Office of the Historian

No. 271.
Mr. Hoffman to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, June 14, 1882. (Received July 3.)
No. 231.]

Sir: Referring to my No. 228, I have the honor to forward to you herewith a translation of a note and inclosure received yesterday from Mr. de Giers upon the subject of fishing and hunting in the Russian Pacific waters. As far as I am at present informed, the department has now before it the whole legislation of Russia upon the subject.

I am, sir, &c.,

WICKHAM HOFFMAN.
[Page 454]
[Inclosure in No. 231.—Translation.]

Mr. de Giers to Mr. Hoffman.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Asiatic Department,
June 1–13, 1882.

Sir: In consequence of the note which you addressed to me on the 13–25th May, relative to fishing and hunting in our Pacific waters, and in which you expressed the desire to have a translation of the articles of our code which govern the matter, I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a translation of articles 560, &c., of the code, vol. 12, part 2.

Receive, sir, &c.,

GIERS.
[Translation.]
  • Art. 560. The maritime waters, even when they wash the shores where there is a permanent population, cannot he the subject of private possession; they are open to the use of one and all.
  • Art. 561. No exception will be made to this general rule except under the form of special privileges, granted for the right of fishing in certain fixed localities, and during limited periods.
  • Art. 562. The above regulation regarding the right of fishing and analogous occupations on the seas extends equally to all lakes which do not belong to private properties.
  • Art. 565. No restriction shall be established as regards the apparatus (engines) employed for fishing and for analogous occupations in the high seas, and it shall be permitted to every one to use for this purpose such apparatus as he shall judge to be best according to the circumstances of the locality.
  • Art. 571. Ships in quarantine are not permitted to fish; the same prohibition extends in general to all persons in those localities where ships are lying undergoing quarantine.