360 DIPLOMATIC CORREBPONDENCE. 



Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr. Wharton. 



British Legation, 

 WasMngton, March 19, 1892. 



Sir : On receipt of your note of tlie 8tb instant I immediately tele- 

 gTaplied to tlie Marquis of Salisbury tlie substance of its contents in 

 accordance with tbe request Avliich you exi^ressed on belialf of tlie 

 President, and I bave now tbe bonor to inform you tbat I bave tbis 

 day received a reply from bis lordsbip, by telegram, to tbe following 

 efl'ect : 



Lord Salisbury again j)oints out tbat tbe information in tbe possession 

 of Her Majesty's Government does not lead tbem to believe tbat anotber 

 year's suspension of sealing is necessary to xn^event an undue diminu- 

 tion of tbe seal berds. 



His lordsbip, bowever, proceeds to observe tbat beyond tbis ques- 

 tion it is considered by your Government tbat tbey bave a rigbt to be 

 protected from tbe loss wbicb tbey may incur from free sealing being 

 permitted tbis year, in tbe event of tbeir claim to Bebring Sea being up- 

 beld by the Arbitrators. He states tbat Her Majesty's Government do 

 not dispute tbat after tbe ratification of tbe convention tbere will be 

 some foundation for tbis contention; but be adds tbat tbe prohibition 

 of all sealing as a remedy bas tbis defect, tbat tbe Britisb sealers ex- 

 cluded from Bebring Sea would bave an undoubted ground of comi)laint 

 if tbe Britisb claim should be upheld by the Arbitrators. Moreover, 

 there is no security that the Arbitration will be concluded before the 

 sealing season of 1893. Thus an arbitration between Great Britain, the 

 United States, and Portugal, wbicb bas already occupied four years, is 

 still i^endiug. Serious damage would be caused to the industry by a 

 susi)ension of sealing for a long period. 



In view of all the above considerations it appears to Her Majesty's 

 Government that it would be more equitable to provide that sealing in 

 Bebring Sea shall continue on the condition tbat the owner of every 

 sealing vessel shall give security for satisfying any damages wbicb tbe 

 Arbitrators may adjudge. 



I shall be glad to learn that the above suggestions meet with tbe con- 

 currence of your Government. 

 I bave tbe bonor, etc., 



Julian Pauncefote. 



Mr. Wharton to Sir Julian Pauncefote. 



Department of State, 

 Washington, March 22, 1892. 

 Sir: I am directed by the President to say that your note dated the 

 19tb instant and delivered on the 2()tb instant (Suiulay) bas had bis 

 immediate attention in view of what be deems to be the extreme urgency 

 and gravity of the matter under discussion. Tbe urgency gnnvs out 

 of tbe fact that much further protraction of tbis discussion will make 

 any modus that may be agreed upon ineffectual to protect the interests 

 of the United States and will give to the Canadian sealers practical 

 immunity, by reason of the impossibility oi" ccmimunicating to them the 

 agreed restrictions. It is known to this (iovernment tbat tbe sealers 

 have hastened tbeir departure to escape notice of a possible modus and 

 that every day almost adds to tbe fleet that mnst now be overhauled at 

 sea. Already forty-si'veii Canadian vessels bave cleared far tlu' sealing 



