APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



343 



Finally, he submitted a project whicli 

 had been presented for discussion in the 

 name of his Excellency Lieutenant- 

 Genoral Kankiin, inclosing also the reply 

 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to 

 the above-mentioned representations. 

 This project, having been submitted to 

 His Majesty the Emperor, has met with 

 highest approval. At His Majesty's wish 

 the matter was now laid before the mem- 

 bers of the Committee for their consider- 

 ation. 



During the reading of these papers, to 

 which was added a copy of the two let- 

 ters of the Russian-American Company, 

 the members directed their greatest 

 attention to the causes, reasons, and 

 risks, as explained by the Company, as 

 well as the reasoning which had led to 

 the conclusion of the Convention, to- 

 gether with the statement of the Pleni- 

 potentiary of the Washington Cabinet. 

 Due attention was also paid to the means 

 I)ointed out by the Imperial Ministers as 

 most practicable and available to pre- 

 vent evil consequences and unjust dis- 

 pute. By a majority of votes the members 

 of the Committee agreed upon the fol- 

 lowing: 



1. That the Agreement of the 5th (I7th) 

 April establishes for Russia rights which 

 heretofore had been in doubt; that on 

 the strength of this Agreement these 

 rights had been acknowledged by the 

 Government which would have been 

 most benefited by contesting them, and 

 which could most easily have injured us; 

 that by means of this Agreement the un- 

 disputed sovereignty of Russia has been 

 established even beyond the point men- 

 tioned in the original privileges and 

 Charter granted to the Russian-American 

 Company. 



2. That through the absolute prohibi- 

 tion of trade in arms, ammunition, and 

 strong liquors with the inhabitants of 

 the north-west coast, established by this 

 Agreement, the Russian-American Com- 

 pany has secured an amount of protection 

 for which it has repeatedly clamoured, 

 but which it has not heretofore attained. 



3. That this last consideration is all the 

 more important because such prohibition, 

 affecting only Russia, prevents disturb- 

 ances and open hostilities among the 

 native tribes inhabiting our possessions, 

 while at the same time it makes profitable 

 trade on the part of foreigners within our 

 domain impossible. 



4, That the Agreement of the 5th (17th) 

 April contains also another not less im- 

 portant point, namely, the agreement on 

 the part of the Americans to establish no 

 Settlement on the north-west coast above 

 latitude 54° 40'. By this concession alone 

 our own territorial claim is placed upon 

 a permanent basis.* 



tended to forward to Lieutenant General 

 Kankrin, in which were inclosed the re- 

 plies of the Minister of Foreign Affairs 

 to the above-mentioned remonstrances. 

 This draft, having been laid before His 

 Majesty the Emperor, has received the 

 Imperial approval; but His Imperial 

 Majesty imposes upon the members of 

 the Committee the duty of again esamin 

 ing it. 



After the reading of this document 

 (which is annexed to the present Proto- 

 col, together with the two letters from 

 the Russian- American Company ) the 

 deliberations were opened. The mem- 

 bers turned their chief attention to the 

 causes of the fears expressed by the 

 Company, as well as to the reasons which 

 spoke in favour of the Convention con- 

 cluded with the Plenipotentiary of the 

 Washington Cabinet; and also to the 

 means which the Imperial Ministry 

 thinks best calculated to prevent all in- 

 jurious and unjust interpretations. The 

 members of the Committee agreed by a 

 majority of votes to the following Reso- 

 lutions : 



1. That the Treaty of the 5th (17th) 

 April confirms to Russia rights which 

 have hitherto been called in question; 

 that by virtue of that Treaty those rights 

 are acknowledged by the Government 

 which could dispute them with great 

 advantage and violate them with great 

 ease; that by it the undisputed posses- 

 sions of Russia are henceforward ex- 

 tended even beyond those boundaries 

 within which the Russian- American Com- 

 pany was required under its original 

 Charter to carry on the trading privi- 

 leges granted to it. 



2. That since by this Treaty the strict 

 prohibition of the sale of arms, munitions 

 of war, and spirituous liquors to the 

 natives of the north-west coast is put 

 into eifect, the American Company ac- 

 quires by it the protection which it has 

 always valued so highly, but which it 

 has hitherto never been able to obtain. 



3 That this last provision is the more 

 important, because such a prohibition, if 

 promulgated on the part of Russia alone, 

 would either draw upon her disagreeable 

 consequences and the most unpleasant 

 embarrassments, or would not accomplish 

 its object, in consequence of the lack of 

 means necessary for the prevention of its 

 violation and for the repression of pro- 

 hibited traffic. 



4. That the Treaty of the 5th (17th) 

 April contains another not less important 

 guaranty, namely, that the Americans 

 will not establish Settlements on the 

 north-west coast above 54° 40'. By this 

 provision all the Settlements hitherto 

 founded by the Russian-American Com- 

 pany above 57° are placed on a firm basis, 



*The southernmost Settlement now occupied is situated in latitude 57°; conse- 

 quently this Agreement will enable them to locate new stations further to the south. 



