The Marquis of Salisbury to Mr. Edwardes.
[Left at the Department of State by Mr. Edwardes.]
Sir: At the time when the seizures of British ships hunting seals in Behring’s Sea during the years 1886 and 1887 were the subjects of discussion the minister of the United States made certain overtures to Her Majesty’s Government with respect to the institution of a close time for the seal fishery, for the purpose of preventing the extirpation of the species in that part of the world. Without in any way admitting that considerations of this order could justify the seizure of vessels which were transgressing no rule of international law, Her Majesty’s Government were very ready to agree that the subject was one deserving of the gravest attention on the part of all the Governments interested in those waters.
The Russian Government was disposed to join in the proposed negotiations, but they were suspended for a time in consequence of objections raised by the Dominion of Canada and of doubts thrown on the physical data on which any restrictive legislation must have been based.
Her Majesty’s Government are fully sensible of the importance of this question, and of the great value which will attach to an international agreement in respect to it, and Her Majesty’s representative will be furnished with the requisite instructions in case the Secretary of State should be willing to enter upon the discussion.
You will read this dispatch and my dispatch No. 205, of this date, to the Secretary of State, and, if he should desire it, you are authorized to give him copies of them.
I am, etc.,