858 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
A close season based upon the wording of the present proposition, ‘‘during the 
breeding season,’”’ might, by a strained or technical interpretation of what length of 
time the breeding season covered, be made practically exclusive by fixing the dates 
to cover the whole term, beginning with the first entrance into Behring’s Sea, and 
ending with the departure of the seals from that sea. 
This would be simply an assertion of the doctrine of mare clausum in another form. 
The Undersigned therefore desires to impress upon your Excellency this aspect of 
the matter, with a view to avoiding, in any close season which might ultimately be 
agreed upon, a practical or actual surrender of participation in the sealing industry 
by Her Majesty’s subjects; and establishing the fact that the carefully considered 
proposal already rejected by the United States contained the full measure of close 
time that your Excellency’s advisers are at present prepared to entertain in the 
interest of Canadian sealers. 
He therefore recommends that a copy of this Report be transmitted to the Right 
Honourable the Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, for the information of 
Her Majesty’s Government. 
Respectfully submitted, 
(Signed) CHARLES H. TUPPER, 
Minister of Marine and Fisheries. 
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, : 
Canada, Ottawa, July 25, 1891. 
(Inclosure 4 in No. 132.] 
Sir J. Pauncefote to Lord Stanley of Preston. 
WASHINGTON, May 22, 1891. 
My Lorn: In accordance with instructions which I received last night by tele- 
graph from the Marquis of Salisbury, I have the honour to transmit herewith to 
your Excellency an extract from the ‘ Cleveland News and Herald” of the 4th 
instant, containing Professor Elliot’s introduction to his Report on the condition of 
seal life at the Pribyloff Islands during the summer of 1890. His Report, which 1 
am informed is very voluminous, was not included among those of the other Goy- 
ernment Agents which were laid before Congress in February last. I take this 
opportunity of transmitting, at the same time, copies of the last-mentioned Reports, 
in case they should not be in the possession of your Government. 
I have, &c. 
(Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. 
88 No. 133. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to Behring’s Sea Commissioners. 
FOREIGN OFFICE, September 12, 1891. 
GENTLEMEN: In reply to your despatch of the 5th ultimo, I have 
to state to you that Her Majesty’s Government approve your note to 
the United States Agent at St. Paul Island respecting the limitation 
of the number of seals to be killed under the agreement come to by 
the Governments of Great Britain and the United States. 
Your further proceedings, reported in the above-mentioned despatch, 
are also approved. 
lam, We. 
(Signed) SALISBURY. 
