Speech #570039846

Our right to absolutely prohibit the coming here of Chinese laborers can not be questioned. By treaty made between the United States and China. proclaimed by the President of the United States on December 8. 1894. China expresses a "desire to prohibit the emigration of such laborers from China to the United States." Article I of said treaty reads: The high contracting parties agree that for a period of ten years. beginning with the date of the exchange of the ratification of this convention. the coming. except under the conditions hereinafter specified. of Chinese laborers to theUnited States shall be absolutely prohibited. This treaty therefore gives us a clear right to exclude this class of Chinese. The immigration of Chinese to this country commenced about fifty years ago. A book entitled "Chinese in California" states: On the 1st of January. 1850. having been attracted by the gold. there were in California of Chinese 789 men and 2 women. In Jannary. 1851. there were 4.018 men and 7 women. in May. 1852.11.780 men and 7 women. At this time the State tried to stay the current of immigration by imposing a tax as a license to mine. In 1868. when the Burlingame treaty was ratified. there had arrived in California about 80.000 Chinese. In 1880 the United States census gives the number of Chinese within our borders as 105.465.