210 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



When the limit of 6,000 skins for the entire season of 1891, on St. 

 Paul was posted June 10, 1891, just 810 skins had been taken, and by 

 June 18, 1891, at the close of the killing on the reef that day, 6,622 

 skins had been taken, or an excess then of 622 skins for the whole 

 season. 



The killing, however, in spite of this peremptory order of the 

 President prohibiting it after 6,000 seals had been taken, was con- 

 tinued in open defiance of that order by the lessees up to August 10, 

 1891, when they had secured 3,856 skins above the lawful limit on 

 St. Paul and 961 skins above their lawful limit on St. George 

 Island. Then they resumed this unlawful excess killing on November 

 2, 1891, and continued it to December 5, 1891, taking 800 skins in 

 addition to the exceess above stated. 



This record of that unlawful killing and criminal trespass declares 

 that these lessees, in collusion with the Government agents in charge, 

 W. H. Williams and Joseph Stanley-Brown, took 4,817 prime seal- 

 skins during the season of 1891 in open flagrant violation of the law 

 and their instructions. 



The motive for that particular criminal trespass was to profit by the 

 sale of those excess skins at $60 per skin, or $289,020, which was a net 

 guilty profit realized by said lessees. 



The British commissioners, when they landed July 29, 1891, on 

 St. Pauls Island and found the lessees busy killing seals in violation 

 of the proclamation of President Harrison and the agreement of 

 June 14 with the Government of Great Britain, put a stop to it, and 

 refused to be satisfied with the false denial of it by Charles Foster's 

 men, Brown and Williams. They dispatched a note to Lord Salis- 

 bury covering the same, which was speedily made public, and caused 

 infinite humiliation to the American case hi the controversy. 



These British commissioners at first determined to return in 1892 

 and get the proof of the fact that this killing was done in violation 

 of the law. This hint so disturbed the official tools of the lessees in 

 the Treasury Department that the following "directions" were given 

 to Chief Special Agent Williams by Charles Foster. The object of 

 writing these "directions" was to enable Williams to do all he could 

 to prevent any light being thrown on the real order of killing as it 

 was done. (See entry as below, on p. 455 of the official journal, 

 Government agent's office, St. Paul Island, under date of " May 27, 

 1892 r) 



United States Treasury Department, 



Washington, I). C, May 2, 1892. 

 Maj. W. H. Williams, 



United Slates Treasury Agent. 



Sir: Your attention is called to the unfortunate representations made to Lord 

 Salisbury last year by the British commissioners. 



Their statements concerning the alleged violation of the modus vivendi in the 

 matter of seal killing Mere based upon their misinterpretation of the terms of the 

 modus and their misunderstanding of the facts. Especial effort should be made, 

 therefore, to present with exceeding clearness any facts that you may deem necessary 

 or proper to communicate to any British official visiting either island. All affidavits 

 taken by such agents from the natives or other persons on the islands must be taken 

 in the presence of a Government ofhVer, and the foreign agents must conform to such 

 rules of conduct concerning the rookeries as are required of citizens of the United 

 States. 



Charles Foster, Secretary. 



