Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-03


DID It-state Department views-The
Balance Sheet for Augusta Call for
Expert Drauehtsmen.
WASHINGTON CITY, Sept. 3.-No official
information Of the rejection Of the Chinese
treaty has been received at the state depart
ment, and nothing beyond the press dispatch
cabled Friday night from London, as pub
lished Saturday morning, is known on the
subject.
treaty contained arrangements with China
which the British government was most anx-
ious to make, and British influence to the ex-
tent of the power of that government to se-
cure a rejection Of the treaty by China has
been apprehended by them. For this reason
the amendments to the treaty, after it had
received the deliberate approval Of the
Chinese government through its minister
here although regarded as entirely unneces
sary and useless, were believed to be dan
gerous and mischievous, and to imperil the
great objects sought to be obtained upon our
side in the pending negotiations to settle an
important question.
After the treaty had been amended and
ratified by the senate the secretary of state
reopened negotiations and succeeded after
some correspondence in securing from the
Chinese minister his assent to the senate
amendments, the assent being in the form of
an exchange Of notes, which embodied in
substance an acknowledgment that the
amendments did not substantially alter the
text of the treaty as it had been originally
signed There seemed to be, however, in
the mind of the minister an impression that
China had been trifled with, and when the
amendments were sent out to China the pro-
ceeding was not understood by the high au-
thorities of that government. About a
month ago an inquiry was received
from the Chinese government by cable ask
ing if power still remained with the senate
to further amend the treaty, the Chinese au-
thorities wishing to know if trey were deal
ing with finality To this the secretary of
state replied at once that the treaty could
not be further amended Nothing further
has been heard on the subject, but it is
thought by friends Of the administration
that in the natural course of events the
stringent measure introduced in congress de-
signed to carry into effect by anticipation
the provisions of the treaty have been
brought to the attention Of the Chinese gov
eminent, and it has been unprecedented that
these steps, respecting treaty not yet agreed
to and consequently not in force, have served
to add further embarrassment and lead to
further doubts on the part of the Chinese
authorities as to our ultimate purpose.
California representatives in the house
were all much interested in the news. They
are disposed, however upon advice from the
state department, to await confirmation, Of
the original dispatch before taking steps to
| meet the emergency Morrow said that the
senate amendment to the treaty submitted
| by the president was vital, and without
| it the treaty would be ineffective. II was
| this amendment which had caused the rejec-
| ton of the treaty by the Chinese govern
ment, yet it was inserted TO meet the decis-
| ion of the supreme court, and the amend
ment was in the very language of that part
Of the decision which pointed out the stipu-
lation necessary to exclude Chinese from
the United States-that no person should
be permitted to enter the United States with
out the certificate provided for in the treaty.
| 1t had been the purpose of congress to pre-
vent the 'prior residents" from returning to
the United States under a claim of priority,
which it would be impossible to disprove.
I
ton of the treaty should be confirmed the
California members should ask congress to
pass law requiring the president to give six
months notice to the Chinese government
that thereafter no Chinese, except diplo-
matte, consular and other officers Of the Chi.
nese government, will be permitted to enter
the United States That notice would
amount to revocation and abrogation Of
all asserted rights of the Chinese to enter
the country He believed that while the
Chinese government regarded the amend
ed treaty as unduly stringent. the most po
tent reason for the rejection of the treaty
was that it had probably been caught in the
revolving wheels of diplomatic negotiation.
between China and Great Britain The Chi
nese government had protested strongly
against the action of the British government
in returning a shipload of Cinnamon from
Australia as an unfriendly act, and it wa
probable that in the ensuing negotiations tn,
English government had drifted into the dis
cusson of the policy of the United State
concerning the justice Of the protest agains
the exclusion of Chinese from Australia
while the Chinese were about to ratify
treaty permitting the United States to rejec
such immigrants.
Thompson, the only Democratic represen
tative from California now at the capital
said: "lt it is now a question between tn
exclusion of the Chinese and the abrogatlo
of the treaty am for its abrogation Tn
Chinese must be excluded, even if it become
necessary to wipe out the Burlingame treaty
| will say, however, that in my opinion til
: original treaty submitted to the senate an
ratified by the Chinese government was an
ply sufficient to have effected the exclusio
Of the Chinese 1t conceded the power c
congress to enact whatever legislation We
necessary to do that, and the senate amend
ments were unnecessary and resulted in tn
rejection of the treat"
Vaudever, FELTON, and McKenna agree
with Morrow, and thought Great Britai
was at the bottom Of the rejection.
Senator Mitchell said: "If it be true tn,
the Chinese government has rejected Ii
| proposed treaty, l think it a most fortuna,
/ thing for the people of this country II
I treaty as sent to the senate by the presideI
i was in my Judgment one that never shoul
= have received the sanction OF our people, b
r cause it opened several new doors by wbic
Chinese could enter which do not exist in til
, present treaty with this country OF cour,
J. the amendments made by the senate in
! proved the treaty very greatly, but eve
a with those amendments don't think it NEE
the great evil against which 1t is directe'
There is but one way to deal with this que
ton, and that Is for congress to pass a la
+ forbidding the coming OF Chinese to tn
D country except diplomatic representative
: and as absolutely preventing the return
those now here under any preteuse wha
' ever Jones of Nevada and Eel on talk,
exactly the same way.