St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-03-07
Veto of the Anti-Chinese Bill.
BY THE PRESIDENT.
To the House Of Representatives:

10 the House OF Representatives:
After Il very careful consideration OF
House bill No. 2433, entitled ''An Act
to Restrict the Immigration of Chinese
to the United States" herewith return
it to the House of Representatives, in
which it originated, with my objections
to its passage. The bill, us it was sent
to the Senate from the House of Repre-
sentatives, was confined in its provi-
sious to the object named in its title,
which is that of IAN Act to restrict the
immigration of Chinese to the United
States" The only means adopted to
secure the proposed object was the lin
itatioD on the number of Chinese pas
sengers which might be brought to this
country by any one vessel to Is, and as
this number was not fixed in any pro-
portion to the size or tonnage of the YES
sci, or by any consideration of the safe
ty or accommodation of these passen-
gers, the simple purpose and effect of
tins enactment was to rePress this i'm
migration to an extent falling but little
short of absolute exclusion. The bill.
as amended in the Senate, and present
ed to me, includes an independent and
additional provision, which aims at and
in terms requires the abrogatioh by this
government of articles 5 and & of the
treaty with China, commonly called the
Burlingame treaty, through the action
OF the eXective enjoined by this provi-
sion of the act.
The Burlingame treaty, of which the
notifications were exchanged at Pekin.
November 2}, 1869, recites as the occa-
sion and motive of its negotiation bv
the two governments that, since the
conclusion of the treaty between the
United States of America and the Ia
Using empire (China) of the 18th of
June, 1858, circumstances have arisen
showing the necessity of additional ar
ticles thereto" and proceeds to an
agreement us to said additional articles.
These negotiations, therefore, ending
by the signature of the additional arti-
Giles, July %, 1868 had for their object
the completion of our treaty rights and
obligations toward the government of
CHINA, by the incorporation of these new
articles, as thenceiorth parts of the
principal treaty to which they are made
supplemental, upon the settled rules of
Interpretation applicable to such sup
Elemental, negotiations. The text of the
vi IuCSe
tional articles thereto" constitute one
treaty, from the conclusion of the new
negotiations, in all parts of equal and
concurrent force and obligation between
the two governments, and to all intents
and purposes rs if embraced in one in
strument. The principal treaty, of
which the notifications were exchanged
August Is, 1859, recites that "The Uni
ted States of America and the Using
empire, desiring to maintain firm, last
ing and sincere friendship, have resolv-
ed to renew in manner clear and posi-
tive, by means of a treaty or general
convention of peace, amity and COM
merce, the rules which shall in future
be mutually observed in the intercourse
of their respective countries" and pro
ceeds in its 80 articles to lay out care
full and comprehensive system for the
commercial relations of our people with
China.
The main substance of all the provi-
sions of this treaty is to define and secure
the rights of our people in respect of
access to residence and protection in
and trade with China. The actual pro-
visions in our favor in these respects
49, W w nave UeCu
to be adequate and appropriate to the
interest of our commerce, and by the
concluding article we receive the i'm
pOrtant guaranty "That, should at any
time the Ia Using empire grant to any
nation, or the merchants or citizens of
any nation, any right, privilege or favor
connected either with navigation, COM
merce, political or other intercourse
which is not conferred by this treaty,
such right, privilege and favor shall at
once freely inure to the benefit of the
United States, its public officers, mel
chants and citizens,p Against this body
of stipulations in our favor, and this
permanent engagement of equality in
respect of future concessions to foreign
nations, the general promise of perma-
nent peace and good offices on our part
seems to be the only equivalent, for this
the first article undertakes, as follows :