Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-07
The Chinese Question.
Important Debate and Vote in
 the Senate.
PUSHING THE BILL TO A VOTE.
MT. Sherman Says tho Senate's Action Is Premature and III Advised-He Re- frains from Voting, and So Does MT. Hoar-No Amendments Admitted.


 frains from Voting, and So Does MT.
 Hoar-No Amendments Admitted. WASHINGTON. Sept. 7.-After prel mInary routine business in the senate the Chinese exclusion bill was taken up.
 Mr. Sherman said he favored the passage of the bill if the Chimes, government had refused to accede to the new treaty or to ne gotiate further upon 1t. It was an unusual thing for the senate to pass upon bill of such importance without reference to com- mittee; without consideration and without any of the forms required in ordinary legis- lation He had assumed that the bill came from the executive department of the gov ernment, and he had been willing to modify the rules of the senate so as to meet the ex- igency of the occasion. No answer had been received to the resolution adopted ask ing the president whethe: defiuite and pos itive information about the rejection of the treaty had been received by our govern ment, and l it should appear, as he believed 1t would, tha6 no suol Information had been received, and if the senate, without | regard to the ordinary usages ot the senate, should hurriediy pass this blll, it would be a surprise to the country and to the whole civ 1 ihzed world. Mir. Sherman said he had in- | formation from undoubted sources, mot | from the president or secretary of state," he added, that the probability was that no such action had been taken by the Chinese government. When the bill came over from | the house he had assumed, as matter of course, that the house had passed it on in- 1 formation that came from the executive; but the senate had no such information, and should not rush wildly like a flock of | bill. If it should turn out, as he believed it would that the Chinese government had not rejected the treaty, the nasty passage of the bill would be unbecoming to the American senate, and so he thought it bound by the common courtesy due between nations, as | between individuals, to await the action of the Chinese government If the bill were passed and the treaty were ratified the senate would have placed itself in the ridicu- lous attitude of assuming a fact which did not exist, but if, on the contrary, the treaty were rejected, there was still ample time to pass the bill.
 Mir. Sherman therefore asked the senate to let the bill go over for day or two, until the facts were ascertained but Mr. Stewart objected, and discussion of the bill was reopened,
 MT. Platt said if the bill was pressed to a vote he would vote for it under protest. He did not like the untimely way in which the bill had come before congress. Mir. Platt wanted to know why such hot haste to pass the bill if there had been no notice, official or unofficial, received by the executive that the treaty had beon rejected To pass the bill under such circumstances would be a direct insult to nation with which the i United States desired to continue friendly commercial relations He would vote for the bill if vote was forced upon the senate now because he was not going to act on the assumption that the pending bill was an electioneering dodge.
 Mir. Plumb, criticizing the course of the administration in this matter, said the presi- dent had apparently sent the bill to the house in the shape of message to that body I The house received it from the hands of the presidents trusted counselor" and it had been passed upon as an administration meas ure.
 Mir. Brown asked Mir. Sherman whether be- as chairman of the committee on foreign relations, had any information of the rejec- tion of the treaty.
 MT. Shermun--Certainly not. 4 gentle man who has had business with the Chinese legation told nlt that ne ;OeS not believe that the legation mas lhforma. ,Ou O. the rejection of the treaty that there has been no obiec- tion (So far as known to the amendments to the treaty. On the contrary, the minister himself assented to them at the time they were offered, and 1t was presumed as a matter of course that the treaty would be ratified. 1 feel free to say that no com munication of any kind has coms to the president in regard to the treaty. I believe that that is facc; and the whole of our action the blll IS based upon the aSsump- tion that because q distinguished member of the house of representatives brought 1t in and had it hurried through the nuuoo it was done with the Sauction of the administration Certainly we ought not to be satisfied with that Suppose the president should veto the act which he has now before him on the ground that we ha passed this bill abrogat- ing the treaty, we would be Gin 6 hoe"-in a very embarrassing position.
 Mir. Brown moved to amend it by admit ting to land such Chnamen as, having left this country with certltica tes emitting them to return, were now on their way to the United States. To pass the bill without such provision would be- he said, not only a great hardship, but a cruelty and an out rage winch no exigency or political exigency could justify. If this bill were passed, who could deny the right of the Chinese govern ment to expel from China every American merchant and missionary within the limits of that vast empire1 And If this should be
 
 against this legislation that, instead of polit- ical capital being made out of it, it would be the political downfall of the party re- gerded as most at fault
 Mir. Teller objected to the proposed mend ment as not being offered in time, and the objection was sustained.
 Mir Morgan questioned the sincerity of the Pacific slope senators as to the exclusion of Chinamen, and remarked that the sentiment for their exclusion was far from universal The kstatement was challenged by Mir. Mitchell who said, somewhat excitedly, that there was not one word of truth ln 1t,
 The debate being closed, the senate pro >eeded to vote on the passage of the bill The vote was unanimous: Yeas, 37; nays, 0.
 There being no quorum voting there was B call of the senate, when thirty-nne senators exactly a quorum-answered to their names
 Mr. Hosr said he had been present when she vote was taken Wednesday and yester, day, but had refrained from voting for the reasons stated by the senator from Ohio [ (Mr. Sherman). Mir. Sherman had also with Weld his vote on both occasions.
 , Tbare Is Still Hone of n Ratification.