Office of the Historian

Mr. Bax-Ironside to Mr. Olney.

British Embassy,
Newport, R. I., September 30, 1895.

Sir: With reference to Mr. Adee’s note No. 157, of the 19th of July, last, requesting to be supplied, for the use of the Secretary of the Treasury, with a list of the sealing vessels of the British Columbian sealing fleet to which were given special licenses during the years 1894 and 1895, I now have the honor to forward herewith copy of an approved minute of the privy council for Canada supplying the information asked for.

I have, etc.,

H. O. Bax-Ironside
,
For
Sir Julian Pauncefote
.
[Inclosure.]

Extract from a report of the committee of the honorable the privy council, approved by his excellency on the 21st September, 1895.

On a report dated 10th September, 1895, from the minister of marine and fisheries, submitting with reference to the minute of council approved under date 27th August, 1895, respecting a request of the United States Government to be furnished with a list of the vessels of the British sailing fleet to which were given special licenses during the years 1894 and 1895, in which minute it was stated that, while certain of the information had already been forwarded to Her Majesty’s Government, he, the minister, had caused instructions to be issued for the collection of the information required, which would be forwarded immediately on its receipt for communication to Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington, that he is in receipt of a statement containing the information asked for, which is hereto appended.

The minister observes that the statement reveals that during the year 1894 47 British sealing vessels (Canadian) received special licenses for the prosecution of their vocation, while in 1895 the total number of vessels returned as receiving licenses is 64, and upon an examination of the list of 1894, he, the minister, further observes that while but 47 sealing vessels are shown to have received licenses, 15 being issued at the home port and 32 by Her Majesty’s consuls in Japan, the total number of Canadian vessels returned as engaged in the sealing industry that year is placed at 59.

It will thus appear that the following vessels, although contained in the official list as being engaged in the industry during 1894, with their catches, do not appear on the list of licensed vessels: Casco, Dora Siewerd, W. P. Hall, Viva, Wanderer, Pioneer, Shelby, Venture, Walter L. Rich, Mountain Chief, Fisher Maid, C. D. Rand.

The minister believes that in order to obviate any significance being given to this incident, it may not be out of place to explain that as the year 1894 was the first season in which the award regulations were applicable, and as the machinery to enforce their application for that year was completed only after the fleet had sailed, and were distributed over the whole of the North Pacific Ocean from America to Asia, it was practically impossible that each and every of the vessels could be reached with absolute certainty.

The minister further states that, appreciating this fact, Her Majesty’s Government agreed and directed that all vessels which had cleared prior to the promulgation of the legislation should be regarded as licensed for that year. Nevertheless, strenuous efforts were made by your excellency’s Government to fulfill the obligations of Her Majesty’s Government under the award and the legislation to give effect thereto, and it is gratifying to the minister to be in a position to state that, with the prompt assistance rendered by Her Majesty’s Government, through her representatives in [Page 675] Japan, even in the face of such apparently unsurmountable difficulties, your excellency’s Government were able to reach practically the entire sailing fleet, with the exception of the 12 vessels above named.

The minister believes, in this connection, that it is worthy of special mention that of the 47 vessels to which it was possible to deliver licenses, 32 were reached in a foreign country thousands of miles from their port of clearance. It is, perhaps, needless to point out that the conditions of 1895, in this respect, were entirely different from those of the previous year. Hence, all vessels which cleared for participation in the sealing industry were this year provided with the requisite licenses on their clearance from the home port.

The committee advise that your excellency be moved to forward a certified copy of this minute, together with its appendix, to the right honorable the principal secretary of state for the colonies and to his excellency Her Majesty’s ambassador at Washington.

All which is respectfully submitted for your excellency’s approval.

John J. McGee,
Cleric of the Privy Council.

special sealing licenses, 1894.

[Issued by the collector of customs, Victoria, British Columbia.]

Vessel. Tonnage. Master.
Saucy Lass 38 Robert Crowell.
Beatrice 49 Danl. G. Macauley.
Triumph 98 Clarence Cox.
Sapphire 108 William Cox.
Favourite 8 Lachlan McLean.
Annie C. Moore 113 Charles Hackett.
Katherine 81 Isaac Gould.
Ainoko 75 George Heater.
Borealis 37 George Meyer.
Minnie 46 Victor Jacobson.
Henrietta 31 John Daly.
Labrador 25 John J. Whiteley.
Kilmeny 18 James Jamieson.
Kate 58 George Schore.
San José 32 Michael Foley.

