The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-04-15


tion OF tho Law Governing the Admis-
sion OF Immigrants, Thus Relieving the
steamship Companies From RESPONSE
bility Imposed.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-The immigra-
tion law passed by the fifty=second con-
gress, March 3, to take effect May g.
has been the subject of inquiry by the
senate, initiated by Mr. Chandler, un-
til recently chairman of the immigra.
tion committee, who contended that
the section of the law requiring sep
arately verified manifests was not being
complied with. The resolution pro-
duced the following correspondence:
Commissioner Weber, from New
York, wrote to the secretary of the
treasury, under the date of March 90,
in reply to a query for his suggestions
from the department.: "The oaths of
the commanding officer and surgeon
have attached at the end of the whole
number of lists. This might not seem
to be in accordance with the letter of
the law, but as we have had cases which
would involve the making of forty to
seventy of these lists for one steamer,
it would become rather serious burden
upon the ships officers as we'll as the
consul to complete them during the
hurried moments preceding the ships
departure. The responsibility of the
officers does not seem to me to be les
sened by the single affidavit at the end,
and if it is deemed by the department
to be within the requirements, would
recommend that you so rule"
March "a Assistant Secretary Spald-
ing wrote DR.. CLAWS, of this city, rep
resenting steamship interests, as fol-
lows: "The manifest is to be the
width of sample sheet and of length to
permit of entry of thirty names with
out crowding. Lists of whole number
immigrants taken on board of the YES
sci may be securely fastened together
at the top and in this case only one
oath OF master OR surgeon need be at
tached."s
The copy sent the senate includes u
reply by Senator Chandler, as follows:
Your answer to my letter that the
1nterrogatories to be made to the emil
grants are not to be placed on the same
sheets with lists of manifests, but are
to accompany them on separate papers,
leads me to say that further considera-
tion of the subject convinces me that
the additional requirements devised
and adopted by the department of it's
own motion, and not in accordance
with any law, are in danger of i'm
rairing rather than aiding the opera
lions of the law, and ought not to
be put in force at this time.
The responsibility of the
United States begins only after the
voyage and at the port of arrival upon
the reception of the immigrant and his
list. The above being the limited idea
and method of the act, the treasury de-
partment, instead of carrying it out lit
orally and unaccompanied by any other
idea and method and allowing the
practicability and usefulness of the act
to be brought to test uni1cum bered
and unembarassed by additional ma
chinery, has seen fit to supplement the
method of the act by very material ad-
ditions of it's own to the statute.
These regulations are quoted.
II cannot help feeling" adds Mr..
Chandler, that this will work against
the main purport, which is to put the
responsibility upon the steamship COM
panies at the time and place of embark
alton of the emigrants, and that the
companies will use it to relieve them
selves from responsibility.
believe that the attempt
OF the treasury department by regula,
tion to add to and improve upon >the
law of congress is mistake likely tc
result in the establishments of method
OF working the law materially differ
ent from that which the law it.
self contemplates The law is not te
be tried and tested by itself alone, but
by It's own provisions plus an import
ant amendment inserted by the secre
tary OF the treasury. respectfully ad
wise the department to cancel article
Is of its circular of March II, 1893, ant
try the experiment of enforcing tn,
law exactly as congress provided it
If the steamship companies wish tt
take the answers of the emigrants le
them do this on their own responsibility
and not on that of the United States.
Continuing, Mr.. Chandler says. re
| ferring to the manifests:
'"The law requires that the certifi
Gates of the master and surgeon O
steamships shall be placed upon eacl
of the lists and manifests. Any rul
which contemplates allowing one Ger
tificate to cover in any form of words
more than one list or manifest will b.
in direct disobedience of the we'll
worded and clearly explained intention
and direction of the statute. The law
requires that no list shall contain
more than thirty names in order to hav,
the lists separate from each other TO
the purpose of examination there to b.
made. TO allow the steamship compa
nies to fasten them together and make
one certificate for all the lists instead
of one certificate for each list would
defeat the whole purpose of the frs
four sections of the law, as we'll as dis
obey its express injunction"
The matter has been referred to tn,
| Conounitfao nv, i'm +;ou