Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-29

Legislation Regarding Chinese In This
Country Clearly Explained.
The supreme court Of the United States
has affirmed the constitutionaity of the
Chinese exclusion act of May 3, 1892, which
requires the removal from the United States
of all Chinese persons who are not lawfully
entitled to remain here. Practically this
act-whch is commonly called the Geary
law, from the name of the member Of con-
grcss who introduced the bill for which it
was substtuted-did not go into effect un-
til May ), 1898, because it gave the Chinese
until that date to procure the certificates
which should show that they were lawfully
Ia the country.
by its terms the new law excludes no
class Of Chinese not already forbidden to
enter the country, nor does it require t.
expulsion OF any who were u the cou y
when the previous laws PROHIBITING til
migration of Chinese laborers went
force.
In effect however, taking into considera-
ton the failure of many thousands of
Chinese laborers to comply with the terms
of the law, its strict enforcement would
cxpel the majority OF the Chinese in the
United States
The law continues in force the existing
legislation relating to the Chinese and
provides that all Chinese who cannot prove
that they are lawfully in the country shall
he removed TO China, or, if they have be
come citizens Of some other country, to
that country
All Chinese laborers who We're lawfully
in the country at the time of the passage Of
the act are required by it to obtain within
one year, from the collector of internal
revenue in whose district they lived a GER
tificatc of their residence, giving each mans
name, age, place Of abode and occupation.
| ANY Chinese laborer whether entitled to
live in the country or not, who shall not
| have obtained this certificate before May
! .. 1893, is subject not only TO deportation,
| but to fine and imprisonment.
As the previous legislation had prohibit
| cd the immigration Of Chinese laborers
| only, and as by the treaty between the
! United States and China all Chinese who
are teachers, students, merchants or trav-
elers from curiosity, together with their
servants and all Chinese laborers who were
| already in the country when the treaty was
! adopted were guaranteed the same rights
as other foreigners, the law directly applies
only to laborers who have obtained admis-
sion to the country since the previous ex-
| clusiou acts were passed or to those who
have failed to take out certificates.
Acting under advice that the present or
"Geary Gct' was contrary to our national
constitution and in violation of the treaty
with China, the great majority of the Chi
ncse laborers failed to take out certificates
of residence. Several of them were arrest
ed. and when their liberation was demand
| ed on writs of habeas corpus their cases
were taken first before the United States
district courts and then to the United
States supreme court on this constitutional
question.
y majority Of the supreme court decided
against these Chinese appellants, declaring
that the law is in accordance with the con-
stitution and that congress did not exceed
its power in euacting it. The majority Of
Chinese laborers in the country, therefore,
are now subject to arrest and Punishment
TO China.
a great deal Of opposition to the terms of
the law has been expressed on account of
its supposed violation of the treaty Of the
United States with China. 1t is assumed
that if the law is enforced it will be fol-
lowed by retaliatory measures and that
Americans VIII be expelled from China.
1t is possible that this will be the case,
but it is proper to say that the conditions
under which Chinese may live in the United
States under the "Geary act' are far more
liberal than those under which Americans
live travel, do business or express them
selves in China or have ever done So
Youths Companion.