Speech #500116050

That is this bill. and so far as it goes is a most excellent bill. in my judgment. It is true it abrogates a most important provision of the treaty. The only objection I have to thebill is that it does not go further and abrogate that other provision of the treaty and of the existing law which limits the power of the Congress and inhibits it from the passage of an act to absolutely exclude the immigration of Chinese laborers to this country for all future time. Six years of the time for which immigration has been suspended under existing law have elapsed. I believe. Four years of the time remain. At the expiration of four years. therefore. so fhr as anything in this bill is concerned. or in the existing treaty or laws of Congress. all the Chinese laborers in Christendom or outside of Christendom may come to this country without let or hinderance. This bill does not touch that question. which is the great vital question after all in reference to the immigration of Chinese. It does affect. and itonly affects. those laborers who are now within the limits of the United States or who have been heretofore at some former time within the limits of the United States. Existingstatute law aswell as the subsisting treaty declares that all that class of laborersthat is. those who were here November 17. 1880shall be permitted to return by the presentation of certain certificates authorized by the restriction act.