The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-04
THE CHINESE BILL.


The House bill excluding Chinese i'm
migration absolutely. having come
over from the House, was taken up for
action.
At first George moved its reference
to the committee on foreign relations,
but that course was resisted by Sena-
tors Stewart, Mitchell and Dolph, and
Vest declared himself prepared to vote
for the bill Immediately. Under the
circumstances, George withdrew the
motion TO refer.
Sherman made statement as to the
the course of the committee on foreign
relations on the subject, and advocated
the passing OF the bill on the around
that every nation had the right to
provide for its own preservation, even
in contravention of existing treaties.
Sherman gave detailed sta tement of
the course of the committee on foreign
relations in regard to the treaty recently
ratified by the Senate, with the amend
ments, including an interview with the
Secretary of State. No one doubted the
powers of the United States government
to make the exclusion of the Chinese
absolute, even without negotiating q
new treaty, and even in violation of the
existing treaty. Every nation had the
right to provide by law for its own
safety, but it had been the general de-
sire of the committee on foreign rela-
tons to have the Chinese government
assent by treaty to absolute exclusion. If
the object could beaccomplished in that
way, and without the direct attention
of congress (not in harmony with the
treaty. the committee preferred to have
it done in that way. A sub committee
OF three had all talked the matter over
in the most friendly manner with Sec
rotary Bayard, and the secretary enter
ed into negotiations with the Chinese
government in view of the proposed
notifications of the treaty. A new
treaty had been negotiated and had
bsen ratified by the Senate with amend
ments to make it clear and
which amendments it was supposed
the Chinese minister would have agreed
to. He supposed from what the news
papers said that the rejection OF the
treaty by the Chinese government was
connected with the Australian COM
plications and with the idea that the
Chinese government would have to con-
cede to Great Britain in reference to its
Australian colonies, the same terms
which il comedies to the United States.
He, therefore, would not make any OBJ
lection to tbs passage of the bill and he
hoped it would pass, but this was with
the distinct understanding that
the House had passed it with the knowl.
edge that the new treaty had been re-
rejected by the Chinese Government. If
| that should prove otherwise, the fault
would not be that of the Senate.
A long confab between Sherman and
Butler followed, in which the former
admitted that the bill was an "abroga-
ton" not a violation" Of the treaty,
and the latter asserted his intention to
vote for its passage.
The debate was continued at much
length by Senator Grey, who depre--
Gated the action of the Senate in put
ting unnecessary amendments in the
treaty which would have fully &C
complished the purpose of the pending
bill, ald by Senators Stewart, Vest,
Dolph and Mitchell aud George.
Mitchell declared that George, in as
sorting that the Republican party was
responsible for opening the door to Chi
nese Immigration, was asserting his
own ignor ance of what he was talking
about, and that the door had been
opened by the Democratic party of
California.
As Morgan desired to speak on the
bill, il went over till tomorrow.
Adjourned,