Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-21
MEAN OF JOHN BULL
His Plan Of Getting Rid of Old
Pensioners.
SHIPS THEN TO THE UNITED STATES

After Committing Their Pensions for a
Limp Sum Which Leaves Thern ONLY
Temporarily Sclf-Supporting-A Game
that VIII BE BIocked-The Democratic
Nat onnl Committee in Session-HoI-
man Tells Why the Printing Reform
Bill Was ed-AIisceIIaneous Can
ital News.
WASHINGTON, Jan: 2O.-OffciaI CORE
spondence between the treasury depart
ment and the department of state. closing
with letter on the 18th inst. from the
acting secretary of the treasury, has
brought TO public notice a new phase in
the administration of the laws regulating
immigration. Two immigrants from Great
Britain, Charles Gibbons and John O'Brien.
were detained at the immigrant station,
New York harbor, until il could be ascer-
tanned whether they were assisted immi-
grants and likely to become a public
charge. Both were formerly soldiers in the
British army, and are now borne on the
pension rolls OF the British war Office
OBrien was returned to Liverpool
Important Fact Brought Out.
The British minister at Washington in
terposed in behalf of Charles Gibbons, and
has been the subject of considerable cor
respondence between the British minister
and Secretary Blaine. While finally CON
senting to permit Gibbons to land. the
acting secretary of the treasury. in letter
to the secretary of state, calls attention to
the fact that it appears to be the estab-
lished practice of the British war office.
particularly in the case of invalid and dis
abled pensioners to commute their pen
sions and pay them q lump sum on condi-
tion and understanding that they are i'm
medIately TO emigrate to and thereafter
reside in some other country. usually the
United States
\ Stimulus to Emigration.
This lump sum is not paid to the com
muter in Great Britain. but Is forwarded
to the British consul at New York or other
port of arrival and paid to him on his ar
rival on this side after his landing, and
when ii Is presumably certain that the i'm
migrant will no longer be a burden upon
the revenues of Great Britain. the una
voidable inference being that this privilege
of Communication, whether so intended hy
the British government or not. serves as
an lnducement and stimulus to the needy
pensioner to cmiCrate from the British
dominiOns.
Only Temporarily SeIf-Supporting.
Attention is further called to the fact
that before these pensioners are permitted
to commute their pensions they are re-
quired to sign a document waivinC all
claim on the pension rolls or the charitable
institutions of the British empire: also
that the sum resulting from such commu-
tation of the pension is seldom sufficient to
preserve the immigrant from becoming a
public charge for any considerable length
of tirh be, while such immigrants are usually.
through age or disability, unable to earn a
livelihood.
The Gibbons Case no Precedent.
The acting secretary closes his letter bv
saying: The result is this country i ask
ed to receive and maintain class Of alien
immigrants, who however mcritorious
may have been their military service 10 a
foreign nation, and however exemplary
may have been their personal char
acter yet are unable to bc self
sustaining and are in effect. If
not technically, assisted immigrants
within the prohibitions Of the statutes
/ shall thank you to call the attention of
her majesty's minister to this aspect Of the
Gibbons case, and to impress upon him
that while. at his request. the Gibbons
family have been permitted to land, this
action must not be considered "A precedent
in future cases Of substantially similar ma
turF