made on the ground that the Government of the United States desired to place the maintenance of good faith in treaties, and the security and value of arbitration between nations, above all question in its relations with the British Government as with all other governments. Under this motive the Government of the United States had, he said, decided to separate the question of withholding payment from that of its obligation to pay. The Government of the United States could not accept the result of the Halifax commission as furnishing any just measure of the value of the participation by its citizens in the inshore fisheries of the British provinces, and it protested against the actual payment of the award being considered as in any sense an acquiescence in such measure or as warranting any inference to that effect.' 1 For. Rel. 1878, 334. 5627- -48 CHAPTER XVII. FUR SEAL ARBITRATION. By an imperial ukase, or edict, of July 8, The Russian-Amer1799, Paul I. of Russia granted to the Russianican Company. American Company its first charter. By this instrument it was recited that the Emperor, in view of the "benefits and advantages" resulting to his Empire from the "hunting and trading" carried on by Russian subjects "in the northeastern seas and along the coasts of America," had taken the company, which was "organized for the above-named purpose of carrying on hunting and trading," under his immediate and "highest" protection. To this end he was to allow the commanders of his land and sea forces to employ them, if occasion should require, for the purpose of aiding the company in its enterprises, while for the further relief and assistance of the company he conceded to it the following rights and privileges: (1) To "have the use of all hunting-grounds and establishments now [then] existing on the northeastern [sic] coast of America, from the fifty-fifth degree [of north latitude] to Behring Strait, and also on the Aleutian, Kurile, and other islands situated in the Northeastern Ocean;” (2) "to make new discoveries not only north of the fifty-fifth degree of north latitude, but farther to the south, and to occupy the new lands discovered, as Russian possessions," if they were not previously occupied by or dependent upon nother nation; (3) "to use and profit by everything which as been or shall be discovered in those localities, on the surace and in the interior of the earth, without competition from -thers;" (4) to "establish settlements in future times, nd fortify them to insure the safety of the inhabitants, and to end ships to those shores with goods and hunters, without ny obstacle on the part of the government;" (5) "to extend eir navigation to all adjoining nations and hold business tercourse with all surrounding powers, ;" (6) to |