Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-03
The Chinese Cues
ton.
t-..
THE BILL To RESTRICT GIL
NESE IMMIGRATION.
ef1 Message of
the President.
"CUiUeSe Mast Not Co."

| the text of the Presidents message to the
! House. vetoing the bill to restrict Chinese
/ immigration: sa...t
After very careful consideration of the
House bill to restrict the immigration of the
Chinese to the United States, herewith re-
turn it to the House, with my objections to its
passage.
The bill as il was sent to the Senate from
the House. was confined in its provisions to
! the object named in its title. which is that of
An act to restrict the immigration of Chinese
to the United States
/ The only means adoutcd to secure the pro-
posed object, was the limitation in the num-
Der of Chinese passengers which might be
brought by any one vessel to fifteen. and rs
this number was not fixed in any proportion
to the size or tonnage of the vessel. or by any
consideration of the safety or accommodation
of these passengers. the simple purpose and
effect of the enactment was to repress this i'm
migration to an extent falling but little short
| of its absolute exclusion.
The bill as amended in the Senate, and
now presented to me, includes an indcpend-
ent and additional provision which aims at
and in terms requires the abrogaton by this
| government of the 9TH and 9th articles of the
treaty with China, commonly called the Bur
/ lingame Treaty, through the action of the ex-
ecutive njpincd by this provision of the act.
The Buringamc Treaty, of which the ratifi-
cations were exchanged at Picking. Nov. %,
! lS69, reciieS as the decision and motive of its
negotiation by the two governments that
since the conclusion of the treaty of 1888 cir
cumstances have arisen showing the necessity
of additional articles thereto, and proceeds to
an agrcemru ut as to said additional articles.
I These negotiations. therefore. ending by the
signature of the additional articles of July
-, 1865. had for their object the completion
of our treaty rights and obligations towards
the government Of China, by the ncorpora-
ton Of these new articles as part Of the
principal treaty which they are made supple
mental.
The principal treaty rccitcs that the [ nit
cd States and the Chinese Empire, desiring
to maintain firm. lasting and sincere friend
ship. have resolved to renew, in a manner
clear and positive, by means of treaty or
general convention of peace amity, and COM
mcrce, the rules which shall in the future be
mutually observed in the intercourse of their
respective cuuntrics,' and proceeds in its 30
articles 10 lay out Il careful and comprehen-
siye system for the commercial relations of
our people with China.
The main substance of all the provisions of
this treaty is to define and secure the rights
of oar people, in respect of access to residence
and protection in, and trade with China.
The actual provisions in our favor in these
respects, were framed to be and have been
found to be adequate and appropriate to the
interest Of our commerce, and by the conclud
ing article receive the important guaranty
that should at any time the Chinese Empire
grant to any nation, or merchants, or citizens
Of any nation. any privilege or favor connect
ed either with navigation, commerce, polit-
cal or other intercourse, which is not confer
red by this treaty, such right. privilege and
favor shall at once freely inure To the benefit
of the United States, its public officers and
citizens
Against this body of stipulations in our IA
vor. and this permanent arrangement of
equality in respect of future concessions to
foreign nations. the general promise of per-
mancnt peace and good offices on our part,
seems to be the only equivalent for this. The
first article undertakes. as follows: There
shall be. as there has always been, peace and
plenty between the United States and China
They ,hall not insult or Cypress each other
for any trifling cause, so As to produce
arrangement between them. and if any other
nation should act unfairly or oppressivcy the
United States will exert their good offices, on
being informed of the case to bring about
an amicable arrangement of the question.
thus showing their friendly feeling.
At the date of the negotiations of this trea-
ty our pacific policies had attracted consider
able Chinese emigration, and the advantage
and the Inconvenience felt or feared there
from, had become more or less manifest, but
they dictated stipulatons on the subject
which were incorporated in the treaty
The year 1868 was marked by the striking
event Of spontaneous embassy from the
Chinese Empire, healed by an American cit
izcn, Arson Burlingame, who had relinquish-
cd his diplomatic representation of his own
] 20, fl,at. hi
nese Empire to the United States and the Eu-
rorcan nations. BY this time the facts of the
Chinese immigration and its nature and in
tlupncc, present and prospective, had become
more noticeable and was more observed by the
population Immediately affected, and by this
OyVrnmcnt.
/ The principal feature of the Burlingame
Treaty was its attention to and its treatment
Of Chinese immigration, and the Chinese as
forming, or as they should form part of our
population. Up to this time onr uncove-
nent d hoVritAlitv to emigration, our fearless
liberty to citizenship, our equal and compre
hensiyc Justice to all inhabitants, whether
they abjrrcd their foreign nationality or not
our civil freedom and our religious tolcra-
tiun, had made all corners welcome, and un-
der these projections the Chinese in consid-
cradle numbere had made their lodgment up
on our soil.
The Buringame Treaty undertakes to deal
| with this situation, and its 9Th and 9th arti-
cies embrace its most important provisions in
this regard and the main stipulation in
which the Chinse government has secured an
obligatory protection of its subjects within
our territory. They read a. follows:
Article ). The | nited States and Emper-
or of China cordially recognize the inherent
and inaIianable right Of man to change his
home and allegiance, and also the mutual ad
vantage of the free migration and emigration
of their citizens and subjects respectively,
from the one country to the other, for the
purpose of curiosity of trade, or as paramount
residents
The high contracting parties therefore join
/ in representing any other than an entirely
voluntary emigration for Theses purposes.
They consequently agree To pass laws making
i; penal offence for Il citizen of the United
States or Chinese subjects to take Chinese
subjects, either to the United States or any
any other foreign country, or for Chinese
subject or citizen Of the United States to take
citizens OF the United States to China, or to
any other foreign country, without their vol
untary consent, respectively.