THE GROWTH OF CANADA 287 



other grounds, however, the preservation of the 

 seals from extinction was taken up as a duty of 

 general concern to civilized nations, and on the 

 proposition of Secretary Bayard a project of 

 joint action for the protection of the seals was 

 agreed to in its general features by the British 

 and other governments. This plan looked to a 

 prohibition of pelagic sealing in Behring Sea. 

 Before the adjustment of the details could be per 

 fected, in May, 1888, the negotiations were 

 somewhat abruptly suspended by the British 

 Government at the request of the Canadian 

 authorities. The sealing interests of British 

 Columbia had by this time impressed upon the 

 Dominion government the fear that an impor 

 tant industry was about to be sacrificed for the 

 benefit of an American monopoly. Pointblank 

 issue was made against the claim that the 

 Pribilof seal herd was seriously decreasing in 

 numbers, and it was stoutly maintained that if 

 there was any perceptible diminution, it was 

 attributable to the methods of the American 

 monopoly rather than to pelagic hunting. 



To the disputes as to the facts was added, 

 as an influence in the sudden change of attitude 

 by the British, the coincident rejection by the 

 American Senate of the draft treaty touching 



