Show POWER OF COLLECTORS Have Xot Exclusive Authority to Pass Upon All Chinese Cases San Francisco Nov 15United States District Judge Morrow rendered render-ed an important decision today defining defin-ing the power of collectors of customs as judges of the rights of Chinese seeking admission to this country The local collector of customs insisted that the law gave him exclusive authority to pass judgment in the cases of all Chinese seeking admission In the case of Tom Yum a passenger on the steamer Gaelic who claimed to be a nativeborn citizen of California and as such claimed the right to land Collector Wise held an investigation and decided that the Chinamans claims to citizenship were fraudulent He therefore refused to allow Tom Yum to land Habeas corpus was resorted toby to-by the Chinese Judge Morrow holds that the jurisdiction juris-diction of collectors of customs is limited colectors i lm ited to the cases of aliens and that incases in-cases of American citizens or persons claiming citizenship the collector is without authority to finally or conclusively conclu-sively pass upon their right to come into this country The case of Tom Yum was accordingly referred to a United States commissioner to take evidence and pass upon the Chinamans claims to citizenship |