Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-10-11
THE GATES CLOSED.
The President Signs the Chinese
Exclusion Bill

He Reviews the Negotiations and How the
Treaty Came to be Rejected-Rec-
concentrations to Return
ing Cinnamon.
WAsH1NGroN, Oct 1.-The President
sent the following message to Congress to-
day:
have this day approved House bill No.
II 1886, supp mentary to an act entitled IAN act
to execute certain treaty stipulatlons relating
to the Chinese" approved May 6, 1882.
It seems to that some suggestions and
recommendations may properly accompany my
approval of this bill. Its object is to more
enectually accomplish by legislation the ex-
clusion from this country OF Chinese laborers
habits and mutual race idiosyncracies
Of the Chinese laborlng class with
those of the great body OF the people OF the
United States has been proved by the expe-
rience OF twenty years, and ever since the bur
lingame treaty of 1853, to DE in every sense I'M
wise impolitic and injurious 80 both nations.
With the lapse OF time the necessity fve its
abandonment has grown in forae, until those
having in charge the government OF the re-
spective countries have resolved to modify and
sufficiently abrogate all those features of prior
conventional arrangements which permitted
the coming of Chinese laborers 20 the United
States.
In the modification OF prior conventions the
whereby. in the first article thereof, it was
agreed that the United States should az will.
regulate, limit or suspend the coming Of
Chinese laborers to the United States but not
absolutely prohibit; and under this article and
act of Congress approved May 6. 1882, tsee vol.
%. p 50, statutes at large) and amended July 5.
1884, (vol. 20. p IL statutes at large) suspended
for ten years the coming OF Chinese laborers
20 con such as
were at that time in Che United States. 1t was,
however, soon made evident that the mefcenery
greed of the parties Sho were Trading in the
labor Of thaS class OF the Chinese population
was proving too strong FOR che just execution of
the law, and thas tho virtual defeat Of the OBJ
ject and intent % both law and treaty was being
sfaudulently accomplished by False pretense
and perjury conSrars ae Sbe expressed will OF
both Governments.
To such extent hA9 Che Suc0eSSful Olet1On
of the treaty and the lave enacted for its exc
cution progressed that the courts iR the Pacific
States have boen for time past over
whelmed by the examination OF cases of Chinese
laborers who are charged with having entered
our port8 under fraudulens certificates OF re-
Surn seek to establish by perjury tho claim OF
3ror residence. Such demonstration OF the in
operative and inefficient condition of the treaty
and law has produced deep seated and increas-
ing discomfort among the people of the United
States and especially with those resident on the
Pacific coast. This has induced me to omit no
effort to find an effectual remedy for the evils
complained OF and to answer the earnest pop
ular demand for the absolute exclusion of Chin
csc laborers having object and purposes unlike
our own and wholly disconnected With Anleri-
can citizenship.
Aided by the presence in ahis country of
able and intelieent diplomatic and consular
officers of the Chinese Government and the
representations made from time to time by our
Minister in China under the instructions of the
Departments 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 shat
Government, and in August. 1885, our Minister
at Pekin geceived from the Chinese Foreign
Once a communication announcing that
China, OF her OWE accord pro.
posed to establish a system Of strict ana abso-
lutte prohibition of her laborers, under heavy
penalties from coming to the United States and
likewise to prohibit the return TO the United
States OF any Chinese 1&bOrer who had at any
time gone back to China "in orders lin the words
Of the communication that che Chinese labor
ers may gradually be reduced in aumber ana
causes of danger avefted and lives preserved -
This view Of the Chinese Government SO
completely in harmony with that of the
United States was, by my direction speedily
formulated in treaty draft between the two
Nations, embodying the propositions so pre-
sented by the Chinese Foreign ONCE The
deliberations, frequent oral discussions and
correspondence on the general questions that
ensued have been fully communicated by me to
the Senate at the present session and as CON
tanned in State executive document and Sen
ate executive documents may be properly re-
ferred to as containing O complete history OF
the transaction. It is thus easy to learn how
the joint desires and uneQuivocal mutual un
derstanding of Che two Governments were
brought into articulation form in the treaty,
which, after D mutual exhibition OF plenary
powers from the respective Governments as
signed and concluded by Che plenipotentiaries
OF the United States and China at this capitol
on March 10 last.
Being submitted fbr the advice and consent
of the Senate, its confirmation, on the 7sh day
OF May last was accompanied by two amend
ments, which that body engrafted upon It, On
the twelfth day OF the same month the Chinese
Minister, who was the plenipOtentiary of his
Government in the negotiation and conclusion
OF the treaty, in note to the Secretary of State,
save his approval of these amendments (as they
did not alter the terms of che treaty. and the
amendments were at once telegraphed to China.
whittier the original treaty had previously
been sent Immediately after its signature on
March II.
On the 18th day of last month i approved Sen.
ate bill No. 1904 to prohibit the coming of Chi.
. nese laborers to the United States. This bill
was intended to supplement the treaty and was
approved in the confident anticipation of an
early exchange of ratifcations Of the treaty and
its amendments and the proclamation of the
same, upon which event the legislation SO ap-
proved was by its terms to take effect.
No information of any definite action upon
e5he treaty by the Chinese Government was re-
cefved until the 21st ultimo, the day the bill
have Just approved was presented to me- when
telegram from our Minister 1t Pekin to the
Secretary OF State, announcing the refusal OF
the Chinese Government to exchange ratid
cations of the treaty unless further discussion
should be had with a view to the period
stipulated in the treaty for the exclusion OF
chinese laborers and to change Che condi
lions agreed on which should entitle any
Cninese laoorer who might go back to
China to return again to the United States. BY
q note from the charge d'affaires ad interim OF
China to the Secretary of State received On
the evening OF September 25 "a copy of which
As herewith transmitted together with the re.
ply thereto) third amendment In proposed
whereby the certificate under which any de.