18 COUNT'X-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Moreover, as appears from the provisions of the Ukase 

 itself, it dealt only, as was pointed out by Mr. Middleton 



and by Mr. Adams, with the rights of the Knssiau- 

 17 American Compauy, to the exclusion of other Russian 



subjects; a fact which the correct translation of the 

 Ukase brings out more clearly. 



NO CHARTER OF RUSSIAN-AMERICAN COMPANY, EXCEPT 

 THAT OF 1821, PURPORTS TO AFFECT FOREIGNERS. 



United States In support of the vicw that the Charters to the Russian- 

 vori,uy^24?audAuci6i'ica'i Company were not and did not purport to be 

 28.' ' ' international documents, but purely domestic acts, not 

 intended to affect foreign nations, reference may be made 

 to the terms of the documeuts themselves and to those the 

 Ukases commented upon hereafter at p. 61 et seq. In each 

 United States case, witl^thc single exception of the Charter based directly 

 case.voi. i, p. 2-t. upon the Ukase of 1821, their terms are strictly limited to 

 the exclusion of Russian subjects only. 

 "^23*24 ^^^' ^^® object of the Charters was not in any way to con- 

 ^^' ' ■ trol foreigners; but, in the first instance, to consolidate 



the numerous rival Russian Companies which were compet- 

 ing with each other, and by their competition giving rise to 

 gross abuses; and subsequently to protect the Consolidated 

 Comjiauy. 

 Ibid., p. 28. j|. |g again to be noted, that the exclusive rights specially 

 granted to the Russian-American Company by the Ukase 

 of 1799 were rights to be exercised on land already acquired 

 or thereafter to be discovered within the prescribed area, 

 and not over non-territorial waters of Behring Sea or any 

 other non-territorial waters. 



CONTENTION THAT, UNDER UKASE OF 1799, FOREIGN 

 VESSELS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO VISIT BEHRING 

 SEA. 



It is now necessary to deal with the contentions — 

 (4.) That, under the Ukase of 1799, the Russian-Ameri- 

 can Company, acting under the sanction of the Russian 

 Government, did not jiermit foreigu vessels to visit Beh- 

 ring Sea; and 



(6.) That, up to the date of the Treaties of 1824 and 1825, 

 Russia did assert and exercise exclusive rights of commerce, 

 hunting, and fishing in all the waters of Behring Sea. 



NO INSTANCE OF EXCLUSION. 



British ca.se, Neither of these allegations is supported by the facts. 

 "Mat^riTur'''^^^ domestic character of the Ukase itself has been 

 Part I, Table of already shown; and the report of Golovnin, written in 1818, 

 Contents. ^^ ^^ ^y^^ "Company's colonies," speaks of the importance 



of presenting a better appearance to " foreigners visiting 

 these parts." No instance is to be found of Russia pre- 

 venting foreign vessels from visiting Behring Sea; and 

 it must be remembered that the Uka-se of 1799 applied 

 equally to the whole coast ot America from Beh- 

 18 ring Straits to latitude 55°. There were at all times 

 foreign vessels trading to places north of latitude 



