informs him that it was only on the personal request and importunity of the authorities of Key West that he permitted the egress of the peninsular workmen. This act of kindness and courtesy has been answered by an order of arrest and expulsion, which is to take effect to-morrow. It seems very strange and incomprehensible that the intrigues and assertions of the revolutionary Cubans, whose chief leader, Dr. Martí, has been for several days holding conferences in this capital, should have had more weight with the Federal Government than the requests of honorable manufacturers and the almost unanimous protests of the American residents of Key West, who are interested in maintaining the freedom of labor. The undersigned, not knowing the reasons for the said measure, requests the honorable Secretary of State to have the goodness to inform him, if possible, of the reasons which have induced the Secretary of the Treasury to adopt measures so little in harmony with the just and impartial policy pursued on recent occasions by the President of the Republic. The undersigned avails himself, etc., E. DE MURUAGA. Mr. Gresham to Mr. Muruaga. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 10th instant in regard to certain Spanish cigar makers at Key West, and to inclose herewith a copy of a letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury, of this date, on the subject. Accept, etc., [Inclosure.] W. Q. GRESHAM. Mr. Curtis to Mr. Gresham. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 13, 1894. (Received February 13.) SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 10th instant relating to inquiries of the Spanish minister in regard to certain Spanish cigar makers who came to Key West, in which you ask to be advised as to their arrest and deportation. In reply I have to state that it was alleged and proved to my satisfaction that the said Spaniards came to Key West to perform labor under a prior contract entered into in Havana, which is contrary to the provi sions of the acts of Congress of 1885, 1887, and 1888, commonly known as the alien contract labor laws, under which I am required, upon being satisfied that they came in violation of said laws, to have them taken into custody and deported. These laws apply to all nationalities and are made for the protection of American workingmen. I hope you will assure his excellency, the Spanish minister, that no national question actuated my action in the premises. Spaniards can come to Key West or to any other of our ports, but they must not make contracts to do work and labor in the United States prior to their departure from their own country. This Department has information that these Spaniards have declared their intention to become American citizens in order to avoid deportation. Respectfully, yours, W. E. CURTIS, Acting Secretary. Mr. Muruaga to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF SPAIN AT WASHINGTON, The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Spain, has the honor to inform the honorable Secretary of State that, according to a communication which he has just received from the consul-general of Spain at New York, two Spaniards, named Victor Ordieras and Valentin Alvarez, have been arrested in that city in pursuance of a special order of the Treasury Department, it being thought that they had come to the United States as emigrants under contract to perform labor. The statements contained in the inclosed document, which is signed by two reputable firms doing business in the city of New York, will convince the honorable Secretary of State that the aforesaid Spaniards have been regarded as emigrants under contract through a misapprehension, and the undersigned therefore begs him to lay said statements before the honorable Secretary of the Treasury, and to request that officer to revoke the order for their arrest and to direct that they be released. The undersigned minister avails, etc., E. DE MURUAGA. [Inclosure.] Messrs. Garcia Bros. et al. to the Spanish consul-general at New York. NEW YORK, April 30, 1894. SIR: We, Selgas Neidel (sic) & Co., residing in this city, at No. 146 Reade street, and F. Garcia & Bros., residing at No. 80 Warren street, respectfully lay before you the following facts: On Friday, the 28th instant, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Victor Ordieras, a native of Oviedo, Spain, and Valentin Alvarez, a native of Lugo, likewise in Spain, were arrested in pursuance of a special order of the Treasury Department at Washington, for violating the law in force on the subject of contract labor, it doubtless being believed that those gentlemen had come as emigrants under contract to perform labor. The reason of this belief probably was that when they arrived in this city, on the 21st of December, 1893, they were taken to Ellis Island, where they were made to sign a paper in the English language, in which, as they thought (they having no knowledge whatever of English), they stated that Mr. Alvarez was going to reside at No. 80 Warren street, and Mr. Ordieras at No. 146 Reade street, but, as it now appears, they declared in that paper that they came under contract to work. Nothing could be more untrue, for Mr. Alvarez is a brother-in-law of Messrs. F. Garcia & Bros., and as such he came, his family being abundantly able to supply his wants, and there is not the slightest danger of his ever becoming a charge upon the public. As to Mr. Ordieras, the fact that he was without work for a week is more than sufficient proof that he had not come under contract; but besides, as your excellency is aware, there is no emigration from Spain to this country, and it is also proper for us to state that Mr. Ordieras is by occupation a rezagador of cigar wrappers, and that he now earns $20 a week; an amount that is never paid to emigrants or persons under contract. In view of the foregoing statements, which clearly show the injustice of this arrest, we beg your excellency to take suitable steps to secure the release of Messrs. Ördieras and Alvarez, who are still held on Ellis Island. We hope that you will take action in the matter with as little delay as possible, so that these gentlemen may not be returned to Spain, which would work serious detriment to them. All of which we, the undersigned, do not doubt that we shall obtain from your excellency's well-known justice. May God preserve your excellency's life for many years. Your obedient servants, F. GARCIA & BROS., 80 Warren Street. SELGAS, NISTAL & Co., 146 Reade Street. Mr. Uhl to Mr. Muruaga. