PROTECTION AND PROPERTY RIGHTS. 33 



This note has already been referred to at some Mr. Blaine in- 

 sists on right of 

 length (ante, p. 10), and some of the grounds have protection. 



been pointed out upon which the United States 

 Government deemed itself justified in its action. 

 Mr. Blaine assimilated this right of protection to 

 that conferred upon Great Britain by her "owner- 

 ship" of the Ceylon pearl fisheries. Although 

 it is not specifically claimed therein that the 

 United States own the seals, yet the point is 

 strongly suggested, while the right of protection, 

 irrespective of strict ownership, is asserted in 

 clear terms. 



On June 4, 1890, Mr. Blaine wrote to Sir Mr. Blaine as- 



serts ownership in 



Julian Pauncelote: "May 1 ask upon what seals, 

 grounds do the Canadian vessels assert a claim, 

 unless they assume that they have a title to the 

 increase of the seal herd? If the claim of the 

 United States to the seals of the Pribilof Islands 

 be well founded, we are certainly entitled to the 

 increase as much as a sheep-grower is entitled to 

 the increase of his flock." 1 



On the 17th of December, 1890, Mr. Blaine Jurisdictional 



, -r, . . , T, r . . . questions not the 



addressed to the British Minister an exhaustive true issues. 

 note in relation to the construction of the ukase 

 of 1821 and the treaties of 1824 and 1825. 2 

 Notwithstanding the earnestness and vigor with 



1 Appendix to Case of United States, Vol. I, p. 219. 



2 Appendix to Case of United States, Vol. I, p. 263, 



12364 3 



