APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 415 
His Lordship directs me to request you to inform Lord Knutsford, in 
reply, that these claims will be considered, together with those of other 
owners of vesseis which have been seized, in the negotiations which it 
is proposed to conduct with the United States, and the commencement 
of which is waiting for the consent of the Canadian Government. 
Iam, We. 
(Signed) P. CURRIE. 
No. 260. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir J. Pauncefote.—(Substance telegraphed.) 
FOREIGN OFFICE, December 17, 1889. 
Str: I communicated to the Secretary of State for the Colonies your 
telegram of the 9th instant in regard to the question of reopening negoti- 
ations with the United States Government on the subject of the seal 
fisheries in Behring’s Sea. 
The Governor-General of Canada was made acquainted with the views 
of the United States Government, as expressed in that telegram, and a 
reply has been received from him to the following effect: 
“The Government of Canada expects that no arrangement will be 
concluded with the United States by Her Majesty’s Government in 
which it is not expressly declared that the Behring’s Sea is free. 
‘‘They adhere to their view that any agreement as to a close season 
and the preservation of seals should be made subject to the approval 
of Canada, as one of the parties whose interests are primarily involved ; 
and they consider that each of the parties to the Treaty should have 
the power of terminating the close season Agreement. 
“The Dominion Government are unable to understand why the United 
States should object to Her Majesty’s Government being directly repre- 
sented by a Canadian Delegate, but, in order to avoid delay, they are 
willing to defer without further protest to the course decided on by Her 
Majesty’s Government.” 
lam, We. (Signed) SALISBURY. 
s 
380 No. 261. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir J. Pauncefote.—( Substance telegraphed.) 
FOREIGN OFFICE, December 17, 1889. 
Str: [I have to inform you that the Secretary of State for the Colo- 
nies has had under his consideration, in consultation with Sir Charles 
Tupper, the views of the Canadian Government, communicated to you 
in my despatch of this day’s date, respecting the proposed reopening 
of negotiations with the United States on the Behring’s Sea question. 
Lord Knutsford is of opinion that those views express with sufficient 
completeness the concurrence of the Dominion Government in the bases 
which would render such negotiations possible. 
They are willing to abandon their former demand that, before the 
opening of the negotiations, the United States Government should 
make a declaration disclaiming any pretension to regard the Behring’s 
Sea as a mare clausum. 
