Mr. Denby to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Peking, June 17, 1892.
(Received July 23.)
No. 1542.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose the translation of
a communication received from the foreign office the 13th instant, relating
to the Chinese exclusion legislation of Congress, and a copy of my reply
thereto.
As requested, I wired you the 17th instant as follows:
Foreign office desires to know if President approved act continuing
restriction of Chinese ten years.
The communication of the foreign office evidently refers primarily to the
Geary bill. I learn from the newspapers that a conference committee of the
two Houses of Congress substituted a Senate bill for the Geary bill, but
whether this substitute has become a law I do not know.
I request that a copy of all recent acts affecting the question of Chinese
immigration be sent to me.
I have, etc.,
[Page 119]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 1542.]
The tsung-li yamên to Mr.
Denby.
Foreign
Office,
Peking,
June 13, 1892.
Upon the 10th June, instant, the prince and ministers had the honor to
receive from his excellency Tsui, Chinese minister at Washington, a copy
of a restriction act against Chinese, presented in the House of
Representatives on (the 8th day, third moon, present year of Kuang Hsiü)
the 4th of April, 1892, consisting of fourteen articles, the provisions
of which are extreme in their rigor and very injurious to the good name
of the United States Government.
The provisions of article 14 are to effect that if the provisions of
existing treaties between China and the United States are in the least
at variance with the terms of the bill, they are to be entirely
abrogated. The yamên can not but regard the bill in a strange and
frightful light.
Friendly relations have existed between China and the United States for
several tens of years, but the action now taken by the representatives
of Congress in the matter of the restriction of Chinese laborers evinces
a desire to destroy and set aside the provisions of the treaties that
have existed during these years.
In the Senate a bill has been discussed providing for the continuance of
the act of 1888 for a period of ten years. These bills have been
published and are universally known far and near.
The prince and ministers do not know whether the President, in perusing
these bills, which are in violation of and abrogate the treaties, will
approve of them or not. If the treaties of friendship of several ten of
years standing are to be abrogated instantly, then such action would be
decidedly at variance with the original intent and purpose of the United
States Government when it negotiated the treaties with China.
The treaties between the United States and China all originated at the
instance of the former Government. The yamên two years ago argued, and
discussed the question of the restriction of Chinese laborers, and
clearly and minutely set forth the views entertained, in a communication
addressed to the United States minister.
The prince and ministers have the honor to now request his excellency the
minister of the United States to be good enough to dispatch a telegram
inquiring of the Secretary of State whether the bill discussed in
Congress, in violation of treaty, continuing the restriction of Chinese
for a further period of ten years, has received the approval and
signature of the President or not, and to send a reply at an early date,
and oblige.
A necessary communication addressed to his excellency Charles Denby,
etc.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 1542.]
Mr. Denby to the
tsung-li yamên.
Legation of the United States,
Peking, June 17,
1892.
Your Highness and Your Excellencies: I have the
honor to acknowledge the receipt of the communication of your highness
and your excellencies of the 13th instant.
Your highness and your excellencies request me to wire to the honorable
Secretary of State of the United States, to ascertain whether his
excellency the President has approved of “the bill discussed in Congress
* * * continuing the restriction of Chinese for a further period often
years.”
I have, as requested, sent a telegram to that effect to the honorable
Secretary of State, and will transmit the substance of the answer
thereto to your highness and your excellencies when it is received.
I have, etc.,
