No. 510.
Mr. Cramer
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Berne, November 16, 1882.
(Received December 1.)
No. 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the
13th instant a communication was received by this legation from Mr. Byers,
United States consul at Zurich, relating to the shipment to New York of an
improper person—a pauper and drunkard—by the town authorities of
Woelflin-swyl, canton of Aargau, in violation of the laws of the United
States and of Switzerland on the subject of emigration. A copy of Consul
Byers’ letter is herewith inclosed. As it was too late to send a cablegram,
requesting the Department to prohibit that person from landing, I felt it my
duty to address a note to the President of the Swiss Confederation,
protesting against the proceedings of the town authorities in the case of
the said pauper, and requesting the punishment of the guilty parties. A copy
of this note is herewith inclosed.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 18.]
Mr. Byers to Mr.
Cramer.
United
States Consulate,
Zurich, November 11,
1882.
Sir: I would respectfully call your attention
to the fact that the gemeinde authorities of
Woelflinswyl, canton Aargau, on October 28 shipped to New York, per
steamer St. Germain, at its own expense, a certain Conrad Hort, a man
absolutely without means, a drunkard, and by some pronounced blödsinnig or weak-minded.
I went to the town of Woelflinswyl personally and with a witness, and
satisfied myself that the gemeinde did send this
man to America, in violation of the laws of Switzerland and of the
United States. The town president and his clerk admitted also to me that
the gemeinde had shipped numerous other persons
to the United States-in order to be rid of them, one of whom was
reported even worse than Hort. In this case of Hort the gemeinde president and secretary stated that the
man’s expenses to the United States were paid for fear he would become a
burden to the town. They denied that Hort was weak-minded; but some of
his neighbors, and especially a gentleman who had him in his employ,
declared to me that they considered him weak-minded, a drunkard, and
incapable of making a living. I inclose you an article on the subject
from the Zofinger Tagblatt of November 10. The statements made in that
article are true, as Mr. John Frey, of Zurich, secretary of this office,
can testify. I do-not doubt but the legation will lose no time in
demanding from the federal council that the parties directing and aiding
in this violation of laws of both countries be punished. This is the
more necessary as acts of this kind are not of unfrequent occurrence in
canton Aargau.
I will also lay the matter before the Department at Washington in a
letter to-day.
I remain, &c.,
[Inclosnre 2 in No. 18.]
Mr. Cramer to the
President of the Swiss
Confederation.
Legation of the United States,
Berne, November 15,
1882.
Sir: The undersigned, minister resident of the
United States of America, has he honor to inclose herewith: (1) A copy
of a letter from Mr. Byers, the consul of the
[Page 801]
United States at Zurich, to this legation, of
November 11, 1882; (2) a printed extract from the Zofinger Tagblatt of
November 10, 1882. Both these documents relate to the fact that the gemeinde authorities of Woelflinswyl, canton of
Aargau, on October 28, per steamer St. Germain, shipped to New York at
its own expense a certain Conrad Hort, a man absolutely without means, a
drunkard, and by some pronounced weak-minded (blödsinnig). The truth of this fact cannot be doubted, as the
evidences in its support, furnished by Consul Byers, are strong, clear,
and incontrovertible.
This proceeding on the part of the town authorities of Woelflinswyl and
the emigration agent, V. Ursprung (a subordinate agent of Messrs.
Schneebeli & Co., of Basel) is a flagrant violation of the laws both
of Switzerland and of the United States regulating the matter of
emigration and immigration. It is too late to telegraph to my Government
to prohibit said Conrad Hort from landing in the United States. I have
therefore to request your excellency to have the goodness to cause the
town authorities of Woelflinswyl, as well as Mr. Ursprung, the emigrant
agent, or all those who committed this flagrant violation of the laws of
both countries, to be punished according to the laws of Switzerland, and
also to cause the concession to be withdrawn from the said emigration
agent. In this connection it may be stated that said town authorities
have on previous occasions committed similar violations of law. These
are acts of unfriendliness towards the United States on the part of such
local authorities, which, it is to be hoped, the Government of the Swiss
Confederation will cause to be punished to the extent of the Swiss
laws.
The undersigned seizes, &c.,
