36 PROTECTION AND PROPERTY RIGHTS. 



Lord Salisbury On the 14th of April, 1891, Mr. Blaine wrote 

 to Sir Julian Pauneefote: "In the opinion of 

 the President, Lord Salisbury is wholly and 

 strangely in error in making the following state- 

 ment: 'Nor do they (the advisers of the Presi- 

 dent) rely, as a justification for the seizure of 

 British ships in the open sea, upon the contention 

 that the interests of the seal fisheries give to the 

 United States Government any right for that 

 purpose which, according to international law, it 

 would not otherwise possess.' 



Rights arising "The Government of the United States has 



out of ownership 



of isian^ds^and s teadily held just the reverse of the position which 

 Lord Salisbury has imputed to it. It holds that 

 the ownership of the islands upon which seals 

 breed; that the habit of the seals in regularly 

 resorting thither and rearing their young thereon; 

 that their going out in search of food and regu- 

 larly returning thereto, and all the facts and in- 

 cidents of their relation to the islands, give to the 

 United States a property interest therein; that 

 this property interest was claimed and exercised 

 by Russia during the whole period of its sover- 

 eignty over the land and waters of Alaska; that 

 England recognized this property interest so far 

 as recognition is implied by abstaining from all 

 interference with it during the whole period of 

 Russia's ownership of Alaska and during the 



