Mr. Blaine to Sir Julian Pauncefote.

Sir: Referring to your note of the 8th of March last, asking a reconsideration by the Treasury Department of its decision in relation to the admission of commuted pensioners who may desire to emigrate to this country from Great Britain, I have the honor to inform you that, having submitted a copy of your note to the Secretary of the Treasury, I have received a letter from him in which he states that—

No discrimination will be made against a commuted pensioner as such. The mere fact that the immigrant is a commuted pensioner will not exclude him, but he will not be permitted to land if in addition it appears that the amount of money resulting from such commutation of pension is not-sufficient to preserve the immigrant from becoming a public charge for any considerable length of time, if he is otherwise unable or unwilling to earn a livelihood. The law expressly excludes all idiots, insane persons, paupers or persons likely to become a public charge, persons suffering from a loathsome or a dangerous contagious disease, persons who have [Page 277] been convicted of a felony or other infamous crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, polygamists, and also any person whose ticket or passage is paid for with the money of another, or who is assisted by others to come, unless it is shown that such person does not belong to one of these excluded classes.

I have, etc.,

James G. Blaine.