Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-07-15
The Chinese.-.A Speech by Onelof Them
What They Want.

---what They Want.
] In San Francisco, on the I'd inst.
Senators Wade and Conkling, and the
HOUSE Committee of Ways and Means
met With the representatives of the six
Chinese companies of the city and sew
erai al the leading merchants and bank.
ers There was an interchange of com.
pilment and sentiment, and one of the
Chinese representatives, Fung Tang,
delivered the following speech:
/ GENTLEMEN: 1t gives me, and all Chi
nese merchants of San Francisco, great
pleasure 10 meet honorable Senators and
members of Congress of the United
States. We are made very happy by
seeing you mere. for We can explain to
You lle " ishes and the wants of our
people. Our government took pleasure
III appointing AN ambassador, 10 make
treaties with foreign powers, and We are
satisfied with your treaty with our
nation, but WANT the just protection 1t
PROMISES us
America is probably better known to
the Chinese people than any other
country, because many of our people
have lived here, and written home
faithful accounts of the country.
China is very old nation, but our
people have learned many new things
from Americans. The population of
China is very large and intercourse be-
tween our countries will be very init
intimate if we have just laws to protect
U.S. ou probably know tnat we nave
very rich merchants and bankers IN
China but We cannot advise them to
risk their capital here when thelr agents
cannot TESTIFY III your courts, ior IKE
your own capitalists they wish to know
that tieir properly Is protected anu
secure to them before parting WIN IL.
Much gold and silver is boarded IN HI
ma which might be used profitably here,
if the Chinese ielt sure we had full and
proper protection. o..
We merchants have tried to be honest
and fair in our dealings with your mer-
chants here, and have paid our debts TO
A,nerIrans AS scrupulously as TO our own
people. fhe managers OF some OF your
largest San Francisco firms. engaged In
trade with China, who have trusted US
with hundreds of thousands OF dollars
at time. without security, are mere TO
prsre III. .irafi "f what say. we have
introduced s"ur grain and other Ameri-
can i,r:nius. inso China, anu iabored TO
establish i.:I'le, which, II properly
encoi';n-e.i .,iuss prove oil great value 10
this c,'unuk We hope you VIII pass
law 'i".ihiiu. the government pay 10
your i.i.r %. ,:ia steamers, ana "oige
them T., i'ta .irh Way twice u MONTH;
for VIZ feel .s'rt,itI that the cost Will be
small, When compared TO the Dement'S
your country will receive. Captain
Eldritigr will ttihyou how much OF their
freight aud pa>sage money rs paid by
our people nuw-and should ysu in
crease the number of trips, we will do
all in our power to support this line,
aud thus insii,e its success
At the banquet given in this city be-
fore the sailing of the first American
for China, l made speech
full of congratulations on the commence
ment of tins great enterprise. All Chi
nese telt ve.y' happy, because we
thought it would make our nations bet
ter acquainted, and we hoped you would,
by knowing US, learn to like US, aud be
willing to protect us from some evils We
now suffer, and which we think unjust.
We think your special tax, collected
only from Chinese miners, is not
according to our treaty with your Gov
ernment. We are willing to pay taxes
cheerfully wren taxed equally with
Others. We also think the tax of five
dollars cole e.:ted from each Chinaman
for coming into this State is not right, if
this is a free country. But most of all,
We feel the want of protection to life
and property when caurts ofjustice re-
fuse our testimony, and thus leave us
defenseless and unable to obtain justice
for ourselves, aud often for others.
The Chinese whe come TO California
to labor are poor men, so our companies,
which are formed to assist them, and
not TO oppfr-- them, advance money to-
receives wages for his labor and works