Lord Gough to Mr. Rockhill.
Newport, R. I., August 7, 1896.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that Sir Julian Pauncefote forwarded to Her Majesty’s secretary of state for foreign affairs a copy of Mr. Olney’s note, No. 434, of the 2d ultimo, as well as a copy of its inclosure dated June 30, in which certain arrangements were suggested by the Acting Secretary of the Treasury supplementary to those already adopted in regard to the firearms of vessels entering Bering Sea during the present season.
A detailed reply will be sent in due course to Mr. Hamlin’s above-mentioned proposals, but meantime, in accordance with the request of the United States Secretary of State that he should be informed as speedily as possible of the views of Her Majesty’s Government upon this subject, I have been instructed to inform you that Her Majesty’s Government regret that they can not enter into the supplementary arrangements in regard to sealers entering Bering Sea suggested by Mr. Hamlin.
Her Majesty’s Government trust the precautions already adopted and which were described in the note of Her Majesty’s ambassador dated June 19, will be sufficient to insure that no firearms will be used by the sealers in question.
I have, etc.,