Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-01
WILLEnFoRoE rHK LAW.

Secretary Carlisle Takes Hold of the
Chinese Question with Considera-
BILE Spirit.
WASHINGTON, July 31.-Secretary Car
Isle has taken in the Chinese situation at
New York In the following letter, which
on Saturday he sent to Collector Hem
bricks:
'Sir-I have to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the 9th inst. and reply
instructions of the 18th inst, In which
you were directed to discontinue the prac-
tics of suthenticating by your signature or
that of your deputies, under the official
seal Of the custom house. certificates of
the Chinese consul at New York Issued to
Chinese other than laborers about to leave
the country and intending to return again
thereto. - Your letter is an argument in
support of the opinion you express that
the department should reconsider Its in
struotions of the 18th inst. and permit
United States officers to authenticate such
certificates as heretofore.
After quoting court and department de-
cisions on the point the secretary says:
"Your assumption that the responsibility
for the execution of the laws relating to
the exclusion of Chinese rests alone upon
the collector Is unwarranted. Upon that
officer is devolved the duty of examining
and deciding upon the testimony presented
by Chinese persons claiming the right to
enter the United States, but in all cases of
doubt it Is his duty, as 1t is the usual prac-
tice of collectors of customs, to submit the
CAGE to the secretary of the treasury for his
decision, with whom lies the ultimate re-
sponsibility for the enforcement of these
laws, End whoee lawful instructions In the
premises should be obeyed by collectors
without question.
"The department cannot concur in your
view that the unauthorized practice, dis
continued by its order of the 18th inst, of
authenticsting the certificates of the Chin
csc consul at New York by the signature
and seal of the collector, should be resumed.
"Evidencs is before the department in
one case where a Chinese person repre-
sented himself to be q member of firm of
Chinese merchants in New York, which
certificate was duly authenticated by the
seal of the custom house and the signature
of one of your deputies, when, in point of
fact the Chinese person who presented
himself at the custom house was another
and entirely different person from the one
named in the certificate.
"This man applied for admission at one
of the frontier custom houses upon the
certificate mentioned, which, according to
your theory, would be conclusive evidence
of his right to enter. inssmuch as the pho
togrsph was that of the person who pre-
sented himself, but 1t was not that of the
person named in the certificate, who was a
real parsonage formerly residing in New
York, and who was still in China.
"Thst many cases of this kind have oc-
Cured is beyond question, and the depart
ment sees no good reason for the continu
ance of practice by your Office which In
instances like that mentioned only serves
as an aid to those engaged in violating the
law.
eft is an ascertained fact that many
hundreds of Chinese 1sborers have come
into the country within the past year under
the guise of merchants, students, actors or
other persons of the exempt class, aided in
most cases by customs officers, who were
either corrupt or Indifferent to their duty
in the premises. It is my duty as 1t Is my
purpose to employ all means under my
control to enforce the law in good faith,
and to that end shall expect the cordial
CO operation of all officers of tho customs.
Respectfully yours,
81. G.. CARLISLE, Secretary"