The Chinese commissioners were unwilling to allow the word "prohibit" in conncetion with the words regnlate orlimitorsuspend." audconsented to the latter words only on the condition named. The Chinese coimissioners explained what they intended their concession to mean. They said: By limitation in number theyieant. for example. that the United States having. as they supposed. a record of tIhe number of immigrants in each year as well as the total number of Chinese now there. that no more sould be allowed to go in any one year in future than either the great iiaumber which had gone iu any year in the past. or the least nmbeor which Iran gone in any year in tie past. or that the total number should never Ie allowed to exceed the number now there. Ae to limitation In tiin thoymeant. for oxanlple. that Chinese should be allowed to go in alternate years. or every third year. or. for example. that they should not be allowed to goi fir two. three. or five years. Mr. Trcscot replied that" The United States Goverment did not ask the Chinese Government to regulate. limit. srspend. or prohibit immigration. but to leave that to the discretion and action of tir United States Govenrnment itself. tiat under the -urlingamo frenty ia construed in ipractice the Chinese had the absolute right in any numbers to -o to thUnited grates. This had cansed troublcand embarrassment. What thre United Stats Goverunrent as ed was that the Chinese Government should consent to much a modification of the Burlingamo treaty as would enablo it. withot raising unpleasant questions of treaty constructin. to exercise that discro. ian." During the ncgoitio erfhis treaty this further conversation took place: TheChiunec conrunissioners asked if the United States commissioners could give them any idea of the laws which weld ie passed to carry such power into execu. tion.
Keywords matched
immigrants immigration