Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-08

Its Supervision il Transferred to Mr.. Spauld
ing at Mr.. Nettleton's Request

Its Supervision il Transferred to Mr.. Spauld-
ing at MIR. Nettleton's Request
The supervision Of immigration affairs has
been transferred from Assistant Secretary Net
Teton to Assistant Secretary Spaulding. The
change was made at the request of Mr.. Nettle-
ton and may be only temporary. Before re-
hnquishing that duty Mr.. Nettleton wrote the
following explanatory letter to Commissioner
Weber at New York:
son the 10th ultimo addressed you letter
which seemed to imply criticism of your Of
hcial course In landing certain classes OF I'M
migrants upon receiving the assurance of per-
sons or societies that they should not
become a public charge. That letter cor
rectly stated the attitude Of this department
on the main question referred to, which is that
whenever an immigrant is found upon inspec-
ton to be likely to become apublic charge
he will not be landed because of any written
or oral assurance of any person or
| society except upon distinct written authorize
ton of the Secretary Of the Treasury. But
your subsequent oral explanations have con-
WINGED me that we did not place the same con-
| struction on certain language Of your former
letter which furnished the basis of mine.
In your communication, after referring to
certain destitute alien immigrants who had
| been landed by the authority Of the superin-
tendent of immigration at Washington upon
the guaranty of certain parties that they should
not become public charge, you used this lam
guage:
.'These aliens in question would be considered
in the category of persons likely to become a
| public charge"
From this language and from the fact that
these cases had been held mp and referred to
| the department at all fully understood that
they had been duly inspected, found to be
persons likely to become q public charge,
and yet had been finally landed contrary to
law, upon the assurance Of some charitable So
ciety that they should not in fact become .
burden upon the public. This understanding
of mine was not modified by your next sem
tence to wit 1.-THE deter mination OF this hkeli-
hood depends upon the circumstances sur
rounding the case in point"
You now explain that the misleading refer
ence OF these cases to the department was an
error committed during your temporary abb
sence. You further explain that the language
first above quoted from your letter meant
simply that those particular immigrants, be-
ing otherwise eligible, were persons whose
status on final inspection would properly be
considered in connection with tho provision Of
law excluding persons likely to become pub
lie charge. You further inform me that at the
date of your action and of your letter you were
not aware Of the department circular fixing
the authority of the superintendent Of immi-
grafton.
In the light Of this explanation there was. Of
course, nothing in your Official action calling
for criticism and / cheerfully made the cor
rection. My letter TO you was based upon the
statement contained in the first quotation from
your language herein given and upon the At
tendant circumstances.
Apprecisting the difficulty and delicacy Of
the important trust you have to discharge and
desiring to aid you In every proper way, an,