The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-10-21
AMENDMENTS TO THE eEARr ACT.

The Chinese laborers resident in this
country will probably be compelled TO
comply with the registration provisions
of the so-called Geary Act, as amended
by the bill introduced by Mr.. Nc
Creary. The Senate has yet to pass
upon it and may further modify the
provisions of the original bill. But it
lis likely that the amendments which
passed the House will be adopted bv
the Senate and signed by the President.
The chief points in it are the ex-
tension of time in which the Chinese
may register, the compulsory enforce
ment of the law, and the definition
of what constitutes a laborer in the
meaning of the Geary Act.
The President has received some
unreasonable censure for not adopting
a more vigorous policy pending the
passage of these amendments. But
we believe rational and conservative
people will approve of the course pur-
sued, under the expectation of this ac-
ton by Congress and the prudence
of giving the Chinese time to comply
with the law after their test of it's
constitutionality before the courts
and also in view of the treaty obliga-
tons of the United States with the
Chinese government.
Following are the amendments to
the law as passed by the House:
Section l. That section of the act
entitled IAN act to prohibit the COM
ing OF Chinese persons into the United
States, approved May 9Th, 1892 is
hereby amended SO as to read as fol-
lows: Section g. And it shall be the
duty of all Chinese laborers within the
limits of the United States entitled to
remain in the United States before
the passage of the act to which this
act is an amendment to apply to the
collectors of internal reenue of their
respective districts within six months
after the passage Of this act for a
| tificates of residence, shall be deemed
nese laborer within the limits of the
United States who shall fail, or neg
lect or refuse to comply with the pro
visions of this act and the act to
which this is an amendment, or who
after the expiration of six months
shall be found within the Jurisdiction
of the United States without such GER
tificates of residence, shall be deemed
and adjudged to be unlawfully within
the United States and may be arrested
by any United States customs official
collector of internal revenue or his
n nd fc1 he T,,5f
States judge, whose duty it shall be
to order that he be deported from the
| United States, as provided by this act
and the act to which this is an amend
ment, unless he shall show clearly to
the satisfaction of said judge that by
reason of accident, sickness or other
unavoidable cause he has been unable
| to procure a certificate, and shall show
| to the satisfaction of the United States
judge by at least one credEable wit
ness other than Chinese that he was
a resident of the United States on May
5, 1892, and if upon the hearing it shall
appear that he is entitled to a GER
| tificate it shall be granted upon his
paying the costs.
Should it appear that said Chinaman
| had procured a certificate which had
been lost or destroyed, he shall be de-
| tanned and judgment suspended a
Il
cure a duplicate from the officer grant
ing it, and in such case the cost of ar
rest and trial shall be in the discre-
ton of the judge. Any Chinese per-
| son other than a Chinese Iaborer hav-
| ing the right to be and remain in the
United States and desiring such GER
tificate as evidence of such right may
apply for and receive the same with
out charge, and no proceeding for vio-
lations of the provisions of said Sec
ton of said Act as originally enacted
shall hereafter be instituted, and all
| proceedings for said violation now
pending are hereby discontinued.
! Sec. 2. The words "laborer'' or Ia
borers,' wherever used in this Act, or
| in the Act to which this is an amend
ment, shall be construed to mean both
skilled and unskilled manual laborers,
| including Chinese employed in min
| ing, in fishing. huckstering, peddling,
| laundrymen, or those engaged in TAX
| ing and drying, or otherwise preserv-
| ing shell or other fish for home con-
sumption or expectation.