The morning call., 1894-05-04
WAITED UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
The Last Applicant Came From
Distant Siskiyou.
O'DoNNELL ENTERS A PROTEST.
No Money Has Been Appropriated
to Pay for the Deportation
of the Unregistered.

At II o'clock last night the Chinese
Registration Bureau closed. the books
were carried to the office Of the Collector
of Internal Revenue and the clerks went
home wondering when and where they
would find employment again.
The last applicant for certificate was
Kong how On of Happy Creek, Siskiyou
County, who entered the almost deserted
office at 11:1O o'clock and asked to be
registered. Shortly after his departure
the half-slumberIng clerks were aroused
by the explosion of the one lamp allowed
them by a generous Government The
flames spread to a mass of paper. and
might have wrought irretrievable mischief
had not the young men flung their over
alls upon the fire and quenched it. Candles
were brought, and in the dim light shed
by them the young men waited until the
mystic hour.
The Collector estimates that Il, 900 certi-
ficates have bee issued in this district, Of
which about 23O0O nave been received by
residents of this city. According to the
census there are 81. 221 Chinese In the
district, so that there are about 1000 un-
registered. but MANY of these are mer-
chants, who are not required by the law to
provide themselves with certii Gates
DR.. C. c. O'Dennell called at the office
early yesterday afternoon and 2ade Wig
0rGus protest against the manner in which
applications were received and handled.
He protested because the certificates had
not been numbered. He protested be
cause, he says. certificates were hawked
about Chinatown, when they should
have been kept until called for
ut the Office. He said that many Chinese
merchants had been compelled TO pay So
for their certificates in violation of the law
which provides that any Chinese person.
other than a Chinese laborer, having n
right to be and remain in the United
States desiring certificate as evidence Of
such right may apply for and receive the
same without charge.
The Collector has filed about 1000 ap-
plicatiOns for certificates. which he pro-
poses 10 send to the claimants as soon as
his deputies have time TO prepare them.
DR.. O'Dnnnell says tnat the Collector has
no right TO issue these certificates nov. as
the law provides that all certificates shall
be issued before the 4'h of May. He will
petition sthe United States court to-day
for An order restraining the Collector from
issuing certificates 10 the 1000 whose ap-
plicationS are fled
Now that most of the Chinese have
registered the question is asked, what
shall be done with those who have not?
The law provides that they shall
be arrested and depOrted. They
may be arrested by any United
States custom official, collector of internal
revanue or his deputies, United States
Marshal or his deputies. but no funds are
availa bic for this purpose and Collector
Welburn frankly confesses that he does
not know just what to do in the premises.
He has telegraphed 10 Washington for in
struciioDs.
Among those who have been registered
in this city are some who are inmates Of
hospitals. One who is said to be leper
appeared yesterday afternoon, and his
countrymen took pains to keep out of his
way.