Office of the Historian

Mr. Yang Yü to Mr. Gresham.

Chinese Legation,
Washington, April 11, 1894. (Received April 11.)

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that communications have been received from the consul-general at San Francisco to the effect that he has received a petition from the Chinese residents of El Paso and San Antonio, Tex., stating that the registration officers in those districts refuse to admit Chinese testimony in behalf of Chinese applicants for registration, thereby rendering it difficult to obtain certificates; that there are persons of questionable character, it is alleged, who acting in collusion with certain registration clerks demand a payment of $7 for each certificate issued. Information has also been received that attempts are made by unprincipled men to extort money from the Chinese and to otherwise put obstacles in the way of registration. The places referred to are mentioned in the original dispatch inclosed herewith.

It is learned that of the 70,000 Chinese residing in the State of California, only 24,000 or more have been registered and much anxiety is felt that the work of registration will not be completed within the short period remaining and that trouble may arise on that account.

I have the honor therefore to request that the matter be communicated to the Secretary of the Treasury and that he may be requested to remove, as far as possible, all such obstacles to the progress of registration.

Accept, etc.,

Yang Yü.
[Page 164]
[Inclosure.—Telegram.]

The Chinese Consul-General at San Francisco to Mr. Yang Yü.

San Francisco, April 10, 1894.

The names mentioned in petition are Portland, Oreg.; El Paso and San Antonio, of Texas; Los Angeles, Stanford, Marysville, and Santa Rosa, of California; Denver, Colo., and Boston, Mass. Letters of complaint are still coming from El Paso and San Antonio, of Texas, saying that the collectors there still refuse to register Chinese unless they furnish at least one witness other than Chinese who has known applicant for at least twelve years. Besides the above, letters have been received from Marshfield, Oreg.; Rocky Bar, Elmore County, Idaho; Palmetto, Esmeralda County, Nev.; Hot Springs, Ark.; Mountain City, Nev.; Union City, Tenn.; Willcox, Ariz.; Burns, Harney County, Oreg.; and Eureka Mills, Cal., all complaining that there is no one at these places to register them.

  • Li Yung Yew.
  • Chang Ting Chip.