Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
Synopsis Of the New Treaty
With China.
IMPORTANT PROPOSITIONS.
The Senate Urged to Take Action
Regarding the Great Rail-
road Strike.

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch TO the HERALD
WASHINGTON, March 10 Senator
Blackburn's desk was gorgeously con-
spicuous this morning with a floral
tribute in the form and the colors ol
the United States flag, sent by the
Hancock Veteran Association of Phil
adelphia, in recognition of his $50
ably defending the memory Of our
dead heroes" Generals Mcclellan
and Hancock.
THE CHINESE TREATY.
The President to-day sent the new
Chinese treaty to the Senate, but it
has not yet been laid before that
body. Its main features have been
published. 1t is understood that the
President recommends in his
message of transmittal that the
injunction of secrecy be at once
removed the from treaty. The accom-
panying paper by Secretary Bayard
explains the features of the treaty and
the history of its negotiation from the
time the present administration
entered office. "The treaty by its
terms runs 20 years. The Chinese
laborer who has 81 900 worth of prop
erty here or that amount due him or
who has lawful husband or wife or
parent or child, may, if absent, return
within one year, or if detained by
sickness, the time may be extended
to two years. No other Chinese
laborers may come in on any terms.
Chinese merchants, scholars and
students may come only when pro-
vided with certificates issued by an
American Consul. The treaty binds
this country to pay the Chinese
Minister $275,000 within one year,
which sum shall be accepted as full
statement of all claims against the
United States or her citizens for loss
or injury suffered by Cinnamon here"
AMONG THE PETITIONS
Presented was one from Chicago for
the construction OF canal around
Niagara Falls to connect Lakes Erie
and Ontario; and one from Missouri
for the removal of the duty on salt.
General Butler offered a bill for the
admission of Utah as State. Re-
ferred to the Committee on Terri
tories.
The bill provides that the qualifi-
cations necessary to take part in the
election of delegates to the Constitu-
tional Convention directed to be held
by the bill, shall be the same as now
required in the election of members
of the Territorial Legislative Assem-
bly,. The Utah Commission is grant
ed power to apportion the State into
one hundred election districts, and on
the day of the regular annual election
in August. 1888, the delegates shall be
chosen. The Constitutional Assem-
blage is to meet at Salt Lake City on
the second Tuesday Of December.
1888, and il, after organization, the dele
gates shall ado pt the constitution of the
United States they shall have the
right to frame State constitution,
which shall contain, among other
things, an irrevocable ordinance pro-
vidiug that perfect liberation Of relig-
ious sentiments shall be secured, and
that no inhabitant OF the State shall
ever be molested in person or prop
erty on account of his mode OF relig-
ious worship. If the constitution
formed by this convention shall be
ratified by the people OF the Territory,
the President is required to issue a
proclamation for admitting the State
into the Union.
The resolution offered by Frye yes
terday, calling for copies of the min
utes and protocols of the Fisheries
Commission, and that offered by Sen
tor Dolph as to the fur-seal fishing
IN Alaska, were taken up and passed.
Senator Hale introduced a bill
authorizing the President to appoint
and retire John G. Fremont as Major
General.
THE UNDER-vALUATloN BILL.
The Senate then resumed consider
alton OF the Under-valuation bill AL
lison made statement as to the i'm
port Of the Fourteenth section of the
bill. He believed that it was an ef-
fective section to carry out the pur-
poses intended and was in no degree
and in no way unjust to any honest
importer.
Beck said that all the committee
had desired was to secure uniformity
of taxation and fair taxation and to
prevent fraud. Under the existing
law the importing business of the
country was being transferred from
the legitimate leaders to those who
were simply agents of foreign manu-
facturers. The men who managed to
cheat the Government most success
fully were the men most sought for
by foreign manufacturers as their
most valuable agents, men who had
no scruples in taking any sort Of oath
as long as they could get their goods
in cheaper than anybody else, and so
reputable merchants were driven out
of the business. The committee had
endeavored to correct the evil as we'll
as it could.
Hiscock advocated the bill and de-
clared that not one word of protest
had been received against it by the
committee or the Senate. The only
utterance against it had found its way
into print as an anonymous brief, is
sued by what might be a corporation
or association OF individuals in the
city of New York. Some man had
signed his name to that paper as the
President, but the members of that
corporation had not appeared before
the committee. The argument that
the bill was restriction of commerce
was refuted by the fact that the mer-
chants of New York, Boston, Balti-
more, Philadelphia and Chicago
favored it's passage. The bill was not
aimed against commerce, bat was a
protection to commerce.
Evarts replied to Hiscock, and
stated his objections to the 14th Sec