In re Lau Ow Bew

The petitioner is a subject of the. empire of China, whence he arrived at the port of San Francisco on the 11th day of August, 1891. The master of the vessel on which he sailed having refused to land him, a writ of habeas corpus was issued in his behalf, and in answer thereto it is alleged that the cause of his detention upon such vessel is that he had not procured from the government of China the certificate required by the act of congress. From an agreed statement of facts it appears that the petitioner for the last 17 years has been a merchant and a member of a prominent Chinese mercantile…