New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-02
TO BE HELD TWENTY DAYS.
A QUARANTINE CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE
PRESIDENTS ORDER
VESSELS FROM INFECTED PORTS WITH IMM1-
GRANTS ABOARD MUST BE DETAINED-CAB1-
NET MEETING ON THE SITUATION.
iBY rELEGRArH TO THE rRrBUNHv

GRANTS ABOARD MUST BE DErAINED-CABI-
NET MEETING ON THE SITUATION.
IBY rELEoRArH TO THE rRrRUNHv
Washington Sept 1.-The Administration has
taken prompt and, it is to be hoped, effective
measures for the public safety gravely I'M
perilled by the arrival in the harbor Of New
York of a cholera-infected vessel. President Har
rison reached Washington this morning soon after
0 O'Clock. Within less than two hours after
his arrival he in consultation with his Secre-
tary of the Treasury and his Attorney General.
The result Of the conference is embodied in the
following circular issued this afternoon BY the
Treasury Department:
Treasury Department Ohce Of the Supervising Sur
geon-Gencral United States Marine Hospital Service
Washington, sept 1, 1891.
To Collectors Of Customs Medical Officers Of the
q Marine Hospital Service, Foreign Steamship COM
panes, state and Local Boards of Health;
It having been officially declared that cholera IS
prevailing In various portions Of Russia. Germany ana
France, and at certain ports in Great Britain ar
well as In Asia: and II having been made to appear
that immisr In large numbers coming into the
United States from the infected districts aforesaid
and that they and their personal effects are liable
10 introduce cholera into the United states, and that
vessels conveying them are thereby a direct menace
to the public health and 1t having been further SHOWN
that under the laws Of the several states quarantine
detentions nav be imposed upon these vessels
SUFFICIENT length Of time to insure against the INTRO
ducton OF contagious diseases 1t Is hereby ordered
that no vessel from any foreign port carrying imm
grants admitted to enter at any port of the
United States until said vessel shall have undergone
n quarantine detention of twenty days unless such
detention forbidden by the laws Of the state or the
regulations made thereunder), and Of such greater
number OF days as may be fixed In each special case
BY the State authorities.
This circular to take immediate effect, except In
of nj at dat
made the subject Of special consideration upon que
application TO the Department.
WALTER wYMAN,
Supervising Surgeon General United States Marine
Hospital Service.
CHARLES FOSTER,
Secretary OF the Treasury.
BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Tho energy ard promptness OF the Admins
tratiou in thus dealing with the threatened
danger are meeting with the warmest commenda-
tion on all sides In the face Of an impending
Epidemic which only the most stringent measures
can avert slpersensitive ScrupleS as to the lml-
tatfons Of the General Government to act or en-
force its DEGREES find no announcement. The
authorities here feel confident of the hearty CO.
operation of the different States. but they feel
also that the measures taken will fall far short
of being effective unless they are uniformly
applied, ana applied with equal rigor everywhere
and without reference temporary lncon-
yenience to individuals or the financial loss which
for the time being community may suffer oy
reason of their enforcement Nothing Is De-
ieved here to be more essential than the intel
ligent exercise Of some central control over 1he
quarantine system OF the country.
The incident of the Moravia furnishes striking
example of the happy -go-lucky fashion in which
the quarantine regulations are enforced even IN
what is considered one of the best regulated ports
an the Atlantic scaboard That this vessel
should not have been stopped in the outer harbor
and prevented from entering among the ships
detained from unlnfected but suspected ports
and that there should have been so much that
was dilatory characterizng the action OF the
health officers after shc had taken her unwar-
ranted place among these ships. is here regarded
as showing radical defect in system OF quarah-
tine which only twenty-four hours ago was
boastfully referred TO by New-York onicias as
perfect"
As TO the captain OF the Moravia, there is but
ma oninion EXPRESSED here. His action in bring
ing the infected ship to port OF this country
when he knew within less than day ai'er
leaving Hamburg that he was harbormg the
dreaded disea>e on board. is regarded here as All
outrage. not to say infamy, deserving OF severe
runishmcnt Unfortunately there seems no law
Gamble Of reaching this reckless and unscrupulous
agent. His conduct may, however. still be maze
q subject Of diplomatic remonstfance' bu' VI
this there is at present nothing known. ,,.,r
The conference at the White House Inis Hioin
ing was participated in by Secretary Foster ana
the Attorney General, besides Assistant SecrearS
Snaulding and Surgeon General Wyman, OF tIic
Marine Hospital service The. questions OF ior-
mallv declaring Federal control of all quarantine
stations and that Of sIspending immigration were were
fully discussed The former question was ueelae nd
in the negative at any rate. it was deemed a9-
yimble not to take the matter out OF Ile nal.uo @
NJ the States without authority from tonerhs,
eemecally as the dirercnt State authoritles arr arr
AZ present heartily cooperating with inc fcueia
Government AS TO the question OF suspekRu!thhs !h
Immigration, II was clearly the OPINION OF .ne
president sustained by that Of his advisers & ma.
II was not within his power TO order IL. @ iiia'
authority would have T. be derived from Con.
oress. and Congress could not be called to,etnel
nn6er thirty days notice, too late, cvoehuI' -,
meet the present emergency. Inc oplect oI ;d .n
Govcrnmcnt il was thought could be attalheu
In = different and almost as efficient way ~
iss,iipg the circular already printed ms, 10
rcther with an order Of TIE PostmaSter-ucnerra
nroyidpg for the fumigation OF the foreign 'nalls
covers the action taken to-day ny the fcdera
Authorities Further measures will no doubt DE
,;acided npon from time TO time, circumstances
and the situation may demand
POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT.