APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. CEL 
No. 14. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir R. Morier. 
[Telegraphic.] 
FOREIGN OFFICE, June 5, 1891, 
I have received your telegram of yesterday. 
We should be glad if M. de Giers would inform us of his views with 
regard to the proposed Agreement for the preservation of the seals in 
Bebsying’s Sea without waiting to receive a communication from the 
Government of the United States on the subject. 
No. 15. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to Sir J. Pauncefote. 
{Telegraphic.] 
FOREIGN OFFICE, June 5, 1891. 
Her Majesty’s Government have had under their consideration the 
counter-proposals of the President of the United States for a modus 
vivendi in Behring’s Sea, as reported in your telegram of the 4th instant. 
They agree to accept the proposal, that officers of either Government 
may seize and hand over to their national jurisdiction offending vessels 
under either flag. 
We thus give power to cruizers belonging to the United States to 
supervise the conduct of Englishmen in keeping the modus vivendi at 
sea. On the other hand, we ought to receive corresponding power 
from the United States of supervising the proceedings of Americans 
on the islands resorted to by the seals. The equality of the proposed 
Agreement is dependent on the fidelity with which the Americans 
observe the condition, that not more than 7,500 seals shall be killed. 
In the opinion of Her Majesty’s Government, it is indispensable that 
the right should be reserved to them of satisfying themselves that this 
condition is fully observed. 
If the United States Government object to the appointment of a 
permanent British Consul on the islands, they can, under their Statute, 
specially authorize the presence there during the present fishing sea- 
son of a British agent. 
Her Majesty’s Government will not insist that Russia shall be a 
party to the proposed modus vivendi. But I earnestly press upon the 
United States Government the extension of the prohibition to American 
ships over the whole of Behring’s Sea; in that case, Her Majesty’s 
Government will similarly extend the prohibition to British ships. 
If it is lawful that seals may be hunted on one side of an imaginary 
line in the open ocean while it is unlawful on the other side, it will, in 
many cases, be impossible to prove the fact of unlawful sealing, or to 
infer from the possession of skins or tackle that it has taken place. 
It is, in the opinion of Her Majesty’s Government, of great impor- 
tance that an Agreement should be arrived at as to the terms of the 
arbitration at the same time that the modus vivendi is arranged. We 
should be unable to repeat the suspension of seal-tishing operations for 
another year. 
