PiiOPOSED INTERNATIONAL MEASURES, 1890. 221 



Mr. Blaine to Sir Julian Pauncefoie. 



Department of State, 



Washington, June 11, 1890. 

 Sir: I have shown to the President the extract from the tele,urain of 

 Lord Salisbnry of Jnne 1), in wliich his hn-dship states that "it is be- 

 yond the power of Her Majesty's Government to exclude British or 

 Canadian ships from any [)ortion of the high seas, even for an hour, 

 without legislative sanction." 



jSTot stopping- to comment npon the fact that his lordship assumes the 

 waters surrounding the Pribilof Islands to be the " high seas," the 

 President instructs me to say that it would satisfy this Government if 

 Lord Salisbnry would by public proclamation simply reqnest that ves- 

 sels sailing under the British liag should abstain from entering the 

 Behring Sea for the present season. If this request shall be complied 

 with, there will be full time for impartial negotiations, aiid, as the Presi- 

 dent hopes, for a friendly conclusion of the differences between the two 

 governments. 



I have, etc., 



James G. Blaine. 



Sir Julian Faunvifote to Mr. Blaine. 



Washington, June 11, 1800. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge your note of this day with 

 reference to the passage in a telegram from the Marquis of Salisbury, 

 which I comunmicated to you atour interview of the Uth instant, to the 

 effect that "it is beyond the power of Her Majesty's Government to 

 exclude British or Canadian ships from any portion of the high seas, 

 even for an hour, without legislative action." 



You inform me that without commenting on the fact that his lordship 

 assumes the waters surrounding the Pribilof Islands to be the high 

 seas, the President instructs you to say that it would satisfy your Gov- 

 ernment if Lord Sahsbiuy would by public proclamation simply request 

 that vessels sailing under the Britisli flag should abstain from entering 

 the Behring Sea for the present season. You add, if this request shall 

 be couqdied with there wdl be full time for impartial negotiations, and, 

 as the President hopes, for a friendly conclusion of the differences be- 

 tween the two governments. 



I have telegraphed the above comnumication to Lord Salisbury, and 

 I await his lordship's instructions thereon. In the meanwhile 1 take 

 this opportunity of informing you that I reported to his lordshii), by 

 telegraph, that at the same interview I again pressed you for an assur- 

 ance that British sealing vessels would not be interfered Avith in the 

 Behring Sea by the United States revenue cruisers while the negotia- 

 tions c(mtinued, but you replied that you could not give such assur- 

 ance. I trust this is not a linal decision, and that in the course of the 

 next few days, while there is yet time to communicate with the com- 

 manders, instructions will bo sent to them to abstain from such inter- 

 ference. 



It is in that hope that I have delayed delivering the formal protest 

 of Her Majesty's Government announced in my note of the 23d of May. 

 I have, etc., 



Julian Paunoepote. 



