New-York tribune., 1867-08-02
THE QUARANTINE TROUBLES.

DIFFICULTY NOT ADJUSTED - THE PACIFIC
MAIL STEAMSHIP HENRY CHAUNCEf'
On Tuesday of last week we gave our readers
exclusive report Of the details OF controversy De
tween the Custom House authorities and the Quarantine
Ofcias Notwithstanding there has been considerable
sorrespondence between the various departments the
rupture still exists TO the serious inconvenience OF com
meree and to the travelling public who may chahee u o
passengers in vessel arriving from an ihiecteu POI"
Various causes been given as to the origin oi INC
difficulty one of which was supposed 10 nave
been personal collision between the Health Oteer ana
the Collector Of the Port growing S9b & Vr i'm
letter ~ Gov Fenton complained OF the F" "e con
duet and Illegal pretenses OF inc healua OeJi, men
chants Of this city praying oI tne % NJ Of
their vessels i'm Quarantine The Collectors communica-
Ton wasreferred by the Governor to Dr swlnDnrher r I
explanation IN reference 10 the alleged charges @ 1e
Health officer, in lengthy communication gave ms & aep
sion Of the difficulty in which he quoted various f the
passed by the Legislature dehnlng tne 1es 1tor W with
Quarantine officials. He also charged the C0lectoI Win
Sye duties and prerogatives Of the office Of the Gaan
iine establishment" The remarks of the Health Oileer
20 the communication Of Collector smyth;
STATE OF NEw-YORK
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, ALBANY, Sept II, 1867
DEAR SIR: have the honor TO acknowledge the re,
oeipt of your communication OF the SIN INST aecoeu
by the petition of several merchants of the city or New
York complaining of the manner IN which the duties Gi
the Quarantine OF e Se'i hn N in sending
communication did SO in the belief that ~ De
Of the Quarantine Department the discharge of their
responsible and complicated duties ana ~ nave WITH
their action The result OF this examination IS Ihht o
not find that Executive Department of the stare s
any whatever to supervise or lneIietS VII" unat6
action of the Commissioners OF Quarantine OF c Hvttos
The Department of Quarantine is an entirely de lnue
pendent department d y be are % responsbe
for their faithful discharge IL they fan 70 uSchalge
them or improperly their authority, there is
doubtless some reniedy but it clearly is not with the
Executive to apply it. 1t is matter OF regret tnat any
differences should exist between the Department o1
Quarantine and the Revenue officers of the United states
IN respect to the detention 81 TesSe & on nS sr rec
win harmonic all matters OF disagreement can
vessels have been detained at Quarantine longer than
their consgnees owners thought necessary ~ Is uu9
the vigilance of the Quarantine Department to preserve
T. rather than to any desire 10 use S P3%Sr P
sTy rsSPSGfny SsSfaT SS9T of the Port r Of Sew
II IS maintained by the Custom House authorities that
tempting to violate the Revenue laws inasmuch as ne
attempted to land the passengers aud 9aggage & p IT
steamer Fab kee, which had been dethSo III thS Lomei
Bay she having arrived from an infected port in eonse
qnenee OF which she was seizeu 10y DIiaS itr
Webster at the Barge Oihee DOCK ana Ietae1, aetr %
which she released and her passengers with ter
the Seizure Mr. Henry Johnson counsel To the Board
of Commissioners of Quarantine, forwarded eGmmuhi
cation TO the Secretary of the Treasury in which ne
stated that the Board had just been informed tha an
subordinates that no baggage should hereafter be n
spected in Quarantine or landed from any vessel wme
under quarantine He referred to the mIropriety OF the
order which would change apractce which mad existed
for years and which had proved entirely acceptable
TO the public and which had never been productive OF
Setrinent to the public revenue. The communication
closed with request that the secretary might issue suen
instructions to the Collector as would hereafter secure
speedy release Of baggage from vessels under guar
antine soon the Health Officer shall deem 1t free
The communication was referred by the Secretary of
seference TO the alleged order His answer was accom-
panied by report from Surveyor Wakeman IN which 1t
was fallacy. and that nothing but harmony and the
spirit Of accommodation were at between
Rbo Eada and fuuctOuaripS
ferred to-" From information obtained 1t appears that
order issued but it TO have been msunder
Mr. e. d. Webster very efficient officer, formerly
peeted with the state Department at Washington was
Iae,v appointed Deputy Surveyor he having the super
vision Of the Inspection Of passengers and their baggage
and the making Of seizures for violations OF the Revenue
iaws Since his appointment TO the office he has inst
tuted many reforms in the matter OF Inspections and mas
officers OF respectful
treatment Of Inspectors. He insisted that the law re-
sSoua he strictly enforced and with the approval 81 Sur
yeyor wakeman gave the following instructions to the
"oicers are not sent on board vessels detained in
Quarantine until after the Health officer reports that
they in sanitary condition receive officer And
can be unoaded from any vessel from foreign
y ept under the supervision OF a sworn ofhcer OF
L states Revenue Service, and then ouly upon
pa Ianted by the Collector" =
on heard vessel yes until after receiving the Health Officers
ss S ay Sy Of Sans sar me- Is @Ss TS a ey
they are Obliged to overhaul baggage which may DO
taken down with symptoms Of yellow fever While
engaged examiuing vessel from infected port
The following correspondence reference to the pres
ent difficulties viii he found interesting:
No. @5 PlKE-SI, HEw-Y YORK, July IL, 1857
TO TIE Hon HUGH MCCULLoCH, Secretary Of me Treasury
ers of Quarantine their counsel. from you such
S SS 3 and Fi55 Ss m S
from vessels aud steaDeT5 temporarily detained Under
Quarantine The prevalence of yellow fever the West
Indies other Southern ports du6g the present Season
has rendered rigid quarantine Of vessels in this port
necessary the protection of the public health But the
Board have endeavOred administer the Quarantine
laws to little delay possible in the landing
adopted the practice OF permitting the landing OF well
passengers and their personal baggage from vessels from
sicly ports very after arrival without compelling
them to wait until the vessel and were properly
funigated and cleaned Heretofore the Collector
inspectors .fOr Quarantine service to facilitate
me landing OF passengers Dy tnS eTannat1n P, ION
Board has just been informed that an order has been
issued by the Collector OF his sbordnates that
no baggage shall hereafter be inspected in Quarantine or
landed from Any vessel while under Quarantine 10 Is s
peruOus suggest, that If this order Il to continue In
force it will result in great hardship and Inconvenience
10 passengers and will give rise 10 much WeiglOuhded
complaint As a sanitary measuret often becomes
that she may be properly fumgated ana cleansed De-
fore proceeding to the Wharyes OF tne Gy ~ Is 2nt M
TO being landed without their baggage and 1t rarely hap
pens tat vessei - ~ ~, a. tb ~ t CnI
to be sustained viii necessarily follow that
will either be eomped TO land from vessels
and proceed city without their baggage remaining
perhaps for days without IT, else remain on board OF
the vessels in which they arrive until they have passed
their full period Of Quarantine thereby, in many in:
stances increasing the danger OF pesienee on board and
the spread OF infection when they reach the shore.
1t has been suggested TO that the action Of the officer
granting the order IN question had It's origin IN the same
motives which produced difference between the Colec
and the Health officer last year, and which you
called upon 70 adjust IN other words that the order
the Health oeer cannot do the Collector the injustice
70 believe that such suggestion is weounded, and
therefore assume that he has been msed into making
the order by mistaken idea OF its necessity