Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-04-13

PLANTATION was satisfactory, that thew
had not intended to ask for draft of
any special act, but for some general
idea how the power is to be exercised
What had just been said gave them the
explanation which they wanted with
this entire accord, as the meaning of
words as they were about to employ
and object to Legislation which
might be had in consequence. The
parties signed the treaty in article a."
of which the government of China
agrees that the government of the
United States may regulate, limit or
suspend such coming and residence,
but may not absolutely prohibit. The
limitation or suspension shall be reson-
able and apply only to the Chinese who
may 60 to the United States as labor
ers; other classes not being included
in the limitation. Legislation taken
in regard to Chinese laborers will be of
such character as is necessary to en-
force the regulation, limitation or sus-
pension.
The first section of the immigration
act provides, from and after the expir-
alton of sixty days next after the pas
sage of this act and until the expira-
ton of two years after the passage, this
coming of Chinese laborers be and the
same is hereby suspended, and during
such suspension it shall not be lawful
for any Chinese laborers to
Gcme or having so come
after the expiration of said sixty days,
to remain in the United States. The
examination which / have made of the
treaty, and the declarations which its
negotiations have left on record (mean-
ing its language), leaves no doubt in
my mind that neither contracting party
in conducting the treaty of 1880, con-
templated the passage of an act pro-
hibiting immigration for 20 years, which
is nearly a generation, or thought that
such period would be reasonable sus-
pension, or intend to change the pro-
vision OF the Burlingame treaty to that
extent. regard this provision of the
act as breach of our national faith,
and being unable to bring myself in
harmony with the view of congress on
this vital point, the honor of our coun-
try restraints me, and / return the act
with my objections to its passage.
The time fixed in the bill, namely,
20 years, is unreasonable. The Ian
guage of article one, that "laborers
shall not be absolutely prohibited from
coming to the United States, and that
suspension shall be reasonable well, as
the negotions indicate that the brief
period was intended to total prohibi-
ton of the immigration of Chinese la
borers into the United States, would,
in my opinion, be unreasonable, and
in violation of the meaning and intent
of the treaty.
Second-In conclusion, if Skilled la
Dor" in the bill, is in addition to the
words and intent of the treaty, it will
operate with harshness on class Chi
nese merchants entitled to admission
into the United States under the terms Of
the treaty. The shoe merchants and
cigar merchants of China, manufac-
turers of goods they sell at their places
| of business, and to shut out skilled la
bor," would practically shut them out
as well as it would prevent them from
carrying on business in this coun-
| try A laundry men who keeps
his shop and has Il small capital with
which to prosecute his trade cannot in
any just.sense be included in class
''labor," and the merchant tailor comes
in the same CATEGORY. Third-These
clauses of the bill relating to registra-
| ton and passports, are vexatlous dis
ordinations against Chinese residents
and immigration, when article two
provides, explicitly that they shall be
entitled to all privileges of subjects
of the most favored nation. The
execution of these provisions OF the
bill will cause irritation, and in case of
the loss of a passport or certificate OF
registration, Chinese residents entitled
to remain may be forcbly expelled
from the country. Fourjh-lf the bill
becomes law, it will leave an impress
sion in China, that it's government
strangely misunderstood the character
of the treaty, or that congress has vio-
lated some of it's provisions, and this
viii tend to prejudice intelligent classes
against the United States government,
and people whom they now greatly
admire and respect
Fifth-There is no provision in the
bill for the transit across the United
States of the Chinese subjects now re-
siding in foreign countries. a large
number of Chinese now live in Cuba,
Peru, and other countries, who can not
return home without crossing the terri
tory of the United States, touching at
San Francisco, and to deny this privi-
lege, it seems to me, is in violation o.
the international law and comfy OF
nations, amp if the bill becomes a law,
it will, in this respect, result in great
hardships to many thousand innocent
Chinese IN foreign countries.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
| The Most Precious Of Gifts.