The morning call., 1893-09-26
OLNEY OWNS UP.
He Nullified the Geary
Law.
MAKING NO BONES OF 1T.
Where the Administrator Stands
on the Question.
ORDERS ISSUED TO THE OFFICERS
Told Not to Make Arrests and Chinese
Ordered Deported Were to
Be Discharged.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25-Great interest
was centered in the session of the House
to-day. as it was known a communication
would be received stating the position of
the President and the administration on
the Chinese exclusion question.
The position occupied by the administra-
tion regarding the execution of the Geary
exclusion law was definitely settled by this
communica ton. The letter contains copies
of Instructions sent Collectors of customs
by the Treasury Department under date of
May 4. Tney are instructed to take no
steps looking TO the enforcement of the
deporta ton act until further notice. Under
the same date the Attorney-General in
structs the attorneys and marshals not to
pr ceed except on the order of the courts.
With regard to the Chinese who obtained
admission to the United States under false
representation the letter directs the officers
of the department to use every effort to
enforce the law by arrest and prosecution.
A copy of a telegram from Attorney
General Olney, dated September 16, was
read, instructiug the District Attorney at
San Francisco as follows: "In view of
the fact that no moneys exist for carrying
out the law to have such Chinese held that
are liable to deportation, they are to be
discharged from custody until such provi-
sion is made"
The Attorney General says that these
were all the instructions sent, but that in
reply to various letters of inquiry from
District Attorneys he has construed the
order of May as applicable only to sec
tion of the Geary act, and that the or
dered laws relating to the arrest and prose-
cution of Chinese labOrers who were un-
able to show that they were lawfully
admitted 10 be vigorously enforced. Hessys
that only $4,000 was available to carry
out the law. On September he ordered
deportation to be executed to the extent of
the available funds, and on September II,
in answer TO an inquiry from the United
S aies Marshal for Southern California, he
stated that where wrts of habeas corpus
haG been applied Tor Cinnamon could not
be deported pending appeal. The mum Der
of Chinese arrested and ordered depoEked,
the letter says, has not been furnished the
department by all United States Attorney
He has been informed, however, that sixty
eight Chinese were arrested in California
and twenty-one ordered deported between
September 9 and September 20.
Attorney General Olney in his state
ment does not cover all the correspond
ence on file. but faithfully represents the
action taken by the department.
The House then took up the printing
bill. the pending amendment being the one
offered by Meiklejohn of Nebraska, in
creasing the price for composition from 40
to 80 cents per thousand ems. II was lost,
and Meiklejohn offered an amendment
substituting the increase in the rate on
composition to 45 cents per thousand. This
was lost also.
Morse OF Massachusetts took advantage
of the latitude allowed to make an assault
on Commissioner Lochren's conduct of
the Pension Office. He charged the Com
missioner with suspendiDg without war
rant of law the pensions of soldiers. and
he accused the pension bureau of Issuing
pensions to applicants known to be dead
in order TO swell the list of pensions
granted with cost to the Government.
Cummings offered an amendment to
prohibit the Public Printer from selling
duplicate plates of public documents,
which was lost. and after some further
discussion the House adjourned.