THE FISHERIES DISPUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8596, 11 September 1889, Page 3

THE FISHERIES DISPUTE.

Further trouble between America and Canada has arisen through the seizure by an American revenue cruiser of some Canadian sealing vesiels in Behring's Sea. From the account given by the Alaska Commercial Company it appears that 25 British sealing vessels assembled off Ounga Island with a steam tender, to which were transferredneariy 4000 skins, taken mostly in the Pacific Ocean, but some within a marine league of the coast. The skins were transferred to the tender so that the schooners might ba able to pass the American Customs inspection. The revenue cutter Rush appeared on the scene, and her commander, Captain Shepherd, declared that he would seize the vessels which had broken the law. The British schooners declared that they wonld return to Victoria, but instead of doing so, they went direct to Behring's Sea. The Rush followed, overtaking the Black Diamond 70 milts from land. The schocntr was ordered to heave-to, and, npon refusal, the Rush ran out her guns. Captain Shepherd then boarded the Black Diamond, and asked for the ship's papers. The officer refused to give them up, whereupon Captain Shepherd broke into the cabin, forced the hinges off the captain's chest, and secured the papers. A search disclosed that the skins had been procured in Behring's Sea. Captain Shepherd ordered the Black Diamond to proceed to Sitka under a non-com-missioned officer, and await orders. The captain of the Black Diamond has stated in Victoria that he had been instructed not to surrender to the Rush, and would not have done so but for her superior force. Captain Shepherd also boarded another British sealer, the Triumph, but released her, one account says because the skins h&d been lawfully taken, and another because the skins were overlooked, being hidden under salt. When last seen the Rush was in close pursuit of other sealers, some of which were sufficiently armed to make considerable resistance. The Canadians are greatly excited over this seizure. The press are speakjDg very strongly on the subject. The New

York pfess, too, witfi 6he' exception,- botadomfl the action 6f the Government ,pn the.grpund th&i Imerioa- has no claim to' exclusive jurisdiction over Behring'fl Be*. The Tribune defends the seizures, alleging that tho law exists, and tho President is' bound to execute it. It V trtatecl that the ctiee of the Triumph will possibly prate even more important than that of the BlacK Diamond, as involving the queatiun of the ngnt o-f search on high seas where nothing's found to Justify Jfc, , , „ .. According Iff tho Standard the Alaska Com mercial Company are at the bottom of all these disputes. Tho company are not content wttn a lucrative monopoly of the Prybilor fslunfls, but Lave extended their operations so as to embrace the wfiofo shore of Alanka. The company are indiguant at any attempt to intorfere with their monopoly, for which they pw a y°arlv rental of £12,000, in addition to 8s for erery skin shipped, though on the other hand they arc said to earn £70,000 annually from the iilapda of St. Paul's mid St. George alone. Iho United States are chiming a 300-mile limit in Behring's Se« ( while they insist on a three-mile limit iv Nova ScotiS \ conifc queutly (says the Standard) they have the sympathy of only a very small section of the American people.