The morning call., 1893-04-14
WANT TO KNOW
Congressman Call on
Cleveland.
MATTERS OF MOMENT.
Mcguire and Caminetti on a Spe-
CiaI Mission.
GET LITTLE SATISFACTION.
Grover Will Enforce the Law, but Will
Do as He Pleases About Ap-
pointments.
MATTERS OF MOMENT.
GET LITTLE SATISFACTION.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

WASHINGTON, April 13-Messrs. Mcguire
and Caminetti called on President Cleve-
land yesterday and discussed several topics
of interest to Caifornians, but they were
Inclined 10 be secretve about their inter-
view until tonight, when they gave 10 the
correspondents the following statement:
Representatives Caminelti and Mcguire
of California had an interview with Presi-
dent Cleveland yesterday concerning the
Caminetti mining law, the Geary Chinese
act and the question of the expiration of the
terms of Federal officers in California.
The President was urged to take i'm
mediate action in the matter of selecting
commissioners and providing for the en-
forcement OF the Caminetti mining law. and
promised to give the matter his earnest
attention.
In the matter Of the registration of Chi
nese residents the President was urged to
restore the provision in the rules governing
registration for the taking and the attach
ing of the photograph of each Chinese per-
son registered as an absolutely indispensa-
bic means of future Identification in the
enfor cement of the law. The President
stated that he would be unable to comply
with the request, because In the Geary bill.
as originally introduced, provision was
made for the taking and attaching Of the
photograph of each Chinese person regis
tered, and that provision was, ex induslria,
stricken out by Congress. The act
as it stands not only does not
provide for the taking or attaching of such
photographs. but Congress, by striking il
out Of the bill, seems to have disapprOved
of it. The President further said that he
would be obliged to construe the act as
passed in connection with the Chinese
treaty, which accords to the Chinese resi-
dent in this country the same privileges and
immunlties that are accorded TO citizens of
tie most favored nations. and as citizens of
no other nation are required TO have their
photographs taken aud attached to cerlif-
Gates Of registration, the executive depart
ment of the Government would seem TO
have no right to compel Chinese subjects to
comply with such a rule in the absence of
positive legislation conflicting with that por-
tion Of the treaty.
The President further said that he would
enforce the law TO the letter, as he under
stands II, and that he had been urged by
representatives. of Eastern sentiment, which
is strongly opposed TO the measure, to Initi-
gate the drastic features of the bill, but that
he had Informed them that the bill was
passed to promote and protect the interests
of the country. and that the Chief Executive
was bound to enforce it, according 10 its
spirit as we'll as its letter; that while he
would fully respect the treaty rights of the
Chinese, limited by the act in question. he
would as fully enforce compliance with the
act.
With respect to the expiration of the
terms Of Federal officers in California, the
aFr4st rnoIa lr-F ha o. H.
MI Harrison's aDpointees should not be
permitted 10 serve for more than four years
from the time Of their appointment, although
the commissions of some of them were not
from the date of appointment, but FROM the
time of the confirmation by the Senate,
nearly year later.
The President stated that the terms Of
office should have commenced from the time
OF appointment, and that the confirmation
and commission Of each officer should have
dated back to that time, but that he was
net yet prepared 10 remove these officers
before the expiration OF their terms as fixed
In their commissions. He promised, how
ever, to give the matter his careful consid-
GRAFTON.
Mcguire stated to the President that
charges against Collector Phelps Of San
Francisco Of willful violation Of the civil
service law, supported by afidavts show
ing such violation, had been forwarded to
him, and that he had not presented the
charges or affidavits because it was under
stood that Phelps term Of Office would ex.
pire on May 20 of this year, but that he
would consider it his duty to bring them to
the attention OF the Government il Mr..
Phelps is to continue in Office until 1894.
The Congressmen then called upon Pro-
fessor T. c. Mendenhall. Superintendent of
the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and asked
him for statement concerning the ap-
pointments recently made for surveys in
Alaska, calling his attention to an editorial
recently published In San Francisco stating
that eghty-one appointments had been
made for those surveys and all of them
from Eastern States, entirely ignoring Cali |
fornia. Professor Mendenhall stated that |
the statement as published was Incorrect |
The total number of men sent to Alaska. |
other than officers and men belonging to the |
United States navy. was forty-seven, and of I
these over thirty were employed from the |
Pacific Coast and mostly from San Fran |
cisco. Fourteen of The remainder are regu-
larly attached 10 the Coast Geodelic Survey. |
"Only one more," said The professor. |
could possibly have been appointed from |
the Pacific Coast This place was offered |
to young man in San Francisco, but was |
refused"
Professor Mendenhall was requested. In
making future app pointments for any Pacific |
Coast surveys, to ascertain IL there were
any young men connected with the Univer- |
atty Of California or other institutions of
learning there who would be suitable for
employment and to whom it would be salts
factory. and he promised to do so.
The Congressmen called Professor Men
denhalPs attention 10 the report that there
were dangerous sunken rocks lying between
the Golden Gate and the FaraIlon Islands,
10 which the Chamber Of Commerce of San
Francisco had already called the attention
of the delegation, ana the professor stated
tina. prompt action would be taken in that
matter and that Lieutenant Gilbert ef the
Coast and Geodetic Su rvey would make a
survey during the coming season for the
purpose of loclting these rocks.
The Congressman further urged that In
his next report, to be submitted to Con-
gress. he should as fully as possible present
facts showing the necessity of resuryey of
the harbor Of San Francisco, as the chart
now In use is more than forty years old and
is extremely defective and unreliable, and
that IS per cent of the master mariners of
San Francisco regard the chart as practl-
cally worthless. Professor MendenhalI
promised to give the matter Of new survey
of the harbor full consideration and the
gentlemen left him.
TROPICAL FOR ROACH.