Office of the Historian

No. 582.
Mr. Lothrop to Mr. Bayard.

Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, March 7, 1887. (Received March 22.)
No. 100.]

Sir: Referring to my recent dispatches Nos. 95 and 96, concerning the seizure and confiscation of the schooners Eliza and Henrietta, I am now able to report that the minister of foreign affairs, in answer to my inquiries, informs me explicitly that the “illicit commerce” imputed to the Henrietta was commerce in violation of the order or disposition administrative” set forth in my aforesaid dispatches.

He further states that the commission that condemned the schooners was, in each case, made up of officers belonging to the capturing vessel.

He has also sent to me a translation into English of said “disposition administrative,” a copy of which I inclose herewith. It will be noticed that it appears in the form of the notice which was given by the Russian consul at Yokohama, November 15, 1881.

I remain, etc.,

George V. N. Lothrop.
[Inclosure in No. 100.]

Notice of order relative to commerce on Russian Pacific Coast.

At the request of the local authorities of Behring and other islands, the undersigned hereby notifies that the Russian Imperial Government publishes, for general knowledge, the following:

I. Without a special permit or license from the governor-general of Eastern Siberia foreign vessels are not allowed to carry on trading, hunting, fishing, etc., on the Russian coast or islands in the Okhotsk and Behring Seas, or on the northeastern coast of Asia, or within their sea-boundary line.

II. For such permits or licenses foreign vessels should apply to Vladivostoek exclusively.

III. In the port of Petropavlovsk, though being the only port of entry in Kamschatka, such permits or licenses shall not be issued.

IV. No permits or licenses whatever shall be issued for hunting, fishing, or trading at or on the Commodore and Roblen Islands.

V. Foreign vessels found trading, fishing, hunting, etc., in Russian waters without a license or permit from the governor-general, and also those possessing a license or permit who may infringe the existing by-laws on hunting, shall be confiscated, both vessels and cargoes, for the benefit of the Government. This enactment shall be enforced henceforth commencing with A. D. 1882.

VI. The enforcement of the above will be intrusted to Russian men-of-war, and also to Russian merchant vessels, which, for that purpose, will carry military detachments and be provided with proper instructions.

Peljkast,
H. I. R. M. Consul.

Yokohama, November 15, 1881.