The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1882-04-01

II not absolutely 10 prOnlDlt Cnlncse INNING
d tion. Did ever people act more libera
= towards another than China has acted
J., wards the government OF the Unit
e States! Did ever people assent to yo
4 representations more cordially and mo
I kindlyy But now you propose
requite this treatment by saying til
: you will not give protection even
, the Chinese who are here-that you wa
3 them to be returned.
Mr.. Page-I never said anything abO
, sending them back.
Mr.. Hooker-Well, your laws have sa
: something about Il. Let me, read fro
them. 1t WAS said by the gentleman fro
California in the course of his speech TIL
, these Chinese congregated about the citi,
and towns, in districts exclusively cOnfil
| ed to themselves. Why, sir, this only a
tsachability OF this people. Why did the
do thats I read from the laws Of Cal
fOrnia in reference to this people.
Mr.. Page-What yeary
Mr.. HoOker-I think the law was enact
ed in 1857 at any rate you will find it o
page 1913 Of the third volume OF the Cod
and statutes Of California. 1t reads i
this way:
The board Of trustees or other legsla
tive authority OF any incorporated city o
town, and the board of supervisors of an
granted the power, and it is hereby mad,
their duty, to pass and enforce any and al
acts or ordinances or resolutions necessar,
to cause the removal without the limits o
such cities and towns, or city and county
] OF any Chinese now within or hereafter tt
! come within such limits; Provided, Tha
| they may set apart certain prescribed por
tons OF the limits of such cities, or towns
or city and county, for the location therein
| of such Chinese"
Mr.. Page.-That law was passed recent.
ly. That always has been tn custom IN
the city of San Francisco.
Mr.. Hooker-lt is not confined TO the
city Of San Francisco. Now, these China
men have proved most obedient residents
in our midst. You exclude them by your
legislation.
Mr.. Cassidy-Letmes say to the gentleman
from Mississippi that that law was enacted
Ms protection against the spread OF fire by
Chinese huts which were huddled together.
A fire breaking out in their midst has often
been the cause of the destruction OF many
OF our towns. That WAS done as protcc-
tiOn against fire.
Mr.. Hooker-It was,p new sort of firc in
surance company, and that Is all have to
say about 1t. [Laughter.l
What became OF your own law which
WAS passed In California, which now
stands on your stuiute books, and which
have here before me. 1t is as follows:
"Any officer, director, member, stock
holder, clerk, agent, attorney, cmploye, as
signee, or contractor. OF any corporation
now existing or hereafter formed under
the laws Of this State who shall employ in
any manner or capacity upon any work or
business Of such corporation, any Chinese
or Mongolian, is guilty of II misdemeanor,
and is punishable by fine of not less than
one hundred nor more than one thousand
dollars, or by imprisonment in the county
Jail Of not less than fifty or more than five
hundred days, or by both such fine or i'm
prisonment Provided, That no director
OF II corporation shall be deemed guilty
under this section who refuses to as sent to
such employment, and has such dissent re-
corded In the minutes of the board of
directors.
Mr.. Pagc-Will the gentleman. allow me
Mr.. Hooker--CertsInly, to ask me ques-
tion.
Mr.. Page-Thst Is all / desire.
Mr.. Hooker-I do not wish to have
speech injected into mine.
Mr.. Page-I do not wish TO inject a
apccch into the gcntleman's,
Mr.. Hooker-Well, 20 on. .
Mr.. Page-The other day the gentleman
from Ohio made an attack on the people of
California because they did not employ
these Chinese, and now, when the Legis-
lature of California has passed a law which
since then has been declared unconstisu-
tional, that the people should not employ
them that is, those Incorporated under
the incorporation laws OF the State, the
gentleman from Mississippi makes an ut
tack upon the people Of California that
they are against employing them.
Mr.. Hooker-IIas the Supreme Court Of
your State decided that law to be uncon-
stitutionals
Mr.. Page-It has.
Mr.. Hooker-Then 1 am glad TO see your
Judges are more liberal than your legisla-
tors, and that they are governed by princi- |
pies of justice In this matter.
Mr.. Page-I would not like 10 say what
Legislature passed that.
Mr.. Hoooker-I have only to say that no
more patient people live anywhere than
these Chinese under the circumstances.
They have assented TO everything you pro- |
posed. You asked them to open China TO |
your own merchants, and you proposed to
open the United States 10 the Chinese mer- |
chants. They assented TO Ii. You found, |
after some experience, that II Is not prof- |
table. You do not think IL Is to the inter- |
est of our people TO continue that policy. |
lou wish TO exclude the Chinese. You
want to narrow the treaties instead OF
them. You want, in this en-
lightened nineteenth century, TO establish |
the same policy for the United States
which China had established for so many |
centuries.
They have opened ports Of China to our
and the intelligent head Of the |
Bureau OF Statistics. in reply to dispatch |
| sent him yesterday, has furnished me a
seriafi,n account annually of the condition
n the trade with China from lS4S down to
the present time. Ii is too long and too
tedious TO read in the House, but l
will embody IL In my remarks and
have it printed in the Record. Ii is as
uiere follows table for which we have
II That table, Mr.. Speaker, shows a most
" wonderful increase in the trade and COM
meree with China. So great indeed had 1t
become that we absolutely coined trade
dollar intended to be the means OF keeping
M our trade with China, and to-day there
exists nearly ESQ 0,0O0, 900 Of that coin In the
Empire OF China. More than that, Mr..
Speaker, China and Japan are the great
silver consuming countries Of the world.
they are the great silver using countries
lf the world. What Is to become OF the
Tast product which IL taken from the
mines Of California, Nevada and Oregon II
We are to cut of this enormous u ade with
he Empires OF China and Japant The
liver produced in this country now finds
t. Just Investment lnere.
Not only that, sir, but II to-day You
ldopt in this enlightened nineteenth cen
ury a policy Of legislation towards the
like that which IL pending in this
House to-day, then you may look for
argc decrease instead Of any increase in
,uT commerce. Instead Of increasing by
Millions as IL has been SINCE our first
reaty with China, IL will rapidly decrease
IptU "a will entirely vanish. That
rast trade absorbed by England viii
icsert your northern ports and your
Pacihc coast and win seek Its exit TO ths
markets ef the world through the lsthfrfus
n sucz. You win be len, when you have
expelled these people and destroyed this
intercourse, very much az the
'psniards were len when they drove the
ioors from spain and were len with their
ountry a desert; or rs France was len
rhen itexpelled those magnificent Hugue-
lots. who settled the State OF South Csro-
Ina, and, mingiing with an immigrsuen
ron, other European countries, gave Ne
'eople which bxs aided IN wonderful de-
rec In building ne up 70 that great height
4 nationality and civilization We now oe-
xo, air, IL win not do for ~ TO yiolste
ur treaty sfipnlnticns. would sayt the
opscience and fairnrinde1ness Of every
.embsr of this House ME hss vote ur,on ]
- question. LET N 20 Hff IN this matter
al Ne shall ncf bs held up before The !
rorld - violating the treaty sfipulnuons z
re have ourselves sought and beFEef
re peuple % make uiIk ~ War. rir, :
urrn fzr he no tine and ne occasion 1henf