AND THEIR REPORT. 45 



but that they would be instructed " to cooperate The Boring sea 



Commission. 



as much as possible " with the United States 

 Commissioners. 1 It appears from the Report of 

 the British Commissioners that the only inter- 

 course had by them with the Commissioners of 

 the United States was during "several days" on 

 the Pribilof Islands (Sec. 12), while "the cruize 

 in the North Pacific occupied nearly three 

 months" (Sec. 20). 



The maimer in which the British Commission- The British 



Commissioners. 



ers conducted their investigations and the spirit 

 which actuated them may in part be inferred from 

 the account which one of them, then a member 

 of the British Parliament, gave publicly to his 

 constituents after his return to England 2 . The 

 agreement for the constitution of the Joint Com- 

 mission was actually made and signed on Decem- 

 ber 18, 1891, before the Treaty was executed, 

 and Secretary Blaine, on being advised, Febru- Secretary 

 ary 6, 1892, by Her Majesty's Minister of the sir J. Pannceibte. 

 names of the British Commissioners, and that they 

 had arrived in Washington and were ready to 

 enter into conference with the Commissioners of 

 the United States, felt it necessary to address the 

 Minister a note, expressing regret that the British 

 Government had selected persons who seemed 



1 Appendix to Case of the United States, Vol. I, p. 322. 

 8 Post p. 418. 



