The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-11

for the purpose OF the deportation Of
Chinese laborers, as counsel for petition
erg enormously claimed, but to provide
q system OF Identification and registra-
ton for such as are here. This 10 law
full purpose, whether applied to citizens
or aliens. The right OF the government
10 require the Identification and regis
tration of it's citizens, their possessions,
resources and locations, has never been
seriously disputed.
The means by which the Identification
is attained, the solicitor-general con-
tended, was lawful and reasonable and
humane in its provisions.
Aldrich maintained the right OF con-
grees to require aliens or citizens to
register or obtain certificates OF identifi-
cation; the power OF congress TO author
ize a Judge without the intervention OF q
Jury, to sentence to deportation prison
or who had not procured and was not in
possession OF the prescribed certificate;
that the nation has a right, according TO
international law, to prescribsthe terms
upon which citizens or subjects OF other
nations shall be admitted to Its terri
tory, forbid such admission, or having
admitted such citizene and subjects, reg
ulats and limit their residence therein,
and whenever 1t chooses to do 80, aus-
pend such residence altogether and re-
quire that they shallIdepart from its ter
ritory that the United States ia ma
ton possessing like powers with other
nations for the exercise oil ordinary
necessary means OF self.preservation.
From this it follows that there Is
police power to the United States which
extends to and embraces all the subjects
confded to the general government, and
against the exercise OF which Chinese
alien resident therefore is not entkled
to invoke the guarantees OF the constr
tuition OF the United States, designed
for the protection of it's citizens and the
citizens OF the several states.
In conclusion the aolicitor-general
said: "Aesuming the maxim that the
safety OF the people Is the supreme law,
then police power in relation TO every
subject of danger must, under our sys-
tenn, rest either in the states or tho
United States or the people. III 1t is
assumed that Chinese alien labor Is
public danger threatening the safety OF
the people, then the power to cope with
it reets somewhere; il not in the United
States, then in states or people oil the
United States. II the latter, it occurs
to me the Chinese residents OF this
country have need TO repeat the old
prayer that they may be saved from
their friends or counsel, for II they can
induce the court to hold that the power
does not belong to the federal govern
ment, but rests in the people OF the
several states, no person can doubt that
the states will promptly rid themselves
OF the hateful presence by appropriate
legislation. The state OF the Chi
nese would then be worse than
now, for while tho act un-
der consideration seeks only to prevent
the perpetration of frauds upon the
government any action of the people OF
q state most directly affected would
probably be drastic in its character,
with the purpose not of protecting the
government and duly accredited Chinese,
but expelling entirely from their domain
the obnoxious race"
J. HUXLEY AsHToN's ARGUMENT.
]. Hubley Ashton concluded the argu-
ments, trsversing somewhat different
ground by the argument that the ques-
ton concerned the fundamental princi-
Piles OF American constitutional liberty,
the right to freedom of property and
pursuit OF happiness OF many thousands
OF persona living and laboring under the
protection OF this land, as well aH friendly
international relations between the
United States and China and the welfare
of American citizens and interests in
that empire. nl un