Speech #490060425

The question at once came up when the law was put in force. what construction should be given to this phrase. On the one hand Judge Field decided in a very careful and elaborate opinion. which I now hold in my hand and which I could not answer if I would and which my friend from Massachusetts could not answer I think if he were to tryin a very plain. simple argument. that the phrase "Chinese laborer" included not only a person born in China proper. but a person born in HongKong of the Chinese race. of the Chinese religion. although born under the dominion of Queen Victoria. I will only read the syllabus of this decision: A Chinese laborer. born on the island of HongKong after its cession to Great Britain. is within the provisions of the act of Congress of Mlay 6.1882. restricting the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States. The purpose of the act was to exclude laborerscoming from China. subject to certain stipulations of the treaty of 1880 with that country. and also laborers of the Chinese race coming from any other part of the world. And then he goes on in quite an elaborate opinion and I think very clearly shows that.