In the matter of the charge that persons of questionable character are
acting in collusion with certain registering clerks and demanding
payment of a fee of $7 for each certificate, I may add that the Treasury
Department has no information tending to warrant the belief that any of
its officers are engaged in such unlawful practices. The charges will,
however, be fully investigated, and should it be found that registering
officers have been guilty of any wrong doing in this relation, the
promise is made that they will be summarily dealt with and promptly
dismissed from the service.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Carlisle to
Mr. Gresham.
Treasury Department,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, April 13,
1894. (Received April 14.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your favor of the 11th instant, transmitting a copy of a
note from the Chinese minister in relation to the alleged
difficulties experienced in certain quarters
[Page 165]
by Chinese applicants for registration
certificates, and in response thereto I forward herewith a letter
from Hon. J. S. Miller, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, whose
Bureau has charge of this matter.
The Department is making extraordinary efforts to secure, within the
time fixed by the law, the registration of all Chinese laborers who
are entitled to registration, and I have no reason to believe that
any considerable number will fail to procure certificates on account
of the want of time.
In order to facilitate the registration of those who are unable to
appear personally before the collectors or deputy collectors of
internal revenue, the revised regulations, which were promulgated on
the 25th of November last, contained a provision which permitted
deputy collectors to receive applications and affidavits of
witnesses, sworn to at the applicant’s expense before a clerk of the
court, notary public, or other officer, with his seal attached,
qualified to administer oaths, accompanied by a certificate of the
officer who administered the oath, that the descriptive list in the
application is in all respects correct and complete, and that the
photographs submitted are correct likenesses of the applicant.
It is believed that there are very few, if any, Chinese laborers so
located that they can not, without inconvenience to themselves,
appear before one of these officers, make his application, and
furnish the evidence required by the law.
I inclose herewith copies of the statutes, revised regulations, and
forms of application and evidence required.
Very respectfully,
J. G. Carlisle,
Secretary.
[Subinclosure.]
Mr. Miller to
Mr. Carlisle.
Treasury Department,
Office of the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue,
Washington, April 12,
1894.
Sir: Referring to the letter of the Chinese
minister of the 11th instant, addressed to yon and by yon referred
to this office, in which it is stated that complaints have been
received from certain portions of this country that inadequate
accommodations are being furnished for the registering of Chinese
laborers, I beg to say, with reference to the complaints from El
Paso and San Antonio, Tex., to the effect that registering officers
at those points are refusing to accept Chinese testimony in behalf
of applicants, that on the 28th ultimo the attention of Collector
Kauffman was called to this matter, and on the 29th he advised this
office by telegraph as follows:
“Have wired deputy at El Paso to accept any creditable Chinaman of
good character as witness. Applications now at this office show that
he has accepted such witnesses heretofore.”
Complaints similar to the above have come from other sections of the
country, and in each instance collectors have been instructed to
accept creditable Chinamen as witnesses, no discrimination being
made on account of the color or nationality of a witness.
Only a simple compliance with the law, which requires a creditable
witness, has been exacted.
As to the charge that persons of questionable character are alleged
to be acting in collusion with certain registering clerks and
demanding a payment of $7 for each certificate, this office has no
information to warrant the belief that deputy collectors have had
any knowledge of, connived at, or been a party to any such unlawful
practices, nor has this office any information that unprincipled men
are placing obstacles in the way of registration unless they are
paid a fee for procuring the same. It is possible that persons
serving as witnesses for applicants have charged a fee for so
[Page 166]
doing, but if this has
been done at all it is a matter entirely between the applicant and
the witness, and this office has no information that any of its
subordinates have been parties to any such transaction.
The charges recounted in the letter of the minister will be
thoroughly investigated, and if it is found that registering
officers have been guilty of any wrongdoing in this connection they
will be summarily dealt with and promptly dismissed from the
service.
As to the complaint that there are about 70,000 Chinese in the State
of California, only 24,000 of whom have been registered, and that on
account of the limited registration much anxiety is felt, and it is
feared that the work can not be completed within the short time
remaining for the execution of the law, I beg to state that
telegraphic information received from the collectors in California
reports that at the close of business on the 6th instant the total
number of applications received in the first and fourth collection
districts was 43,344, in the district of Oregon, 8,000, and in the
district of Montana, 3,000, making an aggregate of 54,344. About
6,000 applications had been received in other districts throughout
the country up to the close of business on the 15th ultimo, which
makes an aggregate of about 60,000 applications.
Information received very recently from all collectors in whose
districts there are any considerable number of Chinamen is to the
effect that the work of registration is progressing satisfactorily,
and that it would be completed in the time prescribed by the law;
that is, all Chinamen entitled to registration will have applied for
certificates.
In some of the districts there will be a considerable number of
certificates still to be issued after the close of business of the
3d of May, but a sufficient force will be employed in each of the
districts where such a condition prevails to issue and furnish the
certificates to applicants within a brief time after that date.
In regard to the complaints made from certain points throughout the
country that there are no officers present to receive applications
for certificates, it is believed that in most of these cases, as at
Union City, Tenn., investigation will develop the fact that there
are but few Chinamen at these points, possibly not more than one or
two. There are many such places where it is entirely impracticable
to send a deputy collector to receive applications.
In all such cases it is the privilege of a Chinaman to go before the
clerk of a court, a notary public, or a justice of the peace, or any
municipal or State officer authorized to administer oaths. (See p. 7, series 7, No. 8, revised.)
This concession was made in the regulations for the purpose of
meeting emergencies of this kind, and it would seem but just and
reasonable that the applicant should be satisfied with this liberal
provision for his accommodation. But, in order to eliminate as far
as possible all cause for complaint upon this subject, the
collectors of the several districts embracing the points referred to
have been advised to extend accommodations to applicants by sending
deputies to those points named wherever their means will permit it,
and where this can not be done to call the attention of all who
complain to the privilege accorded them of registering before the
local officers, as above stated.
I am, very respectfully,
J. S. Miller,
Commissioner.
