Yam Ka Lim vs. Collector

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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. L-9906 March 5, 1915 YAM KA LIM, plaintiff-appellee, vs. THE INSULAR COLLECTOR O CUSTOMS, defendant-appellant. Office of the Solicitor-General Corpus for appellant. C.W. O'Brien for appellee. !OHNSON, J." It appears from the record that on or about the !th da" #ecember, $%, the said &am 'a (im, a person of Chinese raise and descent, arrived at the por Manila from the port of )on*+on* and sou*ht admission into the Philippine Islands, as the le*itimate minor son of &am (on* ai, a resident Chinese merc ri*ht to enter the Philippine Islands as in uired into b" the board of special in uir" hich board, after hearin* the testimon" of itnesses and con evidence submitted b" the applicant, refused to permit him to land upon the *round that the" did not believe him to be the le*itimate son of the said & as he claimed. #ue notice as *iven of said decision to &am (on* ai, as ell as to his representative, /illiam 0race" Pa*e, ho ere informed that the" had t o da"s to appeal to the Insular Collector of Customs, should the" feel dissatisfied ith the decision of said board. (ater a bond as *iven for the release of appeal as ta+en from the decision of the board of special in uir" to the Insular Collector of Customs. 0he decision of the board of special in uir" a been rendered on or about the !th da" of #ecember, $%. Nothin* further seems to have been done b" the plaintiff until on or about the 1th da" of 2e $3 hen he presented his petition for the rit of habeas corpus. 4pon the presentation of the petition for the rit of habeas corpus. the )onorable Crossfield *ranted the same and ordered the Insular Collector of Customs to produce the bod" of the plaintiff herein. the Insular Collector of Customs, Attorne"-5eneral, made ans er to said petition and accompanied the same b" all of the proof adduced durin* the hearin* before the board of special in /ithout havin* first decided hether the Collector of Customs had abused his authorit", the lo er court proceeded to hear evidence upon the uestion not the said &am 'a (im as the le*itimate minor son of &am (on* ai. After hearin* the evidence and ta+in* into consideration the la s of China, itho proof as to hat the" ere, the lo er court decided that the said &am 'a (im as the le*itimate son of the said &am (on* ai and ordered him to be rel from the custod" of the Collector of Customs and that he be permitted to enter the Philippine Islands and that the said bond theretofore *iven be cance 2rom that decision the Attorne"-5eneral appealed to this court and made the follo in* assi*nment of error6 2irst. 0he Court erred in holdin* that it had 7urisdiction to revie the decision of the immi*ration authorities in this case. econd. 0he court erred in ta+in* 7udicial notice of the la s of China relative to marria*e and child le*itimac", hich differ from those in force in t Islands. 0hird. 0he court erred in findin* that there had been an abuse of discretion and authorit" on the part of the immi*ration official, hich arranted the their decision in this case. 2ourth. 0he court erred in orderin* the petitioner dischar*ed from the custod" of the Insular Collector of Customs. /ith reference to the first assi*nment of error, it ma" be noted6 2irst. 0hat the ri*ht to determine hether or not Chinese aliens ma" enter the territor" of the 4nited tates is conferred e8clusivel" upon a branch of department of the 5overnment. econd. 0hat the courts have no ri*ht to interfere in determinin* the uestion of the ri*ht of said aliens to enter the territor" of the 4nited tates e8ecutive department of the 5overnment has concluded its investi*ation of the uestion. 0hird. 0hat the court, even after e8ecutive department has concluded its investi*ation have no ri*ht to intervene until it is sho n that the e8ecutive the 5overnment has abused its po er and authorit". In the present case the petitioner did not e8haust all of the remedies afforded him b" the e8ecutive department of the 5overnment. )e had the ri*ht of the Insular Collector of Customs, hich he did not e8ercise. It has been fre uentl" decided that until an alien has e8hausted his remed" in the e8ecut department of the 5overnment, he is ithout ri*ht to appeal to the 7udicial department in a case li+e the present. 0he appellee not havin* e8hausted hi the e8ecutive department of the 5overnment, the courts are ithout 7urisdiction to consider his claim.