[Issued by Her Majesty’s consuls, Yokohama and Japan ports.]

Vessel. Tonnage. Master.
Rosie Olsen 39 A. B. Whidden.
Enterprise 69 Oscar Scarf.
Umbrina 99 C. Campbell.
Arietis 86 Abel Douglass.
Walter A. Earle 68 L. Magnesen.
Fawn 59 Michael Keefe.
Oscar and Hattie 81 A. Folger.
Diana 50 A. Nelson.
Brenda 100 Colin E. Locke.
Agnes McDonald 107 M. F. Cutler.
Mermaid 73 W. H. Whiteley.
City of San Diego 46 Mark Pike.
Mary Taylor 43 E. Bobbins.
Libbie 93 F. Hackett.
May Belle 58 E. Shields.
Mary Ellen 63 W. O. Hughes.
W. P. Sayward 60 G. Ferey.
Penelope 70 L. McGrath.
Vera 60 W. Shields.
Carlotta G. Cox 76 W. Byers.
Otto 86 J. McLeod.
E. B. Marvin 96 C. J. Harris.
Annie E. Paint 82 A. Bissett.
Geneva 92 Wm. O’Leary.
Teressa 63 F. Gilbert.
Ocean Belle 83 T. O’Leary.
Sadie Turpel 56 C. Le Blanc.
Maud S 97 R E. McKeil.
Aurora 41 H. J. Lund.
Florence M. Smith 99 J. Allen.
Mascot 40 H. F. Siewerd.
Beatrice, of Vancouver 49 C. G. Doring.
[Page 676]

special sealing licenses, 1895.

[Issued by the collector of customs, Victoria, British Columbia.]

Vessel. Tonnage. Master.
Rosie Olsen 39 Augustus B. Whidden.
Mascot 40 Ernest Lorenz.
Geneva 92 William O’Leary.
Viva 92 Mark Pike.
City of San Diego 46 Samuel Pike.
Ocean Belle 83 Patrick Martin.
Borealis 37 Edgar F. Bobbins.
Diana 50 Andrew Nelson.
Mermaid 73 William H. Whiteley.
Annie E. Paint 82 Alfred Bissett.
Casco 63 Charles Le Blanc.
Agnes McDonald 107 Melville F. Cutler.
Carlotta G. Cox 76 Charles J. Harris.
E. B. Marvin 96 William D. Byers.
Saucy Lass 38 Danl. Martin.
Pioneer 66 Wentworth E. Baker
Mary Ellen 63 George R. Ferey.
Umbrina 99 Charles Campbell.
Brenda 100 Colin Locke.
Mary Tay 43 Robert O. Lavender.
C. D. Rand 51 John J. Whiteley.
Vera 60 William Shields.
Dora Siewerd 93 Henry F. Siewerd.
Beatrice 49 Daniel G. Macauley.
Sadie Turpel 56 J. W. Anderson.
Maud S 97 Robert E. McKeil.
Katharine 81 Isaac Gould.
Oscar and Hattie 82 Theo. Magnesen.
Triumph 98 Clarence N. Cox.
Sapphire 108 William Cox.
Annie C. Moore 113 Charles Hackett.
Libbie 92 Frederick Hackett.
Otto 86 John McLeod.
May Belle 58 Edward Shields.
Arietis 86 Oscar Scarf.
Ainoko 75 George Heater.
Fisher Maid 21 Charles Chipps
Amateur 18 Charles Jipson.
San José 32 Michael Foley.
Fawn 59 Michael Keefe.
Victoria 63 Reuben Balcam.
Walter L. Rich 76 Spratt Balcam.
Kate 58 Otto Bucholz.
Aurora 41 Thomas Harold.
Teresa 63 George Meyer.
Pachwellis 19 Jimmie Nye-tam.
Labrador 25 Joseph Williams.
Favourite 80 Lachlan McLean.
Mountain Chief 23 James Nawassum.
Kilmeny 18 Richard Southby.
Enterprise 69 John Daley.
Shelby 18 Christian Claussen.
Florence M. Smith 99 Luke McGrath.
Walter A. Earle 68 Louis Magnesen.
Sultan 5 Richard Cains.
Annie 10 Charles Spring.
South Bend 21 Charles F. Dillon.
Director 87 Frederick F. Gilbert.
Henrietta 31 Wm. D. McDougall.
R. J. Morse 23 R. Southby.
Penelope 69 William Heater.
Wanderer 25 Henry Paxton.
Minnie 46 Victor Jackobson.
Beatrice, of Vancouver 48 Louis Olsen.