916 APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
138 No. 203. 
The Marquis of Salisbury to the Behring’s Sea Commissioners. 
FOREIGN OFFICE, January 15, 1892. 
GENTLEMEN: I have to inform you that Her Majesty’s Minister at 
Washington has sent home the text of seven Articles, signed by him- 
self and Mr. Blaine on the 18th ultimo, which are to be embodied in a 
formal Agreement between Her Majesty’s Government and that of the 
United States for referring to Arbitrators certain questions at issue 
between the two Governments in regard to the jurisdiction claimed by 
the latter over the waters of Behring’s Sea in connection with the fur- 
seal fisheries therein. 
Sir J. Pauncefote has also forwarded the text of an Agreement 
signed on the same day for the appointment of two Commissioners by 
Her Majesty’s Government and that of the United States respectively, 
to investigate, conjointly with the Commissioners of the other Govern- 
ment, all the facts relating to seal life in Behring’s Sea, and the neces- 
sary measures for its proper protection and preservation. 
A copy of Sir J. Pauncefote’s despatch, inclosing both of these docu- 
ments, is forwarded herewith for your information.* 
I now transmit the Queen’s Commission under the Sign Manual 
appointing you to be Her Majesty’s Commissioners in accordance with 
the provisions of the Joint Commission Agreement, and I request that 
you will proceed to Washington as soon as you can conveniently do so, 
in order to draw up the Report indicated in the second paragraph of 
the Agreement. 
The information which has been obtained by your American col- 
leagues and yourselves during your recent visit to Behring’s Sea will 
supply you with material for the preparation of your Report. 
There are, however, a few points to which Her Majesty’s Govern- 
ment consider it desirable that your special attention should be directed. 
You will observe that it is intended that the Report of the Joint 
Commissioners shall embrace recommendations as to all measures that 
should be adopted for the preservation of seal life. For this purpose, 
it will be necessary to consider what Regulations may seem advisable, 
whether within the jurisdictional limits of the United States and Can- 
ada, or outside those limits. The Regulations which the Commissioners 
may recommend for adoption within the respective jurisdictions of the 
_two countries will, of course, be matter for the consideration of the 
respective Governments, while the Regulations affecting waters out- 
side the territorial limits will have to be considered under clause 6 of 
the Arbitration Agreement in the event of a decision being given by 
the Arbitrators against the claim of exclusive jurisdiction put forward 
on behalf of the United States. 
The Report is to be presented in the first instance to the two Goy- 
ernments for their consideration, and is subsequently to be laid by those 
Governments before the Arbitrators to assist them in determining 
the more restricted question as to what, if any, Regulations are essen- 
tial for the protection of the fur-bearing seals outside the territorial 
jurisdiction of the two countries. 
In the event of any points arising on which the Commissioners are 
unable to arrive at an understanding, they should report jointly or 
severally to each Government on such points. 
* No. 194. 
