The Portland daily press., 1891-04-21
Mr.. FOSTER WILL PUT up THE BARS
He HASN'T Changed His ElInd Re-
gardIng the Bonding Privileges.
The Eloquent Or. Depew Seems to
Have Been on Both SIdes.
Closing the Door to the Immigrant
Doesn't Keep Him Out.
Boston. April 2o.-A Washington des-

BOSTON, April 2o-A Washington des-
patch to the Journal says:
As to the withdrawal of the privilege of con-
sular sealing on cars in Canada, Secretary Foster
said that, notwithstanding current reports, he
nad no intention OF rec0nsidering the decision
which Is already reached. The privilege will be
Withdrawn In about months lime. This d .lay
is due to the fact tina considerable time is re-
quired to prepare the regulations which will be
necessary to enable the United States customs
of1cers at the border to carry out the new system
AS for the statement that Chauncey M. Depew, of
the New York Central railroad, win use his great
influence 10 prevent the issuance of this order,
Secretary foster said that he had not seen Mr.
Depew, and could not understand why he should
have made the statement which he is reported to
have made as to the enforcement of this new re-
gulation. Mr.. Foster, moreover, remarked that
the new order could have very little effect on any
road that intends to deal honestly with the
government. If Mr.. Depew has made any state
terests of the Canadian Pacific 1t Is very possible
that 1t will not have the same influence here that
Department and at the White House that the
New York Central railroad has really been the
lnstigator OF the movement which has resulted in
the determination by the. Treasury Department
70 70 enter upon this new policy with respect to the
canadian roads. The movement in
spIrsd By @'' the "eV New way York sey Central raj
Railroad. That company maintained a counsel i'd
washington during last winter at very consider
aDle expense, who was supposed to have a good
oeal OF political influence, and his avowed object
was TO secure legislation which was designed to
narass the Canadian railroads and particularly to
accomplish the very results, so far as the bonded
privileges were concerned, which will be accom-
plished when the order of Secretary Foster shall
go into effect There is this difference however
between the attitude which was then taken by
the New York Central Railroad and that which
was occupied by Secretary Foster. Mr.. Foster
Department to in any way harass the Canadian
roads, or to make any determinations against
rsn nes il the Or interests n tSs ast Of the ds A%c1o IN
interfere with traffic from the Dominion.
On the contrary, his only purpose is to abolish
the discrimination which exists now in the inter-
est OF the Canadian roads and against the inter-
ests OF the American roads. But underlying it all
as the controlling principle is the desire on the
part OF the Treasury Department to protect the
revenues of the United States government. These
revenues have been impaired, he has reasons to
grown up under this consular sealing privilege.
In the matter of immigration, Secretary Foster
declares himself as determined to enforce the
new law in the strictest manner possible. His at
tentlon was called to the fact that recently the
steamer oregon is declared to have left Liverpool
a aaax and f@d anded nea1v a tae M
dome to eTsde the m@gatOn na6 SW Sas
head, the intention being to smuggle the Oregon's
immigrants over the line by rail. Mr.. Foster ex
pressed the opinion that this was new way of
eyading the laws, and he said: 1--WE must try to
find some way to checkmate these steamship
companies. We have authority to appoint any
number nuO OF inspectors and to police the whole
done II this sort OF smuggling is continued. The
department will probably investigate the matter"
The Secretary of the Treasury, G is true, has au-
th0rlty to appoint Inspectors, possibly without
limit but the fund for that purpose is not without
limit. Moreover, 1t would be very difficult, as the
consular officers have already begun to report to
me Secretary OF State to police the whole border
The practice OF sending immigrants through Can
ada Is not, however. as Secretary Foster has sug-
gested, new one. Those who are familiar with
the immigrant business say that immigrants can
purchase tickets for New York in Liverpool by
the way OF Halifax or Montreal for the same price
that they can obtain them direct to New York,
and that the steamship and railroad companies
be done. What that arrangement is cannot be
known, but possibly is within the power of the
Secretary Of The Treasury under the new immi-
grafton law, or certainly of the Interstate Com
mere merce Commission under its general powers, to
nnd out. An Immigrant at Liverpool only
needs to step on the Allan Line
steamers at st. Georges dock, instead of the New
York steamers which are tied up at the same
dock, in order to be landed at Halifax,
where he is not subjected to any ex-
ical condition. Indeed. the understanding here
is that all the examination which Canadian immi-
grants are subjected to is as to whether or not
they have any goods in possession which are du-
table under the Canadian tariff. Possibly, also,
there may be an inspection with regard to health
for sanitary reasons. But the immigrants are not
discouraged; on the contrary under certain con-
oitlons, immigrants who give assurances that they
are to remain in the Dominion are said to have
recently received bounty. But the immigrants
do not seem disposed to remain in the Dominion.
They hasten to The United States. And If the
new administration of the immigration act shall
be too severe, undoubtedly 1t will soon be found
that the immigration will fall OFF at New York and
will increase at Halifax. The inspectors now
stationed along the Canadian border are entirely
Inadequate to give effect to the new law.