364 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
329 {Inclosure 14 in No. 237.] 
Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Privy Council, approved by his Excellency 
the Governor-General in Council, on the 18th September, 1889. 
On a Memorandum, dated the 18th September, 1889, from the Minister of Marine 
and Fisheries, submitting the affidavit of the master of the British sealing-schooner 
“Lily,” which vessel was on the 6th day of August last in the Behring’s Sea (latitude 
55° 29’ north, longitude 166° 15’ west). distant about 60 miles from the nearest land, 
with her cargo of 333 sealskins, seized by the United States Revenue-cntter “ Richard 
Rush,” also the certificate of seizure signed by L. G. Shepard, captain of the ‘‘ Richard 
Rush,” and a sealed communication addressed to the United States District Attorney, 
District of Alaska, Sitka, given to the master of the ‘ Lily” for delivery on his arrival 
at Sitka, whither he was ordered to proceed, which order, however, he disregarded, 
and sailed to Victoria. 
The Committee advise that your Excellency be pleased to forward copies of the 
inclosures to the Right Honourable the Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, 
for submission to Her Majesty’s Government. 
All which is respectfully submitted for approval. 
(Signed) JOHN J. MCGEE, 
Clerk, Privy Council, 
{Inclosure 15 in No. 237.] 
Declaration of John Reilly. 
In the matter of the seizure of the sealing schooner “Lily” by the United States 
Revenue-cutter ‘Richard Rush,” on the 6th day of August, A. D. 1889. 
I, John Reilly, of the city of Victoria, British Columbia, master mariner, do sol- 
emnly and sincerely declare that: : 
Iam amaster mariner, and was at the time of the occurrences hereinafter men- 
tioned, and still am, the master of the schooner ‘“ Lily,” of the port of Victoria, 
British Columbia. j 
On the 6th day of August, A. D. 1889, whilst I was on board and in command of 
the said schooner, and she then being on a sealing expedition, and being in latitude 
55° 29’ north and longitude 166° 15’ west, and at a distance of about 66 miles from 
nearest land, the United States Revenue-cutter ‘‘Richard Rush” overhauled the 
said schooner. 
I was first boarded by the First Lieutenant, who was armed, and who asked me 
how many skins I had on board. I replied that he should find out himself, and said 
that if he wanted to see the schooner’s papers I would show them to him, and would 
render him assistance should he want to search the schooner for contraband goods; 
but I would not acknowledge his right to seize me for sealing on the high seas. 
The First Lieutenant then returned to the cutter, and in a short time returned, 
accompanied by another boat of the cutter, which was in charge of the Second 
Lieutenant. 
They both came on board, and the First Lieutenant demanded of me the surrender 
of the schooner, and asking at the same time for the schooner’s papers. This I at 
first declined to do, and the First Lieutenant said unless I gave the schooner’s papers 
to him at once, he would take them by force. I then gave him the scliooner’s papers, 
consisting of registry, coasting licence, and clearance. 
The First Lieutenant then ordered both boats’ crew to search the schooner, and 
they took from my schooner 333 sealskins, all in good order. 
He then asked me if I would give him two sacks of salt. I told him that it would 
be useless for me to refuse, as he could take them by force, so I told him to go ahead 
and help himself. 
He then gave me two letters, the contents of which were unknown to me at the 
time, one of them being sealed, and the contents of which is still unknown to me, 
the other certifying that he had seized the schooner “Lily” for violation of the 
United States laws, and taken possession of the schooner’s papers. 
He then told me to proceed to Sitka, Alaska. I asked him if he wanteca me to go 
to Victoria or Sitka, Alaska; to which he replied that he had nothing to say, but 
had simply told me his orders. 
My crew at this time consisted of a mate, George McDonald, and three white men 
and twenty-five Indian hunters. 
The Indian hunters said they would not proceed to Sitka, and, to avoid fur- 
330 ther trouble, I directed the schooner’s course for Victoria, and arrived here the 
1st day of September, at 7 o’clock Pp. M. 
