The record-union., 1892-09-21
DEFIANT CHINESE.
LABORERS ADVISED NOT TO GET
REGISTERED.
The Presidents of the six Companies
Claim that the Geary Exclusion
Act is Unconstitutional.
special to the REcoRp-uN1on.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoE.
SAN Francisco, Sept. 2O.-The CAL to-
morrow will publish a letter from the
Presidents of the Chinese Six Companies
to Collector of Internal Revenue John G.
Quinn, sent in response to an inquiry by
the Collector as to whether or not it was
true that the Six Companies had advised
Chinese laborers not to comply with the
provisions of the Chinese registration
law passed at the last session of Congress.
The Presidents of the Six Companies
say to the Collector that they have issued
circular advising Chinese laborers that
the law is unconstitutional, and cannot
be enforced, and that they have suggested
TO the laborers that do not comply with
the law.
The Presidents say their circular was
based upon the advice OF their attorney,
and they declare that the registration law
is unconstitutional and in violation of the
treaty rights. In support of the assertion
that the law is unconstitutional they say
that the law makes no distinction be-
tween Chinese who are aliens and Chi
nese who are citizens OF the United
States; that citizen of the Chinese race
is entitled to the same rights and priv
ileges as those of the Caucasian race; that
no law can be passed which is intended to
apply to one class of people and not to
another.
The letter states that all laws must be
equal and uniform; that Congress has no
power to pass law int1lcting a penalty
of deportation; that the law is against the
provisions of the Constitution relating to
the deprivation of life, liberty and prop
erty, and relating to the infection of cruel
and unusual punishment. The letter
~, Sto hot No
siding here, who come here under the eX-
listing laws, are entitled to remain.
The letter then declares that the treaty
between the United States and China pro-
VideS that Chinese visiting or residing in
the United States shall have the same
rights and privileges as are enjoyed by
citizens or subjects of the most favored
nations. 1t says that while Congress has
a right to abrogate or nullify treaty, the
Supreme Court of the United States has
decreed that such an abrogation or multi
fication must be in express terms and
not by implication. 1t declares that Con-
gress has not so abrogated or nullified the
treaty with China, and it then quotes a
provision of the Constitution that all
treaties, as well as the Constitution and
laws of the United States, shall be the
supreme law of the land.
The letter declares further that no law
is constitutional which imposes upon
Chinese subjects residing in the United
States burdens, restrictions and penalties
which are not imposed upon subjects of
other Powers residing in the United
States.
Besides giving the above reasons for
their belief that the Restriction Act is in
violation of the rights guaranteed both
by the treaty and the Constitution, the
Presidents of the Six Companies say that
the Chinese consider that the law is un-
hot iS
insult to the subjects of a friendly nation;
that it is in violation of every principle
of justice and equity and fair dealing be-
tween friendly Powers, and that it is an
insult which is not inflicted upon citizens
or subjects of any other nation.
The Presidents declare that if England
or any other European nation should pass
such a law in reference to citizens of the
United States, this Government and the
people of the United States would resent
it. The Presidents also assert that if the
law is enforced it will subject every Chi
nese merchant TO blackmail of the worst
type; that Chinese merchant residing in
San Francisco, who may desire to travel
to New York, may be stopped at every
hamlet and be arrested on a charge of be-
ing laborer who has not registered.
In conclusion, the Presidents refer to
the fact that Collector Quinn, in his re-
cent letter to them, said that the officers
OF the Six Companies might be liable to
the United States Government for incit-
ing Chinese to disobey the laws of the
United States. In response to this the
Presidents say their attention has not
been called TO any law which makes it
crime for them TO advise their fellow
countrymen that they have right to dis
regard laws which are in violation of the
Constitution and treaty.