Speech #490139997

I think perhaps the House would desire to hear what this communication is. To save time I will read from it a few lines. Our minister in 1884 said. among other things: In my dispatches Nos. 376 and 31U. dated respectively March 7 and March 14. 1884.1 had the honor to point out the difficulties attending the presentation of any grievance to the yam(n arising out of the workings of the act governing the emigration of Chinese laborers to the United States. So far as our information went. there was no evidence to show that the Chinese authorities had conDived at any evasion of that treaty. I said. also. that such act3 would naturally take place in HongKong or Macao. It was also my duty to show that the policy of thp Imperial Government. so far as the emigration of their people was concerned. was a policy of indifference. if not ol direct opposition. This was shown. as I explained in my dispatch No. 392. dated March 21. 1884. The Chinese authorities at Canton had gone so far in their restrictions upon emigration as to compel the bankruptcy of one of the most prominent houses in China.