JACKSON, Secretary to John Davis, August 15, 1884

Mr. Jackson to Mr. Davis.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, and in reply to state that no formal regulations have been adopted by the board of commissioners of emigration in relation to the prevention of the landing of pauper emigrants, the action of the board being governed by the provisions of section 2 of the act of Congress to regulate immigration, of which a copy is inclosed.

Where it is apparent, by reason of insanity or other permanent disability, that an emigrant is unable to care for himself or herself, such persons are detained on board the vessel and are prohibited from landing. But in cases where, from attending circumstances, emigrants arriving are thought likely to become a public charge, they are transferred from the vessel to the landing depot and their cases are investigated by the commissioners, each case being determined on its own merits.

Where such emigrants have relatives or friends resident in this country, they are promptly communicated with, and if they can show that they are willing and able to provide for the emigrants, such are permitted to depart. If the contrary, or that it appears, in the judgment of the commissioners, that immigrants of this class are likely to become a charge on the community, they are either returned to the vessel or detained at the Emigrant Refuge until the sailing day of the vessel, when they are placed on board by the officers of the Commission, and are returned to the port from whence they came, at the expense of the steamship company that brought them. The courts of this State have recently decided that it is not necessary to make the examination of the emigrants on board the vessel, and that it may be made at the emigrant landing depot, the emigrants being considered still in the custody and under the jurisdiction of the commissioners, and their right to prevent such emigrants from landing, and to return them to the vessel, being unimpaired.

I am. sir, &c.,