EXHIBIT E E.
Asiatic Department, May 8, 1882.
Mr. Chargé d’ Affaires: In continuation of the exchange of communications which has taken place between us on the subject of a notification published by our consul at Yokohama relative to fishing, hunting, and commerce in the Russian waters of the Pacific, and in reply to the note which you have had the goodness to address me, dated March 15/27, I am now in a position to give you the following information:
A notification of the tenor of that annexed to your note of March 15 was in fact published by our consul at Yokohama, and our consul-general at San Francisco is also authorized to publish it.
This measure related only to prohibited industries and contraband trade; the restrictions which it makes known extend absolutely to the territorial waters of Russia. It was necessitated by the many abuses reported during these last years which fell heavily upon the population of our coasts and islands, whose sole means of existence is hunting and fishing; the abuses are equally prejudicial to the interests of the company to which the Imperial Government has conceded the monopoly of the exploitation of the Commodore and Seal islands.
Outside of the new regulation, the essential point of which is the obligation imposed upon captains of vessels who wish to fish and hunt in the Russian waters of the [Page 97] Pacific, to provide themselves at Vladivostok with permits or licenses from the Government of Eastern Siberia, the right of fishing, hunting, and trading by foreigners in our territorial waters is regulated by Articles 560, et sequitur, of Heading XIII, part 2, of the code of laws.
In informing you of the foregoing I have the honor, Mr. Chargé d’Affaires, to reiterate to you the assurance of my most distinguished consideration.
To Mr. W. Hoffman,
Chargé d’Affaires.