Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-08
FORTY-SEyESTH CONGRESS-.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March I.


the conversion or redemption of ten dollar
certificates:
Be il enacted. etc, That all certificates of
deposit issued under the provision of an act
of February 26th, 1879, entitled IAN act to
authorize the issue of certificates of deposit
in aid of the refunding of the public debt,
not presented for conversion into per cent.
bonds under the acts of July 18th. 1870, and
January Goth, 1871. on or before the hrst day
of july next shall be convertible only into
registered bonds of said loan, provided, how
ever. that the treasurer of the United States
NAV redeem at market rates at any time.
under such regulations the secretary OF
the treasury NAV prescribe. any such out
standing certificates. with accrued interest
to the date of the presentation. and the
amount of such redemption to be credited to
the sinking fund.
Mr.. McDll presented memorial of the
Iowa legislature, for an appropriation of not
less than 1000, 900, for the Improvement of
the Missouri river between Sioux City and
ST. Charles, Missouri, and relating to the
title of the Des Moines river lands.
Mr. Beck, from the finance committee,
ported favorablv with amendment to his
bill to punish the unlawful certificaton of
checks by the officers of national banks.
The amendment extends the provision,
making the wilful violation of the act of
1869, misdeme1nor punishable by fine and
Imprisonment, so as to cover specifically
case in which anyone '.shall resort to any
device, or receive any fictitious obligation or
pretended collateral in order to evade the
provisions thereof"
Mr. Beck gave notice of an amendment
to the committee, the amendment striking
out the words Fictitious" and ''pretended."
On motion of Mr.. Morrill,, the finance
committee was discharged from consideration
of the bill to cheaper transportation on rail
roads.
Mr.. George introduced joint resolution
authorizing the secretary of war, in his dis
erection, to use the hospital tents now pos
sessed by the war department, to furnish
temporary shelter to the distressed people
driven from their homes by the Mississippi
overflow. Passed.
At $50 the Chinese bill was again taken
up.
Messrs Miller and Farley presented dis
patches from mass meetings held in Califor
MIA and Nevada, reciting their proceedings
and the resolutions they adopted in advocacy
of the bill.
Mr.. Dawes then took the floor in opposi-
ton TO the measure. The dispatches lust re-
ceived, he said, furnished ample proof of the
blind, furious and darkening passion which
threatened to swallow up every effort to de-
liberately consider the economical what
might be called sentimental objections to
the bill. He deprecated the impolicy of
moulding legislation for the whole country
upon the dictates of a locality, and contend
ed that the restrictions upon the permitted
classes well as practical prohibition against
Chinese laborers for 20 years, controvened
not only the late but the former treaty.
Mr.. Slater here remarked that the Burlin-
game treaty gave Chinese subjects the privi-
lege only which pertained to residents from
| other countries, and that those restrictive
| words were not included in any other treaty
| Mr.. Dawes said that those privileges protect
ed the new conner in his residence in going
| to and from wherever he was located III the
| L. s., but that bill drawn in a spirit of hate
| and supported by the same sentiment which
actuated the sand letters of San Francisco,
made the distinction in the Chinese already
| here as against the poor laborer, and in favor
| of the poor aristocrat.
He charged that the measure was based
! upon this discrimination, while it assumed
| not to prohibit laborers, it threatened with
the penitentiary those who might be found
without the passports which it required.
MIR. Edmunds defended the principle upon
| which the bill was based. He said the fun
! damental prosperity of republic consisted
| in the homogenity of its people; that the
|
| politically, and were not homogeneous with
oar population, and it did not now appear that
| they could asslmilate. He favored limita-
ton of the period of suspension to ten years
! as conforming the bill more directly to the
| spirit of the treaty. As thus modified this
legislation would be equivalent to saying not
that we deny the assimilation of Cinnamon,
if he is capable of that, but only we shall
| suspend the immigration of hundreds of thou
sands of his race until we have tried the ex-
| pertinent as to compatibility with the Chi
| nese who are already here.
| Many nations he said. hold that the right
of expatriation is merely conventional The
| people OF Vermont had always held that the
| right was one which their own constitution
| should recognize, but always with the pro-
vision that it was dependent upon the willing
ness of the people to whom the immigrants
| proposed to come, to receive them. Abiding
to the humanitarian sentiment expressed by
the Senators from Massachusetts. he express
| ed a doubt whether the people of Massachu-
sets would desire. for instance, to encourage
the immigration OF Africans. In his opinion
they would not hunger for an Eruption of
million of the inhabitants of Africa, not be-
cause they had any hostility to the African
or did not desire his education, growth or
| development, but because they did not believe
| 1t was good for the two races to be brought
| together unfortunately in the same place
unless their race tendencies were such that
being together they assimilate and become
homogeneous.
Perhaps, he added Massachusetts Senators
will say that their people are hungering for
African immigration. He could not speak
for Them hut thought he could reply mega
lively for the people of Vermont. lie en-
| phatcally affirmed his belief in the right of
the people to determine upon considerations
| pertaining only to its own welfare, and what
other people it would receive into its own
society. He shared in the opinion of the
promoters of the bill. that it was rot useful
to the people of the United States or of the
Chinese Empire, that the increasing mmi-
grafton from that country to this should now
| continue.
Mr.. Plat then obtained the floor but gave
way for motion for an executive session
Pending action the California Senators
urged that the bill should be disposed of to-
day, and after the statement that Mr. Platt,
owing to the condition of his health. pre-
ferred to proceed tomorrow, endeavored to
secure specific limitation of the debate but
| unanimous consent was not obtained
| The following business was then transact
| al