The morning call., 1891-03-05
The CHINESE EVIL.
Report Of the Special Congress
SiOnal Committee.
Methods Adopted By The MongOlianS 10
EYade the Restriction ACt
A Recommendation That the Present Law Be
Perpetlaed and Facilities Provided
to Enforce II.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

report from the subcommittee of the SEN
ate and House immigration committees
that went to the Pacific Coast for the pur-
| pose of investigating the Chinese immigra-
tion question. The report says the evidence
| shows that the number of Chinese in this
| country is decreasing in consequence of the
Chinese Exclusion Act, although not as
raridly as, in the committees opinion. is
| desirable. This is on account of the
difficulty encountered by United States
officials in executing the law.
| The fact that some Chinese manage to
surreptitiously come into the United States
from British Columbia across the boundary,
| the report says, seems to be established by
testimony, but this number does not exceed
| 800 annually. The head tax OF $50, levied
| by the British Columbia authorities, To-
| gether with the vigilance of the United
| States customs officers, the committee thinks
| is sufficient to prevent any increase in this
number.
| STEAM LAUNCHES NEEDED.
The committee recommends, however,
| that two steam launches be placed at the
| disposal of the Collector of Customs at Port
| Townsend, to be used on Puget Sound for
! the prevention Of unlawful Chinese mml-
| grafton and the suppression of the snug
| Cling of opium, silks and other dutiable
| Chinese goods.
1t is estimated that the cost Of these
| launches and their maintenance can be paid
| out of the sale Of opium captured or by the
| increased collection OF duties which would
| surely follow.
CHINESE TRICKERY.
| The present officials at San Francisco are,
| the report says, exercising every precautlon
| TO keep out the excluded classes with bene-
| fetal result
The report then refers to the various prac-
| ticeS the Cinnamon resort TO i'll order to
| obtain admission to the United States. One
| OF the practices is for them to sue out writ
| OF habeas corpus fol those arriving in this
country but who are denied landing
| by the Collector. The petitioners for the
writ are allowed to give security for their
| appearance in court. They give as security
| their own countrymeD, who willingly swear
| that they are worth double the amount of
| the recognlZance, although the officer taking
! the bail knows from past experience that it
| Is ute Tly worthless, and that in these cases
! of habeas corpus large fees and costs ac-
| cumuate which have to be paid, and very
| small percentage of Chinamen so landed are
| ever deporled to China. 1t appears that the
| number OF these cases amounted in 1883 to
| 1000. and since then to p. .692. A very large
| number OF them remain untried on the court
| docket.
CANNOT BE FOUND.
The defendants in 5s per cent Of the
| cases disposed of are ordered to be remauded
! and deported, and of this number so re-
nanded less than per cent are ever found
and deported. Very few suits have been in-
stituted for the forfeiture OF bail, as the
United States District Attorney informed
| the committee that such suits only result In
further costs to the Government. as no
| property belonging to the b0udsnen could
ever be found 10 satisfy the Judgment.
Another fact elected is that the counsel
| generally employed in these cases are also
! the attorneys of the Chinese Consul and of
| the Six Companies. This has been a fruit
| full source of increasing the Chinese pOpula-
| tion, and the committee Aggests that In
| these cases no Chinaman be allowed to be-
| come security for the appearance OF petl-
tioner unless he shall deposit either in
money or in Understanding securities IN
! bank to the credit OF the case the amount OF
| such TecognlZance.
| ANOTHER DODGE SUCCESSFULLY WORKED
The committee also found that number
| of Chinese came into the United States from
| Mexico. The evidence shows that formerly
large numbers crossed the line, and that
| those WHO so crossed came from China in
steamers plying between HOng-kong and
| San francisco These Chinese, protesting
to be going TO Mexico, were not landed at
| San Francisco, but were transferred from
the steamer to vessels bound to Mexican
ports under transit permits. Upon being
landed in Mexico they soon found their way
across the boundary into the United States.
PROMPTLY SUPPRESSED.
This mode OF invasion was promptly sup
| pressed by recent order OF tho Secretary
| Of the Treasury directing the Collector at
San Francisco to refuse transit permit to
any Chinese bound to Mexican ports
whereupOn they were denied landing and
returned to China, there being at present no
direct communication between Mexican
Ia a nfNlN
four or five hundred Chinese in the Whole
of Mexico. the committee does not appre-
hend any serious nfractions of the law from
this quarter, unless scheme to import Chin
csc directly into Mexico be perfected
NATIVE-BoRN CITIZENS.
Many Cinnamon coming to this country
in apparent violation OF the law claim to 6e
native-bOrn American citizens, and the
courts often find great difficulty in over
coming their evidently false testimony; Dnl
it cannot be denied that some are native
born citizens of Chinese descent
| The committee, however, Is satisfied that
with the increased public sentiment against
them, the Chinese as 4 class are undesira-
| BILE to have in this country, and that the
officials should be required to execute tn the
present laws with the utmost vlgor. Inc
universal sentiment of all the testimony
taken at the different places the committee
visited is that the Chinese should be eX-
cluded
SHOULD BE PROTECTED.
The committee is of the opinion that the
rights of those who are here should not De
interfered with, but that great care shoult
be taken that their number should be &c
creased rs rapidly as possible. 1.-THE emma
men never aSsimiates with our people
knows nothing of our Institutions, ant
in nine cases out of ten of those VINO AT
tend our Sunday schools and make pre-
| tense Of religious belief they do it III orde
| tn Iearn nur laupu9pp and thereby be DeLte
able to acquire comparative wealth.
AFTER OUR DOLLARS.
The cO0lie who comes to this country na'
an idea of remaining here certain nuihOei
of years, and by his thrift and industry t'
accumulate sufficient to enable him to liv'
the balance of his days in China.
The average stay OF Cinnamon In thi'
country is from three to five years. Unde
the present law when he returns TO CElna
be is excluded, if he be laborer, from lana
ing again.
: If the present law is strictly enforced
will not be many years before the race Will
in all probability, be extinct in this country
| CHINESE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
In this connection the report refers to th
$4,000 to 10000 Chinese in San Francisco
This population is confined to one yer
small portion Of the city, including te
: blocks OF land, or not quite fourteen acres
There are perhaps not more than 100 Chlnf
ters are pest-breediDg places, which shoul
not be tolerated in any American city. In
Chinese are addicted to all the vices, an
/. their evil influence is speedily spreading
an alarming degree among our own peopl,
They have introduced the opium hab
among the white population and this Is II
creasing, especially among the younger po
n ton of the community.
s The Chinese are inyeterate gamblers, an
| Chinese lotteries flourish to such an exteI
, and so openly and the money daily receive
/. Is so great that 1t seems impossible TIL
# such state of affairs could exist, says u
4 report, except with the connivance Of Il
=. authorities.
}, SHOCKING IMMORTALITY
n 1t Is hardly necessary, the report cOntiI