Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1888-03-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March 0. 1885

signed within few days by Score.
tary Bayard for tile Uuited States
and by the Chinese minister for the
Flowery Kingdom. This treaty, it
is understood, contains very rigid
provisions againt the importation of
Chinese laborors into this country.
1t is an absolute prohibition against
such importation. But one question
of difference that was noe easily set.
tied arose in the demand of tho Chi.
neso minister that Cinnamon who
had lived i'll the United States and
had acquired residence here should
be permitted to pass between this
country and their native land ddA6i-
tan. The trouble in regard to this
matter arose from the belief that,
under the law restricting Chinese
immigration, the plea of former resi-
dence had been utilized to bring in
tens of thousands of new Cinnamon.
1t WAS finally arranged that any
Chinaman who had made the United
States his home and had acquired
possession of property valued at
$1,000 shall be permitted to visit
China and return.
The treaty will be sent to the Sen
ate for it's action, and it will proba.
bly, meet with strong opposition from
the Pacific Coast Senators, mainly
on tho ground of the privilege it ac-
cords to the "washee washeesr who
have accumulated $1,000 worth of
property. The Pncifc coast people,
who hive obtSihcd an insiyht into
Chinese character by experience, say
that any of them would swear to the
ownership of $1,000 or any other
sum as means of importing more
of their race.
Hanging i'll one corner Of the room
OF the Senate library committee is a
picture with IN interesting history.
1t is portrait of Henry Lnurens, of
South Carolina. 1t was painted in
1881 while Laurens was confined MS
~ prisoner in the Tower of London.
He had been sent by the Continental
Congress us minister to Hollan j, with
the view of his effecting loan of
money from that government to this
En route to Holland Laurens was
seized upon the high seas by Great
Britain and taken to London. He
was shut up i'll the tower rs II prison
er of State. Copley, an American
artist, was in London ut the time,
and he painted the portrait of Mr..
Laurens which now hangs in the
Capitol. The prison walls form the
background, and in one hand tho
sturdy American patriot holds sheet
OF manuscript, on which the follow
ing can be read;
81 have acted the part faith (here
the thumb hides portion of the
word) subject. 1 now go resolved
still to labor for pence, at the same
time determined in the last event to
stand or fall with my country. I
have the honor to be
HENRY LAURENs.r
This is supposed to be one of the
responses he made to the frequent
solicitations of those in power in
England for him to espouse the
British cause. But neither bv SC
acre punishment nor honeyed words
could the British power move him.
On the upper margin of The portrait
appears tho following:
"Hon. Henry Lau, ems, President
of the American Congress, painted
1871, whilo in the tower"
The portrait was sent to thisscoun
try for sale, and was placed in the
Corcoran Art Gallery on exhibition.
There Senator Butler saw it, and at
once determined that tho govern
ment ought to own it, as it is the
only picture of Laurens extant. Sen.
ator Butler laid the matter before
the library committee, and the por-
trait was purchased for the United
States. T..