Speech #450112090

Oregon. Nevada. and Coloradoin complaining of this influx of Chinese among us. but that other nations under the pressure of just such exigencies have acted as we propose to act by this bill. This is what is provided in the English treaty with China: As soon as the ratifications of the treaty of 188 shall have been exchanged His Imperial Mksest.. the Emperor of China. will. by decree. command the high authorities of every provice toproclaim throughout therJ urisdletions that Chiese choosiugto take service in the British colonies. or otherparts beyond sea. ar at perfect liberty to enter into engagements with British subjects for that purpose. an( to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessel at any of the open ports of China. also that the high authorities aforesaid stall. in concert with Hor Britannic Maestys representative in China. frame such regulations for the protection of Chinese emigrating as above as the circumstances of the different open portnsmay demand. That is plain and clear. It provides for the migration of Chinese to the British colonies and their protection there. In spite of that. although Lord Carnarvon. secretary of state for the colonies. declared in Parliament "that all Chinese subjects should have full freedom of entering the British dominions without special restrictions or impediments" under that treaty. nevertheless the Victoria statute was passed. which remained in force till 1865. which imposed a capitation tax or importation tax upon Chinese landing in Victoria. A similar one was passed in 1861 in Now South Wales. -after this convention. and remained in force six years. and there is a statute now of Queensland. passed in 1867. which imposes a tax of this kind of �10 or $10 on every Chinese landing. the object of it being and the effect of it being to restrict the immigration of them. so that the emigration to these colonies is very largely decreasing on account of this capitation tax put upon them. And no one needs to be reminded. more than the bare statement of the fact shows. that these laws which are approved by the English Crown. that of Queensland being approved by express declaration and being still in force. are in contravention of this treaty. Again. the ninth article of the French convention is as follows: It is agreed between thehigh contracting parties that as soon as the rtifdeations of the treaty of Tientsin shallhave been exchanged an imperial edict will be issued to the superior authorities of all the provinces of the empire ho permit every Chi. nese who shall wish to go into countries situated beyond the seas for the pipose of settling or seeking ]is fortune there. to shipbimesdf and his family. if he wishes. on board of the French vessels which maybe found in the ports of the empire open to foreign commerce. It is also agreed that in the interests of these emigrants. for the purpose of securing their entire freedom of action and proserving their interests. the competent Chinese authorities shall join with the French minister in China inmaking regnlations which shall secure for these engagements. which must always be vol. untary. such assurance of good faith and security as ought to govern them. The bearing of that is obvious and I need not enlarge upon it. But. in defiance of the liberal provisions of this article. the French colony of Saigon imposes restrictions on every Chinaman within its limits. and no one can point to an instance where the Chinese government has objected. They are not in favor of the emigration of their people. and they have not objected to England. and they have not interrupted their trade relations with England. nor have they objected to France imposing these restrictions. nor have they molested their trade or interfered with British subjects in China. or French subjects there. So the fears which are felt or affected by any one that this will make any change in our commercial relations with China are entirely unfounded. I have watched with considerable solicitude the comments of the press on this bill.