Mr. Bayard to Mr.
Gresham.
Embassy of
the United States,
London, April 6, 1894.
(Received April 16.)
Sir: Referring to my dispatch of the 4th instant, I
have now the honor to acknowledge your telegram of the 5th (which was
delivered to-day), relating to the legislative enforcement of the Bering Sea
award.
In connection with the subject, I inclose the copy of the note I received
from Lord Kimberley on the night of the 4th instant and of my reply on the
day following.
The indications now are that the measure will be acted on on Monday next, and
probably with no further opposition, although they are awaiting “points”
expecting to be made by the Canadian government, whose efforts in the matter
would not seem to be dictated by any strong desire to carry out the
obligations under which the arbitration came into being.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Lord Kimberley to
Mr. Bayard.
Foreign
Office, April 4,
1894.
Dear Mr. Bayard: I find from an interchange of
telegrams with Sir Julian Pauncefote that he misled me as to the
amendments in the United States bill for carrying out the Bering Sea
award, to which I referred at my interview with you on the 2d
instant.
[Page 167]
I inclose for your information the United States bill as I understand it
now to stand passed, and I also send you a copy of our bill as to-day
amended.
You will see that in section 2, paragraph (1), one of the “mays” to which
you objected has been taken out and a “shall” has been substituted with
other words, and an amendment has been inserted in section 3, paragraph
(3).
Believe, me, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Bayard to Lord
Kimberley.
Embassy
of the United States,
London, April 5,
1894.
Dear Lord Kimberley: Let me thank you for your
note of last night, and the copies of the British measure, and that of
the United States, to put in operative force the regulations determined
and established by the Paris Tribunal of Arbitration.
I have just been informed by my Government of the passage by the Senate,
on the day before yesterday, of a bill for the plenary enforcement of
these regulations, and that the bill will, by the concurrence of the
House of Representatives, become a law before this week expires.
From such examination as I have been enabled to bestow, since your
kindness permitted me to compare the provisions of the proposed measures
of the respective Governments, I am disposed to believe that these two
measures will, when carried out in that good faith which has animated
both the high contracting parties in this important transaction, secure
full and faithful compliance with the award of the Tribunal of
Arbitration.
Of course time is now the essence of the transaction, as the sealing
season has already opened and the proposed close season is but three
weeks off, so that every opportunity for friction or misapprehension
should be carefully guarded against.
Let us hope the legislative action of the two Governments will proceed
pari passu, and with that promptitude and absence of delay which should
accompany the abitrament to its close.
Believe me, etc.,
