Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-02-22
TIE CHINESE BILL.

The great panacea for all the ills. af-
llicting the body polite Of the Pacific
Slope has passed the United States Sem
ate and now awaits the concurrence OF
the House of Representatives in some
necessary amendments. The fate of the
measure depends upon the action of
President Hayes; should he sign the bill
it becomes a law and takes effect as pro-
vided should he interpose a veto it is
not probable that the friends Of the meas
ure can muster votes enough to pass it
over his head. Below we give the full
text of the Bill a. it passed the Senate
Be it enacted, etc, That no mastor of any
vessel owned in whole or in part by a citizen
of the United States, or any citizen of any
foreign country, shall take on board such
vessel at any port or place within the Chinese
Empire or at any other foreign port or place
whatever, any number exceeding fifteen Chi
nese passengers, whether male or female,
with the intent to bring such passengers TO
the United States, and leave such port or
place and bring such passengers to any num-
ber exceeding fifteen on one voyage within
the jurisdiction Of the United States.
See. 2. That whenever tho master or other
person in charge of any such vessel takes on
board tho same at any foreign port or place
any greater number of Chinese passengers
than is prescribed in the fret section of this
Act, with inteh to bring such passengers to
the United States, and leave such port or
place, and bring such passengers to any num-
Der exceeding fifteen on one voyage. within
the jurisdiction Ot the United States he shall
be deemed guilty ola misdemeanor, and shall,
for each passenger so taken on board and
brought within the jurisdiction of tho United
States exceeding tho number of fifteen be
fined one hundred dollars and may also bo
imprisoned for not exceeding six months.
Sec. 3. That the master Of any vessel ar
irving in the United States, or any of the
territories thereof, from any foreign. pldce
whatever, mt the same time that he delivers n
manifest Of tho cargo, and if there be no cargo,
then ut the time Of making report Or entry Of
the vessel, pursuant to law, shall, in addition
to the other matters required to be reported
by law, deliver and report to the Collector Of
tho district in which such vessel shall arrive,
separate list all Chinese passengers taken
on board the vessel ut any foreign port or
place, and OF a such passengers on board the
vessel mt that timo. such list shall be sworn
to by the master in the same manner as d-
rccted by law in relation TO the manifest of
cargo, and refusal or neglect ofthe master to
comply with the provisions of this section shall
receive the same penalties, disabilities and
forfeitures ms are provided for refusal or
neglect to report and deliver manifest of the
cargo.
Sec 4. That tho amount of the several
penalties imposed by the foregoing provisions
shall be lions ON tho vessels violating those
provisions, and such vessels shall be libolod
therefor in any Circuit or District Court of
the United States, where such vessel shall
arrive.
Soc. >. That nothing herein contained shall
be held to repeal or modify any law forbid
ding the importation of coolies or of females
for immoral purposes, into the United States;
proydsd, that no Consul or commercial agent
Of the United States, residing at any port
from which any vessel taking Chinese pas
sengcrs may take her departure. shall grant
the certificate provided for in section 2,lj2 of
the Revised Statutes for moro than fifteen
Chinese passengers on any one vessel.
Sec. g. That this Act shall not apply to
persons officially connected with the Chinese
Government, or any Embassy thereof, or to
persons rescued from shipwrock during the
voyage of and by the vessel seeking harbor
in stress Of weather within tho jurisdiction Of
the United States, or to persons who may only
seek IL temporary residence for educati0nnl
purposes, and who shall have certificate
from the Chinese Government for that pur-
pose.
See 7. That this Act shall take effect from
and after the first day of July 1871, and tho
President Of tho United States shall immedi-
ately on the approval Of this Act give nolice
to the Government of China Of tho abrogation
of articles Eve and six of tho additional arti-
eles of the treaty of J une Is, 1858, between the
United States and China, proclaimed Februa-
~ ,, 1870, commonly called tho Burl ngame
Treaty.