44 THE BRITISH COMMISSIONERS 



The Bering Sea it was proijosed in the course of tlie correspond- 



Commission. 



ence that a "Joint Commission" be appointed to 

 investigate the facts in relation to seal life, with 

 a view of obtaining beforehand information 

 which might be useful to the contemplated Tri- 

 bunal of Arbitration in the discussion of meas- 

 ures for its protection and preservation, should 

 that subject be submitted to the Tribunal; 1 and, 

 while the formal constitution of the Commission 

 was reserved as a subject to be disposed of in 

 the contemplated Treaty, it was deemed expedi- 

 ent that, in the meantime, two agents should be 

 designated on the part of each Government, im- 

 mediately after the signature of the Modus 

 Vivendi, to begin such an investigation. 



The Modus Vivendi was signed on the 15th of 

 June, 1891, and as early as the 3d of July of 

 the same year the Acting Secretary of State 

 proposed to Her Majesty's Minister in Washing- 

 ton "that arrangements be made to have these 

 agents of the respective Governments go together, 

 so that they may make their observations con- 

 jointly." On July 6, 1891, the Minister 

 answered that, having communicated this pro- 

 posal to Lord Salisbury, his lordship replied 

 "that a ship had already been chartered to take 

 the British Commissioners to the seal islands," 



1 Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol. I, pp. 305, 311, 312. 



