a] )prcciate the difli<nilty arising 

 troni the law of Knglund. 



It is entirely beyond the }iower of Her Majesty's Government to ex- 

 clude British or Canadian shi])s from any portion of the high seas, even 

 for WW hour, without legislative sanction. Her Majesty's Government 

 have always been wiinng,Mithout])lcdging themselves to details on the 

 questi(nis of area and date, to carry on negotiations, lio))iiig thereby to 

 come to some arrangement for such a close season as is necessary in 

 order to i)rcservc the seal s])ecies from extinction, but the provisii^ns 

 of such an arrangement would always require^ legislative sanction so 

 that the measures thereby determined may be enforced. 



Lord Salisbury does not recognize the expressions attributed to him. 

 He does not think tliat he can have used tluMu, at all events, in the 

 context mentioned. 



