The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-01
SECRETARY CAGE
And His Correspondence
With How Duck
Treasury Department Declines TO Pay for
ManteT arce # Guaranteed
Chinese.

The following correspond be
tween the Treasury Department at
Washington and How Duck. on behalf
of certain Chinese here. is self-explana-
tory:
Honolulu, II. l.. July S. 1899
Hon. Lyman J. Gage, Secretary of
the Treasury, Washington. ID. C.-Sir:
| wish 10 call your attention to the
hardship which has been inflicted on
myself and my cO-passengers by the
steamship Coptic, which arrived in
Honolulu on January %. 1899.
We left Hongkong on January ),
1899, each having in possession a legal
permit from the Hawaiian Govern
ment TO return 10 the Hawaiin Islands.
Relying on the validity of these per-
mits, we had purchased our passages
and came floating over the sea in per-
feet confidence that they would be hon
ored and we permitted to return to our
homes in Hawaii. To our surprise, we
were informed at Honolulu by the
United States Inspector of Chinese
Immi grafton that we could not land,
not being of the exempt" class. AL
though the quarantine grounds were
full OF Chinese who had been also re-
fused landing and who were awaiting
decision from Washington on their
appeal from the decision of the Col
lector denying right TO land, we were
| not informed that We had the right of
appeal.
On February %, 1899, on the return
| trip of the Coptic, We were told to get
our baggage together and were shipped
| back TO China.
hn
| mits were forwarded to us by our
| friends and We were Informed that We
| would now be permitted to land.
Naturally, this second paying of pas
| sage money and the concomitant eX-
penses in Hongkong was expensive
| and in my case amounted to the sum
| of $40 in Mexican money, or about $40
United States currency, not mention
ing the loss OF my time and the hard
ship endured.
| do not know the amount of expense
of my cO-passengers who have all
since returned to Honolulu
We are poor and the burden is all
the heavier.
| understand that the Department
has betrayed the expenses of mainte-
nance of all who were detained, from
the appropriation for expenses of an
neXation of the Hawaiian Islands. |
consider that my expenses and that of
my cO-pasSengers could as justly be
paid from the same appropriation. The
Department should at least remunerate
us for our extra expense in landing in
Hawaii, where we had a legal right to
land on permits issued prior to annex
alton by an Independent Government.
The names of my co-passengers and
numbers and dates of their Hawaiian
permits are as follows, viz:
No. rs. Lau Yait, May 6. 1898, ex-
tended August Is, 1888.
No. 1888, Tam Ching and wife (Chew
SEE Fook) and infant, November 26,
1895.
No. 2O49, Hoon Wah, September Z,
1897.
No. 2o52, ouain Sing, September 9,
1897
No. 1852, All kee, January 30, 1898,
No. 227O, How Duck, February %,
1898.
No 234O, All Sam, May 3, 1898
No. 5577, Lau New Tim Ga bond per-
miD.
Trusting this appeal will meet the
response it's business deserves and that
you will order that we be reimbursed
our unavoidable ton our parD eX-
penes, I remain most respectfully
yours, HOW DUCK.
Treasury Department, Office of the
Secretary, Washington, d. c.,
July p. 1899
Mr.. How Duck, Honolulu, H. I.-Sir:
The Department has received your let
ter of the Sth inst, stating that your
self and ten other Chinese persons
were denied admission to the Hawaii
an Islands in February last, upon the
presentation by you of legal permits
from the Hawaiian Government, en-
titling you to return to these Islands,
and that you have since been admitted
thereto upon such permits, and asking
that the expenses incurred by you by
reason of the action of the Hawaiian
authorities in refusing you such ad-
mission, amount TO S140 Mexican, or
$40 United States currency, be allowed
and paid to you from the appropriation
from which the expense of maintaining
the Chinese who were detained at the
quarantine at Honolulu was paid.
+ You are informed that the apprOpria-
ton referred to is not available for
your relief in the premises, and that
for similar reasons the Department de-
clined to pay for the maintenance OF
the Chinese so detained at Honolulu.
Respectfully yours,
0. S. SPAULDING,
Assistant Secretary.
Committed for Trial.