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 2d instant relative to the alleged unwarranted arrest at New York, in pursuance of a special order from the Treasury Department, of two Spaniards, named Victor Ordieres and Valentin Alvarez, on a charge of violating the alien labor contract law. You therein request that, in view of the statements which you inclose from two New York firms, the order for their arrest may be revoked. I hastened to bring your representations and request to the attention of the Secretary of the Treasury, and have the honor to make known to you the substance of his reply, as follows: Upon the arrival of these two immigrants their affidavits were taken by an immigrant inspector, and after being interpreted were duly sworn to by them. From these affidavits (copies of which are inclosed herewith) it appears that they came to the United States under contract to work, Victor Ordieres Amado for the firm of Selgas, Nistal & Co., 146 Reade street, New York City, and Alvarez for the firm of Garcia & Bros., residing in the same city, at No. 80 Warren street. The Secretary of the Treasury further states that after a careful consideration of the papers submitted, including the letter of complaint to you (which, it should be borne in mind, is from the defendants in the proposed suits), he can see no sufficient reason for recalling the warrants issued by his Department for the arrest and deportation of the said Amado and Alvarez. Accept, etc., EDWIN F. UHL, Acting Secretary. [Inclosure 1.] Affidavit of Victor Ordieres Amado. STATE OF NEW YORK, County of New York, 88: Victor Ordieres Amado, 28, tobacco examiner, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is a native of Spain; has never been in the United States before, and arrived at the port of New York on the 20th day of December, 1893, per the steamship Yucatan, from Havana; and that he, Victor Ordieres Amado, has applied for admission into the United States as an alien immigrant. Deponent also says that about two weeks ago Alfredo Selgas, of the firm of Selgas, Nistal & Co., 146 Reade street, New York City, was in Havana, Cuba, and while there saw deponent and told deponent to come to America; that, though times were hard, he (Selgas) would give deponent work in his (Selgas's) cigar manufactory as examiner of leaf tobacco, at the same wages as examiners get in the United States. Deponent also says that an agreement or contract was made between or by them for deponent to come to America and work, and that he (deponent) came to America as a result of that agreement or contract. Deponent also says that he is employed to work for said Selgas, Nistal & Co., and that he was employed by said firm while he was in Havana, Cuba; and deponent further states that he would not have come to the United States but for said contract, made prior to his sailing. Deponent states further that no one told him to make this statement, but that it is the truth. VICTOR ORDIERES AMADO. I, Victor Ordieres Amado, being the deponent in the foregoing affidavit, do swear that the within affidavit has been interpreted to me in the Spanish language, and that it is made by me voluntarily and for the purpose of the application for admission into the United States, as aforesaid. VICTOR ORDIERES AMADO. Sworn and subscribed to before me this 20th day of December, 1893. CHARLES G. EICHLER, I, Jules Aviles, do hereby swear that I interpreted the within affidavit to deponent in the Spanish language, and that he fully understood the same before voluntarily singing his name thereto. JULES M. AVILES. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of December, 1893. [Inclosure 2.] CHARLES G. EICHLER, Affidavit of Valentine Alvarez. STATE OF NEW YORK, County of New York, 88: Valentine Alvares, 33, laborer by occupation, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is a native of Spain, has never been in the United States, and arrived at the port of New York on the 20th day of December, 1893, per the steamship Yucatan, from Havana, Cuba, and that he, Valentine Alvares, has applied for admission into the United States as an alien immigrant. Deponent also says that in July, 1893, Jose Garcia, of the firm of F. Garcia & Bros., 80 Warren street, New York City, was in Spain, and while there saw deponent and told deponent to come to America; that his firm, F. Garcia & Co., needed help, and would give deponent work in their manufactory at the wages of $8.50 per week and board. Deponent also says that he is employed by said F. Garcia & Bros. ; that he was employed by them prior to his sailing for the United States; that he can go to work as soon as he reaches his destination, and that he would not have come to the United States except for the assurance and promise of work given him by said Jose Garcia. Deponent further says that no one told him to make this statement, but that it is the truth, and that said Jose Garcia paid deponent's passage to the United States from Spain, and that he, deponent, gave up his work at home in order to come to America and accept the work offered him by said Jose Garcia. VALENTINE ALVARES. I, Valentine Alvares, being the deponent in the within affidavit, do swear that the within affidavit has been interpreted to me in the Spanish language, and that it is made by me voluntarily and for the purpose of the application for admission into the United States, as aforesaid. VALENTINE ALVARES. CHARLES G. EICHLER, Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of December, 1893. [SEAL.] I, Jules M. Aviles, do hereby swear that I interpreted the within affidavit to deponent in the Spanish language, and that he fully understood the same before voluntarily signing his name thereto. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of December, 1893. [SEAL.] CHARLES G. EICHLER, Notary Public, New York City. ATTACK UPON SPANISH CIGAR-MAKERS AT KEY WEST. Mr. Muruaga to Mr. Gresham. LEGATION OF SPAIN, Washington, March 25, 1894. DEAR MR. SECRETARY: A cablegram from the governor general of Cuba informs me of the fact that a mob composed of several hundred roughs, armed with clubs and revolvers, attacked lately the Spanish cigar-makers of the tobacco manufactory "Rosa Española" in Key West, obliging them under fear of personal violence to stop work. The interference of the police could barely avoid bloodshed. It is intimated that should work be resumed to-morrow the same lawbreakers threaten wholesale murder. Would it be too much asking of your kindness to have matter recommended at once to the governor of the State of Florida, on whom devolves the authority to guarantee protection and security to foreign residents? Very sincerely, yours, E. DE MURUAGA. Mr. Adee to Mr. Muruaga. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, MY DEAR MR. MINISTER: Upon the receipt of your note of yesterday's date, informing him of an attack by an armed mob on the Spanish cigar makers at Key West, the Secretary at once brought the matter to the attention of the governor of Florida by telegraph for proper action by him. The governor's reply has just reached us, stating that he has instructed the captain of the company of State troops at Key West to aid the civil authorities in preserving peace. 1 am, etc., ALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary. |