The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-02


interesting little story in the prelimi-
naries before the House of Representa-
tives with the Chinese exclusion bills.
To the CONSERVATION of the Treasury
Department. and of the friends of ex-
clusior, Speaker Henderson referred
al: these measures, of which there was
a multitude, to the committee on for
eiSn affairs. AS everybody had ex-
pected that they would be referred to
the committee on immigration and la
Dor, the chairmen and members of
which are cordially in favor of putting
the bars up very high and very close
together against the yellow peril. On
the contrary, Chairman Hit, Of the
foreign relations committee, is on rec
ord during past years as regarding
such exclusion as brutal and unreason-
able, as contrary to the favored nation
clause and the Burlingame treaty.
But, since the treaty of 1894 was
framed with China, Chairman Hit has
somewhat changed his view, and now
sees his way clear to favor a strong
exclusion act. This treaty was framed
while the late Secretary Gresham
headed MIR. Cleveland'S cabinet, and
Mr.. Gresham and Mr.. Hit were close
friends. In fact, Mr.. Hit had some
thing to do with the framing of the
treaty, which comprised some very
clever language. Among it's diplomatic
phrases is one declaring that China
does not want her people to emigrate
to the United States of America. Go
ing on this solemn declaration, Char
man Hit feels that he is warranted
iE sanctioning the new exclusion law.
The very few who do not want Sc
we're restriction of Chinese immigration
into this country argue that, to be
eminently fair, this government has na
right to frame an eXclusiopru.ct for q
period longer than the du s,,lon of the
treaty now in force. After a few years
more, somewhere about 1905, either
party may terminate the treaty of 1894
by giving six months notice. Then,
so the argument goes, China could
claim that the exclusion act, If in forces
as it undoubtedly will be, was in viot
lation of the most favored nation CLAUSE
and of the Burlingame treaty. Bm
here Is where the diplomatists declare
their fine work will be evident. ShouH
China make that plea the American.
government could reply, But you as:
serted your desire that Cinnamon
should not emigrate to the United
States" If Chinese officials should an
SWer THAT the ceieStldI government nam
changed its mind, Americans could re-
tort that the American government is
not in the habit of changing front,
and has not In this particular instance.
WILCOX FIGHTS IRRIGATION.
Delegate Wilcox has begun work
against the plans of irrigation for cer-
tain of the arid lands in Hawaii on the
Island of Maui, and December II pre-
scnted the following petition in the
House,:
To Congress-The undersigned resi-
dents of the Island of Maui, Territory
of Hawaii, most respectfully represent
and petition to your honorable body as
follows:
That your petitioners are settlers on
and owners of certain lots of land sit
Cated at Nahiku, Island of Maui Ter
ritory of Hawaii, known as the Nahiku
coffee alnds on said Island Of Maui, and
as shown by public land map No. 20
of the republic of Hawaii; that your
petitioners are owners and occupiers of
ali of the POS acres Of the lands afore-
said, and that your petitioners have
expended great energy and industry.
many privations and hardships in es-
for themselves homes on
said tract. Your petitioners further rep
resent that their said lands would be
witbnuf sufficjanf S1nnfV