Speech #500116174

I will settle the treaty matter now. But nothing herein contained shall be heldWhat? To authorize Chinese subjects to be naturalized under the laws of the United States? No. shall be held to confer naturalizationA right which under the Constitution of the United States can not be conferred by a treaty. If you look at the Constitution.you will see that Congress has power to pass uniform naturalization laws. but treating with a foreign power. a despot who had no limitations upon his power. no constitutional restrictions. it was necessary to put in the treaty that nothing herein should be held to confer naturalizationnot confer the right of naturalization. but to make per so. by force of the treaty itself. a Chinese subject a citizen of the United States. There was another provision in the bill which the House of Representatives sent to the Senate. That was section 15. which reads: That the words "Chinese laborers." wherever used in this act. shall be construed to mean both skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining. I believe I did not read .the vote on the first proposition. the vote on the amendment to strike out section 14. I will read that. When you voted to strike it out that was a vote in favor of Chinese naturalization. Section 14 prohibited Chinese naturalization. and how did gentlemen on the other side of the Chamber vote who are now so anxious to close the door against the admission of Chinese in this country that they can not even allow a bill upon that subject to be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations? How did the vote stand on that ? In favor of striking down the provision which prohibited the United States courts from natiralizing Chinese. there were 28 Republicans for striking it out in the Senate. and among them was Mr.