The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-10-11
CHINESE EXCLUSION BILL
President Cleveland Gives His
Reasons for Signing It.
A Message to Congress Containing Recom-
mendatIons Ms to Best Methods Of
Preventing Mongolians from
Entering this Country.


THE MEssAoB.
WASHINGTON, Oct 2.--The President sent
the following message TO Congress yesteg-
day:
/ have this day approved House bill No II 500
supplementary to an act entitled IAN act TO exo-
cute certain treaty stpulatons relating 70 Chi.
nese," approved May 9, 1882. 1t soems TO me
that some suggestions and recommendations
may properly accompany my approval OF this
bill Its object 10 to enectually accomplish by
legislation the exclusion from this country Of
Chinese laborers.
and mutual race idiosyncraoies OF the Chinese
labortng classes with those OF the great body Of
the people Of the United States has been proved
By the experience Of twenty year, ,sss and s ever
every sense unwise, impolitic and injurious TO
both nations. With the lapse OF time the me-
cessty for its abandonment has grown in foroe,
untn those having in charge the government Of
the respective countries have resolved to modi.
fy and suiciently abrogate oil those features Of
prior conventional arrangements which per-
mitted the coming OF Chinese laborers TO the
In modification OF prior conventions the treaty
of November II, 1880. was concluded, whereby,
in the first article thereof II was agreed that
the United Stat9s should at will regulate. limit.
or suspend the coming OF Chinese laborers 10
the United States, but not absolutely prohibit
IL, and under this article an act OF Congress,
approved May O. 1882, and amended July D, 1884
suspended for ten years tho coming OF Chinese
laborers TO the United States and regulated the
going and coming OF such Chinese laborers as
were at the time in the United States.
1t was, however, soon made evident that the
mercenary greed OF the parties who were trad
Ing in the labor OF this class OF the Chinese
population wes proving too strong for the tqst
execution OF the law, and that the virtual do
feat of the object and intent Of both law and
treaty was being fraudulently accomplished By
false pretense and perjury, contrary TO the ex-
pressed will Of both governments.
haat tha prra afr 1ufN AZ an
OF the treaty and the laws enacted for It's exc
cution progressed, that the courts OF the Pa
cihc States have been for some time past over
whelmed by the examination OF cases OF Chi
nese lahorers who are charged with having On.
tered our ports under fraudulent certificates Of
return or seek TO establish by perjury the cfaim
OF prior residence. Such demonstration OF the
imperative and ineficient condition OF the
treaty and law has produced deepseated and
increasing discomfort among the people OF tho
United States and especially with those resi-
dent on the Pacific coast. This has induced me
to omit no effort to find al effectual remedy for
the evils complained OF, and to answer the earn
est popular demand for the absolute exclusion
Of Chinese laborers having objects and pur-
poses unlike our own and wholly disconnected
with American citizenship.
Aided by the presence In this country of able
and intelligent diplomatic and consular oficera
OF the Chinese government, and the represen-
tations made from time to time by our Minister
In China, under the instructions OF the Depart
ment of State the actual condition OF public
sentiment and the status Of affairs in the United
States has been fully known TO the government
OF China. The necessity for remedy has been
fully appreciated by that government, and In
August 1896. our Minister At Peking received
from the Chinese Foreign Office q commuuicar
tion announcing that China, OF her own acc6fd,
proposed TO establish q system Of strict and ab-
solute prohibition OF her laborers under heavy
penalties, from coming 70 the United States
and ulikewise TO prohibit the return to the
United States Of any Chinese laborer who had
OF any time gone back to China, "in order that
the Chinese laborers may gradually be reduced
in number and causes OF danger ayerted and
lives preserved
This view OF tine Chinese government, so com
pletely in harmony with that OF the United
States, was by my direction speedily formulated
In q treaty drafted between the two nations. en-
bodying the propositions SO presented by the
Chinese Foreign once.
The deliberations and correspondence on the
general questions that ensued have been fully
communicated by me to the Senate OF the pres
ept session, and may be properly referred 10 as
containing q complete history OF the transaction,
II is thus easy to learn how the joint desired
and unequivocal mutual understanding OF the
two governments were brought into articulated
form and treaty, which after a mutual exhibi-
tion OF plenary powers from the respective gov
ernments, was signed and concluded by the pie
at this Capitol on March IL last. Being submit
ted for the advice and consent OF the Senate Its
confirmation on the 7th day of May last was ac-
compaued by two amendments which that
body engrafted upon II.
On the twelfth day OF the same month the
Chinese Minister, who was the plenipotcntiary
of his government in the negotiation and the
conclusion OF the treaty. in a note TO the Secre-
tary OF State gave his approval Of these amend
ments, " rs they did not alter the terms Of tho
treaty" and the amendments were at once tele-
graphed TO China whittier the original treaty
had previously been sent Immediately after its
signature on March 12.
On the 18th day OF last month, approved
Senate bill No. 884, ITO prohibit the coming OF
lahOrara IN tata
bill was Intended to supplement tho treaty, and
was approved in the confident anticipation Of
an early exchange OF ratiications OF the treaty
and its amendments and the proclamation OF
the same, upon which event the legislation 30
approved was by its terms to take effect
No Information OF any definite action upon the
trenty by the Chinese government was received
until 2lst ultimo. the day the bill which have
Just approved was presented to me, when tele-
gram from our Minister at Picking TO the Score
tary OF State announced the refusal OF the Chi
nese government TO exchange Publications Of
the treaty, unless further discussion should be
had with q view TO shorten the period stipulated
in the treaty for the exclusion OF Chinese labor
ers, and to change the conditions agreed on
which should entitle any Chinese laborer who
might so back to China TO return TO the United
States.
BY note from the charge d'afrairs ad in.
terim OF China TO the Secretary OF STATE. re-
ceived on the evening Of the 25th ultimo. q third
amendment is proposed, whereby the certif-
cate, under which any departing Chinese laborer
Unitod states S would be- enabled 10 return to to
this country, should be granted by the Chinese
consul instead OF the United States collector,
as had been provided In the treaty. The obv-
Gus and necessary effect OF this last proposi tion
would be practically to place the execution Of
the treaty beyond the control Of the United
States.
The President recommends that Congress,
by Joint resolution, or in some other man
ner, provide that such Chinese laborers as
have actually embarked on their return to
this country before the passage of this bill
may be permitted to land. He also recon-
mends the appropriation Of the amount
named In the rejected treaty to indemnify
certain Chinese subjects for damages suf-
fered through violence in the remote and
comparatively unsettled portions of our