522 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
Orders to the ‘‘ Bear” to proceed to Behring’s Sea and seize all Vessels engaged in 
Unlawful Acts. 
WASHINGTON, May 21, 1890. 
Secretary Windom to-day signed the Sailing Orders of the Revenue-cutter ‘‘ Bear,” 
now at Seattle, Washington, directing that she sail immediately to Ounalaska and 
then to cruize diligéntly in Behring’s Sea for the purpose of warning all persons 
against entering such waters for the purpose of violating section 1956 of the Revised 
Statutes, and arresting all persons and seizing all vessels found to be or to have been 
engaged in any violation of the laws of the United States therein. 
Section 1956, Revised Statutes, referred to above, provides that ‘‘no person shall 
kill any otter, mink, marten, sable, or fur seal, or other fur-bearing animal within 
the limits of Alaska territory or in the waters thereof, and every person guilty 
thereof shall, for each offence, be fined not less than 200 dollars, nor more than 1,000 
dollars, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and all vessels, their 
tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo found engaged in violation of this section shall 
be forfeited, but the Secretary of the Treasury shall have power to authorize the 
killing of any such otter, mink, marten, sable, or other fur-bearing animal except 
fur seals, under such Regul: itions as he may prescribe, and it shall be the duty of the 
Secretary to prevent the killing of any fur seal, and to provide for the execution of 
the provisions of this section until it is otherwise provided by law, nor shall he 
grant any special privileges under this section.’ 
The Commander of the ‘ Bear” is also furnished with copies of the President's last 
Proclamation on this subject and the Act of the 2nd March, 1889, regarding the seal 
and salmon fisheries of Alaska. 
Dismantling the Law Breakers. 
The instructions, while not differing materially from those of last year, are much 
more specific in character. Efforts will be made to avoid a repetition of last year’s 
experience with foreign vessels seized for violations of law. In two or three cases 
the vessels were placed in charge of a prize crew consisting of one man, and, as a 
result, never reached the port where he was ordered to take them. Whileit will be 
equally impossible now to increase the size of the prize crews, an effort will be made 
to accomplish the same result in another way. According to the present instruc- 
tions, it is understood that all vessels found violating the law will be dismantled and 
deprived of all means of further violations. Their logs and all skins are also to be 
seized and preserved as evidence against them. With the exception of certain 
details as to the enforcement of the law there is, however, no change in the general 
policy of the administration on this question. 
A72 No. 346. 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salishury.—( Received June 3.) 
WASHINGTON, May 23, 1890. 
My Lorp: Immediately upon reading in the newspapers of yesterday 
the announcement (which I at once telegraphed to your Lordship) that 
the United States Cabinet had decided to reject the counter-proposal 
of Her Majesty’s Government for the settlement of the Behring’s Sea 
question, and that they had issued orders to their Revenue cruizers 
to prevent all vessels from ie eae in the sealing-industry in those 
waters, I called on the Secretary of State and inquired whether the 
announcement was correct. Mr. Blaine did not deny its accuracy, and 
defended the action of the Treasury in regard to their instructions to 
the Revenue cruizers, which he said were issued pursuant to an Act of 
Congress. 
I objected that no Act of Congress authorized interference with for- 
eign vessels on the high seas. It was a misconstruction of the Act so 
to apply its provisions. I remonstrated against the publication in the 
press of the decision of his Government on the proposals of Her 
Majesty’s Government before any reply had been returned to those pro- 
posals, and I complained of the issue of the orders reported to have been 
given to the Revenue cruizers while the negotiations were still pending, 
