APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 107 
seized 75, 115, and 70 miles respectively south-south-east of St. George’s 
Island. 
It is not disputed, therefore, that the seizures in question were 
effected at a distance from land far in excess of the limit of maritime 
jurisdiction which any nation can claim by international law, and it is 
hardly necessary to add that such limit cannot be enlarged by any 
municipal law. 
The claim thus set up appears to be founded on the exceptional title 
said to have been conveyed to the United States by Russia at the time 
of the cession of the Alaska Territory. The pretension which the 
Russian Government at one time put forward to exclusive jurisdiction 
over the whole of Behring’s Sea was, however, never admitted either 
by this country or by the United States of America. On the contrary, 
it was strenuously resisted, as I shall presently show, and the Ameri- 
can Government can hardly claim to have received from Russia rights 
which they declared to be inadmissible when asserted by the Russian 
Government. Nor does it appear from the text of the Treaty of 1867 
that Russia either intended or purported to make any such grant; for, 
by Article I of that instrument, Russia agreed to cede to the United 
States all the territory and dominion then possessed by Russia ‘“‘on the 
Continent of America and in the adjacent islands” within certain geo- 
graphical limits described, and no mention was made of any exclusive 
right over the waters of Behring’s Sea. 
“Moreover, whatever rights as “regards their respective subjects and 
citizens may be reciprocally conferred on the Russian and American 
Governments by Treaty stipulation, the subjects of Her Majesty cannot 
be thereby affected, except by special arrangement with this country. 
With regard to the exclusive claims advanced in times past by Russia, 
I transmit to you documents communicated to the United States Con- 
gress by President Monroe in 1822, which show the view taken by the 
American Government of these pretensions. 
In 1821 the Emperor of Russia had issued an Edict establishing: 
“Rules for the limits of navigation and order of communication along 
the coast of the Eastern Siberia, the north-western coast of America, 
and the Aleutian, Kurile, and other islands.” 
The first section of that Edict said: “The pursuit of commerce, whal- 
ing, and fishery, and of all other industry on all islands, ports, and gulfs, 
including the whole of the north-west coast of America, beginning from 
Behring’s Straits to the 51st degree of northern latitude; also from the 
Aleutian Islands to the eastern coast of Siberia, as well as along the 
Kurile Islands from Behring’s Straits to the south Cape of the Island 
of Urup, viz., to the 45° 50’ of northern latitude, is exclusively granted 
to Russian subjects;” and section 2 stated: ‘It is, therefore, prohibited 
to all foreign vessels not only to land on the coast and islands belonging 
to Russia, as stated above, but also to approach them within less than 
100 Italian miles. The transgressor’s vessel is subject to confiscation, 
along with the whole cargo.” 
A copy of these Regulations was officially communicated to the A meri- 
can Secretary of State by the Russian Minister at Washington on the 
ith February, 1822; whereupon Mr. Quincey Adams, on the 25th of 
that month, after informing him that the President of the United States 
had seen with surprise the assertion of a territorial claim on the part of 
Russia, extending to the 51st degree of north latitude on the American 
Continent, and a Regulation interdic ting to all commercial vessels other 
than Russian, upon the penalty of seizure and confiscation, the approach 
upon the high seas within 100 Italian miles of the shores ‘to which that 
