APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 401 
1. That the United States Government shall first abandon any claim 
to regard the Behring’s Sea as a mare clausum, and that any existing 
legislation in the United States, which would seem to support that 
claim, shall be either amended or repealed. 
2. That there shall be a direct Representative of Canada on the 
British Commission entrusted with the negotiations, in the same manner 
as at the negotiations for the Treaty of Washington in 1871, the Fish- 
eries Commission under that Treaty, and the Treaty of Washington of 
last year. 
3. That any conclusions which may be the result of the negotiations 
shall be referred to the Dominion Government for approval. 
4, That Great Britain and Canada, without Russia, shall conduct 
any negotiations for compensation for losses to British subjects arising 
out of the action of the United States authorities. 
I have to request you to inform me whether you consider that these 
proposals will furnish the bases of possible negotiation. 
Iam, Se. 
(Signed) SALISBURY. 
No. 252. 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—(Received by telegraph, 
December 10.) 
WASHINGTON, December 12, 1889. 
My Lorp: Immediately on the receipt of your Lordship’s telegram 
of the 7th instant, containing certain proposals of the Dominion Govy- 
ernment in relation to the Behring’s Sea question, and instructing me 
to report whether, in my opinion, those proposals furnished a basis of 
possible negotiation, I obtained an interview with Mr. Blaine, and I 
sounded him on the subject of Canada being directly represented in 
any diplomatic negotiations which might be renewed for the settlement 
of the controversy. Mr. Blaine at once expressed his absolute objec- 
tion to such a course. He said the question was one between Great 
Britain and the United States, and that his Government would certainly 
refuse to negotiate with the Imperial and Dominion Governments jointly, 
or with Great Britain, with the condition that the conclusions arrived 
at should be subject to the approval of Canada. 
I did not touch on the other proposals, for the following reasons: 
As regards the abandonment of the mare clausum claim, no such claim 
having been officially asserted by the United States Government, they 
would naturally object to withdraw it; and as regards the suggested 
amendment of their legislation, such a proposal would gravely embitter 
the controversy, and is hardly necessary, as I conceive that there is 
nothing in the terms of such legislation, if correctly interpreted, with 
due regard to international law, which supports the mare clausum claim. 
Lastly, it has never been suggested that Russia should intervene in the 
question of compensation, but on that question also the United States 
Government will insist on negotiating with Great Britain alone. 
066 In my opinion, therefore, the proposals of the Dominion Goy- 
ernment do not furnish a basis of possible negotiation. 
I have, &e. 
(Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. 
BS. PP y 26 
