Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-14
A SHARP REPLY.
Secretary Fosters Letter to Senator Chan
dler and Representative stump.

Secretary Fosters Letter to Senator Chan
dler and Representative stump.
Senator Chandler and Representative Stump,
who are conducting the Ellis Island investiga-
ton on the part Of the Senate and House immi-
grafton committees, received q very sharp reply
from Secretary Foster to the letter written by
them to the Secretary on the Odd concerning
the construction of buildings at Ellis Island.
Mr.. Foster says: 81 have received and read
your communication Of April % relating mainly
to the opinion of the Attorney General, in which
he affirms the legal authority of the Treasury
Department to use a portion Of the head money
for the construction and equipment of an immi-
grant landing station on Ellis Island.
''While both the substance and spirit Of your
letter are occasion for profound surprise, rea-
sonable regard for those proprieties which usu-
ally characterize correspondence on public
questions between officials representing differ
ent branches of the government will protect me
against any temptation to adopt a similar tone
and thereby to double the occasion for as
constituent and regret.
'.Your letter appears to express disapproval Of
an official act of that officer in giving to me his
construction Of a statute that am called upon
to administer; and vet you do not seem to dis
agree with the Attorney General in his con-
illusions, as / gather from the sentence this
committee have never expressed the opinion
that the expenditures from the head money
were absolutely illegal Doubtless the Attorney
General would have been gratified if your
expression Of approval had been more definite
and you had seen fit to use some other word
qualifying Illegal than that used by you.
Upon reflection, perhaps, you will conclude
that the phrase absolutely illegal is some
what nebulous. 1t conveys to the mind of the
ordinary reader the same impression that he re-
ceives upon reading of 'tolerably good egg.'
III wholly and positively are synonyms for
absolutely then doubtless the Attorney Cen
eral will be pleased to know that you agree with
him SO far as to say that the expenditures re-
ferred to were only little Illegal and that
at the worst only uncertainty illegal This
will be doubtless as gratifying to him as the
knowledge of that new canon OF Interpretation
Of statutes that you favor me with, namely,
that the meaning of a statute is to be ascer-
tanned by facts many of them occurring after
its enactment.
''With reference to the inquiry as to whether
communicated to the Attorney General the
seven groups of facts recapitulatsd by YOU
have the honor to say that did not.
referring to your desire to have the whole
series of facts communicated to the Attorney
General with the request that he will state
whether or not they modify his legal opinion,
l submit is o matter Of personal curiosity, with
which have no concern whatever. Doubtless
the Attorney General will make appropriate re-
ply without the Intervention or solicitation of
''You further say: we also desire his opinion
and your own (mine) not only as to the techni-
cal meaning of the clause in the act Of March
8. 1891, but &c. You will no doubt excuse me
if modestly decline to give You such opinion.
1 am not lawyer and hence it would seem to
be indicate for me to intrude my opinion Of
the technical meaning, &C., of the statute re-
ferred to.
''You ask my opiuion ALSO in larger sense
whether the actions Of the Treasury Department
from first to last in connection with the Ellis
Island improvement has shown a wise and COM
petent administration of public affairs, which
opinion we shall take pleasure in submitting to
the committee It must be known to
you that very much of what has been
done in connection with the Ellis Island i'm
provement was insugurated prior to my be-
coming Secretary Of the Treasury; that all that
has been done since has been done under the
immediate supervision Of the supervising archi-
tect and an efficient and trusted officer of the
Treasury Department. Assistant Secretary Net
Teton. 1 am not familiar with all Of the details
of the various improvements made on Ellis
Island, and in connection with the adj
ministration Of the immigration business
and procuring facilities for doing this
business, and / cannot state whether
from first to last each and every detail would
have been approved by me; but can state, as
you well know, that in larger sense am as
Secretary Of the Treasury, responsible for what
has been done; that in the main believe it to
have been well and wisely done and that this
work will remain as an evidence Of the wisdom
and humanity of this government long after the
criticism that has assailed it has passed from
the public miad."