description

conflict of laws

Transcript of Yam Ka Lim vs. Collector

Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURTManilaEN BANCG.R. No. L-9906 March 5, 1915YAM KA LIM,plaintiff-appellee,vs.THE INSULAR COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS,defendant-appellant.Office of the Solicitor-General Corpus for appellant.C.W. O'Brien for appellee.JOHNSON,J.:It appears from the record that on or about the 15th day December, 1913, the said Yam Ka Lim, a person of Chinese raise and descent, arrived at the port of Manila from the port of Hongkong and sought admission into the Philippine Islands, as the legitimate minor son of Yam Long Sai, a resident Chinese merchant. His right to enter the Philippine Islands was inquired into by the board of special inquiry which board, after hearing the testimony of witnesses and considering the evidence submitted by the applicant, refused to permit him to land upon the ground that they did not believe him to be the legitimate son of the said Yam Long Sai, as he claimed.Due notice was given of said decision to Yam Long Sai, as well as to his representative, William Tracey Page, who were informed that they had two days in which to appeal to the Insular Collector of Customs, should they feel dissatisfied with the decision of said board. Later a bond was given for the release of the plaintiff. No appeal was taken from the decision of the board of special inquiry to the Insular Collector of Customs. The decision of the board of special inquiry appears to have been rendered on or about the 15th day of December, 1913. Nothing further seems to have been done by the plaintiff until on or about the 17th day of February, 1914 when he presented his petition for the writ of habeas corpus. Upon the presentation of the petition for the writ of habeas corpus. the Honorable A. S. Crossfield granted the same and ordered the Insular Collector of Customs to produce the body of the plaintiff herein. the Insular Collector of Customs, through the Attorney-General, made answer to said petition and accompanied the same by all of the proof adduced during the hearing before the board of special inquiry.Without having first decided whether the Collector of Customs had abused his authority, the lower court proceeded to hear evidence upon the question whether or not the said Yam Ka Lim was the legitimate minor son of Yam Long Sai. After hearing the evidence and taking into consideration the laws of China, without any proof as to what they were, the lower court decided that the said Yam Ka Lim was the legitimate son of the said Yam Long Sai and ordered him to be released from the custody of the Collector of Customs and that he be permitted to enter the Philippine Islands and that the said bond theretofore given be canceled.From that decision the Attorney-General appealed to this court and made the following assignment of error:First. The Court erred in holding that it had jurisdiction to review the decision of the immigration authorities in this case.Second. The court erred in taking judicial notice of the laws of China relative to marriage and child legitimacy, which differ from those in force in the Philippine Islands.Third. The court erred in finding that there had been an abuse of discretion and authority on the part of the immigration official, which warranted the setting aside of their decision in this case.Fourth. The court erred in ordering the petitioner discharged from the custody of the Insular Collector of Customs.With reference to the first assignment of error, it may be noted:First. That the right to determine whether or not Chinese aliens may enter the territory of the United States is conferred exclusively upon a branch of the execution department of the Government.Second. That the courts have no right to interfere in determining the question of the right of said aliens to enter the territory of the United States until after the executive department of the Government has concluded its investigation of the question.Third. That the court, even after executive department has concluded its investigation have no right to intervene until it is shown that the executive department of the Government has abused its power and authority.In the present case the petitioner did not exhaust all of the remedies afforded him by the executive department of the Government. He had the right of appeal to the Insular Collector of Customs, which he did not exercise. It has been frequently decided that until an alien has exhausted his remedy in the executive department of the Government, he is without right to appeal to the judicial department in a case like the present. The appellee not having exhausted his remedy in the executive department of the Government, the courts are without jurisdiction to consider his claim.What has been said with reference to the first assignment of error is sufficient to show that the courts are without jurisdiction to consider the present case and to justify a reversal of the judgment rendered.With reference to the second assignment of error it is quite clear that the lower court committed an error in taking judicial notice of what the laws of marriage in China are. The statutes of other countries must be pleaded and proved the same as any other fact. In the absence of such pleading and proof the laws of a foreign state will be presumed to be the same as our own.There was ample proof in the record to show, or at least to convince the board of special inquiry, that said Yam Ka Lim was not the legitimate minor son of the said Yam Long Sai.The petitioner, not having exhausted the remedies offered to him by the executive department of the Government, had no right to appeal to the courts.For the foregoing reasons the judgment of the lower court is hereby revoked and it is hereby ordered that the record be returned to the lower court, with direction that an order be issued returning the plaintiff to the custody of the Insular Collector of Customs, to the end that he may be deported in accordance with order of the said Collector of Customs. And without any finding as to costs, it is so ordered.Arellano, C, J., Torres, Trent and Araullo, JJ.,concur.Moreland, J.,concurs in the result.