236 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO GREAT BRITAIN'S WILLING- 

 NESS TO ENTER INTO A CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION 

 OF FUR-SEALS.' 



Sir Julian Fauncefote to Mr. Blaine. 



Washington, June 30, 1890. 

 Sir : In your note of the 29tli of May last, which I duly trausmitted 

 to the Marquis of Salisbury, there are several references to communi- 

 cations which passed between the two Governments in the time of your 

 predecessor. 



I have now received a dispatch from Lord Salisbury, cox)y of which I 

 have the honor to inclose, pointing out that there is some error in the 

 impressions which you have gathered fi-om the records in the State De- 

 ])artment with resi^ect to those communications. 

 I have, etc., 



Julian Pauncefote. 



[luclosure.] 



Tlie Marquis of Salishury to Sir Julian Pauncefote. 



No. 126.] Foreign Office, June 30, 1890. 



Sir : I have to acknowledge your dispatch No. 83 of the 30th ultimo, 

 inclosing copy of a note from Mr. Blaine dated the 29tli ultimo. 



It contains several references to communications which passed be- 

 tween the two Governments in the time of Mr. Blaine's predecessor, 

 especially in the spring of 1888. Without referring at present to other 

 portions of Mr. Blaine's note I wish only now to point out some error in 

 the impressions which lie has gathered from the records in his office 

 with respect to those communications. He states that on the 23d April 

 of that year I informed the Anu^'ican charge d'affaires, Mr. White, that 

 it was proposed to give eftect to a seal convention by order in council, 

 not by act of Parhament. This was a mistake. It was very natural 

 that Mr. White should not have apprehended me correctly when I was 

 describing the somewhat complicated arrangements by which agree- 

 ments of this kind are brought into force in England. But two or three 

 days after the 23d April he called to make inquiry on the subject, and 

 in reply to his question the following letter was addressed to him by 

 my instructions: 



Foreign Office, Aiyril 27, 18S8. 

 My Dear White : Lord Salisbury desires me to express his regret that lie is not 

 yet in a position to make any furthc^r conmmnication to you on tlie suliject of the 

 seal fisheries in Behring Sea. After his intervieAV with yon and M. de Staal he had to 

 refer to the Canadian Government, the board of trade, and the Admiralty, but has 

 as yet only obtained the opinion of the Admiralty. The next step is to bring a bill 

 into Parliament. 

 Yours, etc., 



Eric Barrington. 



On the 2Sth Mr. White replied: 



TiEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, LoVlloV, AprU^S, 1S8S. 



My Dear Barrington: Thanhs for your note, respecting the linnl senloneeof 

 which, "The next step is to bring a bill into Parliament," I must trouble you with a 

 line. 



'For the earlier correspondence on lliis subject see ante, pp. 171-183 and212-217. 



