The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-17
THEYMUST REGISTER
Provisions Of the New Chinese
Exclusion Act.
MUST PROVE THEIR IDENTITY.
Every Chinese Laborer Must Secure .
Certificate Of His Right to Re-
main Within . Year.

A great deal Of interest has been taken
by all classes in the Chinese exclusion act
recently passed by congress, but none
have been half as deeply interested as the
Chinese themselves. Even those whose
right to remain here is beyond ailques-
ton have been worrying over it, and those
holding property and other financial IN
terests in the country were naturally on
the anxious seat. Every day since
the report was sent out that the bill had
been passed, Chinese have Intercepted
the customs officials on the streets or
wherever they happened to meet them.
many of them visiting the custom-house,
with view to learning something of the
general provisions of the BILL But moth
ing definite was known about it, as no
copy of the bill had been received here
or printed in any of the Coast pa
pers. The report was started that it
provided for the return of every Chinaman
who could not establish his right to re-
main by at least two creditable witnesses.
This report scared them badly, as but q
few Of them would be able to do that, and
fully two.thirds of them would be forced
to leave.
The PosT-INrELLrGENcER has just re-
ceived copy of the act. which provides
for extending the present laws on the SUBJ
ject for a period of ten years and provides
further that all Chinese convicted of being
illegally in the country shall be returned
to the country to which they claim allie
glance; that any Chinese arrested
under the provisions of the act
shall be adindged unlawfully within
the United States unless he can establish
by affirmative proof to the satisfaction of
the court his lawful right to remain, and,
if convicted, it provides that he shall be
imprisoned at hard labor for period of
not more than one year. after which term
he is to be deported as provided. In case
of appeal for writ of habeas corpus,
provision is made that no bail shall
be allowed, but the case tried as
speedily as possible. All Chinese laborers
now legally within the United States are
required to procure from the collector of
internal revenue for the district in which
they live inside of one year certificate of
residence. and in case of his neglect so to
do he must prove that he was unable,
through sickness, accident or other un-
avoidable cause, and must prove by at
least one credible white witness that he
of the act.
All Chinese found without a certificate
at the expiration of the year are liable to
arrest and prosecution. No charge is to
be made for the certificate, and any Chi
nese other than laborer having a right
to remain may apply for and receive GER
tificate as evidence of this right.
The secretary Of the treasury is iue
structed to make rules and regulations for
carrying the provisions of the act into
effect, furnishing blanks. etc. A duplicate
of each certificate issued is retained by the
official issuing the same. For forging or
making any change in a certificate tine
of $1,000 or five years. Imprisonment is
provided.
The secretary of the treasury may author.
ize fee not to exceed 81 for each certificate
issued, to be paid by the government to
the collector of internal revenue, in addi
ton to his regular salary. for his services
in making out such certificates.