APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 523 
contrary to the assurance given by him in his note to me of the 24th 
Mareh last. Mr. Blaine replied to the effect. that it was not possible to 
guard against the publication in the press of news of such public inter- 
est; that his answer to the British proposals, which he had promised. to 
send to me last week, had been delayed, as he now proposed that it 
should be in the form of a joint reply from his Government and that of 
Russia; and that, as regards the orders to the Revenue cruizers, they 
were the natural consequence of the rejection of the proposals which I 
had submitted to the Conference. Those proposals he proceeded to 
criticize as totally inadequate to the necessities of the case, and he 
animadverted upon the words in Article VI of the draft Convention, 
which purport to prescribe Regulations on land. 
I pointed out to him that the draft Convention afforded the most 
ample protection to seal life by prohibiting pelagic sealing during the 
periods of migration to and from the Kiookeries, and by establishing au 
‘adius around the Seal Islands to prevent the surreptitious landing of 
marauders. Moreover, it supplied the most complete machinery for 
arriving at a final decision as to what regulations should be adopted 
for the preservation of the seal species. 
Mr. Blaine then urged that the United States, by the possession of 
the Seal Islands, had acquired special rights in Behring’s Sea as regards 
the seal fishery. He said that the United States Government could 
never admit that Great Britain had rights equal to their own in that 
sea, and that they would not bes atisfied with anything less than the 
total exclusion of all sealing vessels from Behring’s Sea during the sum- 
mer months in which Her Majesty’ s Government. proposed that the fish- 
ery should be open. ITreminded Mr. Blaine that the sole question was 
the preservation of the seal species. I urged that the draft Convention 
made ample provision for that purpose. That as regarded the claim 
which he advocated on behalf of his Government to special rights 
beyond the territorial waters of Behring’s Sea,it rested on novel doe- 
trines entirely opposed to the law and practice of nations. I also 
reminded him that he had quite recently informed me that the draft 
Convention, though not acceptable to his Government in its present 
form, afforded a basis of settlement. Mr. Blaine replied that he had at 
that time in his mind the provision relating to arbitration; but he 
doubted whether the two Governments could ever come to terms as to 
the form of the questions to be submitted for decision. 
My interview here came to an end, Mr. Blaine having an appointment 
with the President which compelled him to leave for the White House. 
I have, Xe. 
(Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. 
No. 347. 
Sir J. Pauncefote to the Marquis of Salisbury.—( Received June 3.) 
WASHINGTON, May 23, 1890, 
My Lorpb: In compliance with the instruetions contained in your 
Lordship’s telegram of to-day, I have the honour to inclose copy 
473 of a note which I have addressed to Mr. Blaine, in which I have 
informed him that a formal protest by Her Majesty’s Government 
against any interference with British vessels in Behring’s Sea will be 
forwarded to him without delay. 
1 have, Xe. (Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. 
