Speech #570040451

I know when we framed a code for the District of Columbia we made inadequate provision for the grand jury. and the courts of the District of Columbia. after the laws had been passed. found themselves in a state of of chaos. and we run that same danger as to this law. I shall vote. however. for the bill. in the hope that this committee have carefully endeavored. and I hope succeeded. in avoiding all of those various difficulties. The propriety of Chinese exclusion cab not be regarded as subject to much question at this time. The various laws relating to the subject hav been upon the statute books for many years. and the amendments made have always been in the direction of greater stringency. The Geary Act will expire in a few weeks. and it is important that prompt action should be taken so that we may not have even a short period in which the bars may remain down. The laws now in force. with the various amendments made from time to time. appear to have operated to accomplish the desired result. Cliinese immigration had been practically suppressed. and under the Census of 1900. there are only 03.280 Chinese in the United States. exclusive of Hawaii. as against 105.465 in 1880 and 107.475 in 1890. In Hawaii there are 25.767. who were there when we annexed those islands. The law having been found effective as it now exists. the most natural and easy course. as I have said. would have been to extend these laws for another term or indefinitely.