Mr. Wharton to Mr. Kloss.

Sir: Referring to Mr. de Claparrède’s note of the 17th of May last, relative to the case of certain Swiss citizens who were not allowed to land at the port of New York upon the ground, as Mr. de Claparède states, that they were immigrants under contract, I now have the honor to transmit to you herewith, for your information, a copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, from which it appears that the immigrants [Page 703] in question were not rejected as immigrants under contract, but for other reasons as explained in the letter.

Calling attention to the statement in the Treasury letter to the effect that hereafter the Swiss consul at New York will be informed when objections are made to the landing of Swiss immigrants at that port,

I beg, etc.,

William F. Wharton.
[Inclosure.]

Mr. Batcheller to Mr. Blaine.

Sir: Or the 29th of May last, in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of May 27, inclosing a copy of a note from the Swiss legation, dated May 17, requesting information in regard to the deportation in April last of certain Swiss immigrants, etc., you were informed that the commissioners of emigration at New York had been called upon for the desired information, and that further advices would be promptly sent to you upon receiving their answer.

I now have the honor to say that their answer has just been received, and that the information which they give in regard to said immigrants is as follows, viz:

“That those immigrants did not come here in violation of the provisions of the labor contract law, but were rejected for the following reasons:

“Albert Bornhauser, Jacob Fricker, and Jacob Grieder, alien immigrants, who arrived April 7, 1889, on steam-ship La Gascogne, from Havre, were on April 9 adjudged by the Castle Garden committee of the board of commissioners of immigration to be persons unable to take care of themselves without becoming a public charge, and by the decision of the collector of the port, made under date of April 11, 1889, the said immigrants were not permitted to land.

“The cases of the other immigrants, referred to by the Swiss legation, were as follows:

“Catharine Bucher, a native of Switzerland, aged forty years, who arrived April 7, 1889, on steam-ship La Gascogne, and who had been convicted of crime in Switzerland and had served a term of imprisonment. She was adjudged by the commissioners of immigration to be a convict, and unable to take care of herself without becoming a public charge, and by the decision of the collector of the port, made on April 11, 1889, she was not permitted to land.

“Victor Fluri and his two children, natives of Switzerland, arrived April 7, 1889, on steam-ship La Gascogne. He had abandoned his wife in Switzerland, had but 55 francs in money, and on April 9, 1889, this immigrant and his children were adjudged by the commissioners of immigration to be persons unable to take care of themselves without becoming a public charge. Under the decision of the collector of the port, dated April 11, 1889, Victor Fluri and his children were prohibited from landing.

“The board of commissioners of immigration have, as suggested by the Swiss legation, given instructions that hereafter the Swiss consul at New York be informed of all cases of Swiss immigrants prohibited from landing at this port.”

Respectfully, etc.,

Geo. S. Batcheller,
Acting Secretary.