Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-08
NETTLBTON LEAVES
Secretary Foster Transfers the
 Immigration Business.
R. sPAULD1NG IN CHARGE.
The Change Made at MT. NettletOn's 7. Request.

He Will be Gone from Washington Two
 Weeks, and 1t is Understood That H.
 Will Enter Private Business at the End
 of That Time-BefOre Leaving He Ad-
 dressed a Letter to Immigration Com
 missioner Weber.
 WASHINGTON, April S-Assistant Secre- tary of the Treasury Nettleton has left Washington, to be absent two or three weeks. It is understood that Mir. Kettle ton, at the expiration of that time, will enter into private business, step which he has postponed for the past month because of the pending Cong1 essional investigation into Ellis Island.
 At the request of Mir. Nettleton, Secre- tary Foster transferred the emigration business of the Treasury Department, heretofore under his charge, to Assistant Secretary Spaulding
 Prior to leaving, Assistant Secretary Nettleton addressed the following letter to Colonel Weber, superintendent of inn migration at New York:
 t"Dear Sir-On the 18th ultimO 1 ad- dressed you 8 letter which seemed to imply criticism of your official course ill landing certain classes of immigrants
 
 or societies that they should not become public charge. That letter correctly stated the attitude of this department on the main question referred to, which is that whenever an immigrant is found upon inspection to be likely to become a public charge, he will not be landed be- cause of any written or oral assurance of any person or society. except upon distinct written authorization of the Secretary of the Treasury. But your subsequent oral explanations have con vinced me that we did not place the same construction on certain language of your former letter, which furnished the basis of mine.
 'In your communication, after refer ring to certain destitute alien immi- grants who had been landed by the au- thority of the Superintendent of Immi- grafton at Washington, upon the guar a1ty of certain parties that they would not become a public charge, you used this language: These aliens in question would be considered in the catagory of persons likely to become public charge
 From this language, and from the fact that these cases had been held up and referred to the Department at all, I fully understood that they had been duly inspected, found to be persons likely to ES been finally landed contrary to law, upon the assurance of some charitable society that they should not in fact become a burden upon the public. This under standing of mine was not modified by your next sentence, to wit; The deter imitation of this likelihood depends upon the circumstances surrounding the case in point.
 ''You now explain that the misleading reference of these cases to the Depart ment was an error committed during your temporary absence. You further explain that the language first above quoted from your letter meant simply that these particular immigrants, being otherwise eligible, were persons whose status on gnal inspectiun would be prop, erly considered in connection with the provision of law, excluding persons likely to become 8 public 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 tue Super;ater- dent of Immigration.
 'EIn the light Of this explanation there was, of course, nothing in your official action calling for criticism, and cheer fully make the correction. My letter to you was based upon the statement con- tained in the first quotation from your language herein given, and upon the attendant circumstances"