The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-22
PLENTY PNNA PROMISED SORE HEADS IN COURT ADMITS FIRING PISTOL MRS. SCOTT LOSES CASE
CHINESE REGISTRATION LAW
FAR REACHING.
Federal Authorities Think That all
Persons of any Chinese Blood What
ever should Secure Certificates.


with the first of February the regis
tration of Chinese in the Hawaiian
Islands will commence. According to
the special regulations issued for this
territory every class Of Chinese Is like
ly to be affected and in case they have
not certificates secured by June a. of
the present year, when the period for
registration expires, they are liable to
deportation ordinarily this registra-
ton would be simple enough but the
conditions which prevail in the Hawai-
ian islands are so complicated and SO
peculiar that a large number of the
residents in the territory are placed in
"A most embarrassing position. They do
not know whether they should register
or not. Morally many of them are now
Americans, but under the many con-
tTadictiOns and odd interpretations of
whether any body born here before an
neXation whose father was a Chinese,
is not subject to deportation.
So much doubt exists regarding the
status of people of Chinese birth, even
though they were born in the Hawaiian
Islands that the safest plan which can
be pursued is for all who come under
this description to go to the office of
the collector of internal revenue and
register. This is the advice at least
which is given by the internal revenue
officials and United States District At
tOrney Baird.
The exclusion laws require Chinese la
bOrers and Chinese persons other than
laborcrs in the Territory of Hawaii to
register, under possible penalty of de-
poltation after June 18th. owing to
the fact that there are many Chinese
here who became citizens of the Hawai-
ian Islands during the monarchy and
F1,s III II, l..
was thought that this law Of reglstra-
tioE would not affect them but upon
the face of the present circumstances
Z there is a very strong possibility that
this modified Interpretation of the re-
gstratiOn law can not be applied here
The question which gives rise to this
doubt is what determines the national
! ity and political status of a child? BY
the old Hawaiian law a child took its
standing from its mother but under the
| International Law the United States
observes it is exactly the contrary, the
| political status even extending to the
| wife. From this it will be readily seer
that children whose fathers We're Chi
/ nese and mothers of some other race
are in the eyes of the law, Chinese. The
| fact however, that the children might
| have been born in the Hawaiian islands
! before it became a part of the United
States, will not it is thought by tbs
! United States Attorney make any diff
! ference unless they were born after an
neXation. Chinese children who are
born in the United States are not sub
! iect to deportation or even have tC
| register in order to remain in the cOun
! try This portion of the law will no
extend, he thinks to Chinese children
here for the very strong reason tha
Hawaii was a foreign country before /
| was annexed. 1t is hoped that tn,
| L [ab bf XNrhi N al
! present session of Congress viii
straighten out these complications. Tn
status of Chinese who became citizen
of the Hawaiian Islands before Annex
alton, is another important issue whicl
should be determined by the bill of tn
California representative.
If the matter is not determined it Wi
cause a very unpleasant condition o
affairs here. The most striking Illus
tration of this is in the case of w. {
Achi who is said to be of Chinese des
cent from his father. Mr. Achi wa
born here and according to the Hawai-
ian laws was a citizen. BY the lates
Interpretation of the American laws h
is, if his father was Chinese also @
that political status. Inasmuch as Nj
Achi is one of the senatOrS-elec
ii is to be hoped that the case can b
speedily determined for it may eve
go so far as to invaliditate him fror
holding Office.
At the internal revenue office it
said that even though Chinese wer
| born here they are no longer subject
deportation, and it is not absolutel
necessary for them to be registered. M
Baird seems to think to the cOntrar.
unless they We're born after this cour
try came under the jurisdiction of tn
United States. One particular reaso
: for urging all persons having any Oh
nese blood in them to register is tn
7 fact that they might be subject to troI
fble if they should desire to visit i
Mainland. 1t would be very easy f'
| the collectors TO refuse to let thel
pass unless they had a certificat
= Should they have failed to secure tn
= passport, for such it really Is, 1t wou
l be necessary to send back to this olat
2 for evidence to prove they had rigl
to be in the country. 1t is not believe
/ however that the special provision thi
{ Chinese laborers can not go from Il
@ Hawaiian Island into the United Stat
will hold.
In it's present state great ar
unnecessary hardships can be work.
by the too rigid enforcement of Il
> law, The United States authorti
seem to think that the wisest course
: pursue is for all persons whether
full or part Chinese descent to registe
In case of question,th the certificate
would be ample evidence of the right
: be in America.
Part of the difficulty comes throul
the recent treasury ruling that Oh
nese who We're citizens of Hawaii b
fore annexation are not citizens
America now.
TOWN SECTION FINISHED.
The car line of the Rapid Trans