8 THE TRUE ISSUES. 



Protection of that the latter, and not the former, Is the main 



seals the main ob- 

 ject of Arbitra- question before the Tribunal, the Agent of the 



United States deems it proper to place clearly 



before it some important considerations touching 



the manner in which the controversy resulting in 



the Treaty of Arbitration arose, and to indicate 



what have at all times been regarded by the 



United States as the essential issues. 



Origin of juris- The diplomatic correspondence shows that as 



versy. early as the year 1887 the United States claimed 



a property interest in the seals of the Pribilof 

 Islands; that the question of sovereignty over 

 Bering Sea was first introduced by Her Majesty's 

 Government and was not touched upon by the 

 United States in the correspondence until three 

 years after the first seizures of British vessels 

 had taken place ; and that the subsequent discus- 

 sion of that question has been at all times inci- 

 dental to the main question, 1 viz, the proper pro- 

 tection of the seals. 

 Lord Salisbury On the 10th of September, 1887, Lord Salis- 



utase. bury, in a note to the British Minister at Wash- 



ington calling attention to the transcript of the 

 judicial proceedings in the cases of the Carolena, 

 Onward, and Thornton, referred to the ukase of 



'Mr. Blaine to Sir Juliau Pauncefote, June 4, 1890, Case of tbe 

 Uuited States, Appendix, Vol. I, p. 218, and also closing portion 

 of Mr. Blaine's note to Sir Julian Pauncefote, December 7, 1890, 

 ibid., pp. 286, 287. 



