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traveling in the interior. At the treaty ports, however, foreigners may go and come at their pleasure without these documents.

Generally speaking there is no nation that is pleased with having the name of violating treaty stipulations. Every confidence has long been reposed in the sincerity of purpose, integrity, and high standing of the Government of the United States, and it has always evinced the staunchest feeling of friendship toward China. The minister of the United States has resided in China many years and the relations between him and the yamên have always been above suspicion. But at present the Chinese resident in the United States are molested and persecuted to an unsurpassed extent, and the yamên hopes that the minister of the United States will address and urge the Secretary of State to bring the matter before Congress to have abrogated the new law of 1892, regarding the issuance of certificates, thus maintaining and preserving the friendly relations between the two nations, which is the earnest desire of the yamên.

As to what rules may be arranged for the future, the yamên have addressed the governor-general of the Liang Kuang to ascertain the views of the Chinese merchants of Canton and Hongkong, and, on a report having been received, the question will then be considered.

A necessary communication, etc.

Mr. Foster to Mr. Denby.

No. 765.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 12, 1892.

SIR: I transmit for your information, a copy of correspondence with the Minister of China here, relative to the recent legislation of the United States in respect to Chinese subjects in this country.*

I am, etc.,

JOHN W. FOSTER.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE LEGATION OF CHINA AT WASHINGTON.

Mr. Tsui to Mr. Blaine.

CHINESE LEGATION,

Washington, October 26, 1891. (Received October 27.)

SIR: I inclose herewith a copy of a paper which has been received at this legation signed by a number of citizens of the United States residing on Whidbey Island, in the State of Washington, representing that injustice is being done to the Chinese subjects in that locality at the hands of officials of the United States Treasury Department and the United States commissioner of that district.

This legation has no disposition to encourage any violation of the laws of the United States on the part of Chinese subjects, but it feels that it can rely upon the Federal Government of the United States to see that justice is extended to the Chinese residents who are lawfully in this country, and that the Treasury Department will be pleased to direct its officials in the locality mentioned in the accompanying paper not to violate the universally acknowledged principle of law and evidence that persons accused of crime must be proven guilty, and that said officials should not harass peaceable persons by illegal arrests.

Accept, etc.,

TSUI KWO YIN.

The inclosures herein referred to are the notes of November 7 and 11 from and of December 10 to the Minister of China.

[Inclosure.]

Residents of Whidbey Island to Mr. Tsul.

To His Excellency CHINESE MINISTER,

Washington, D. C.:

SEATTLE, WASH., August 25, 1891.

The undersigned white residents of Whidbey Island, in the State of Washington, desiring to see justice done to the Chinese people residing in our midst, represent to you that many Chinese are living in our midst engaged in agricultural pursuits, having leased lands for the purposes of cultivation from the owners thereof; that many of these Chinese persons are laborers, who have been engaged in railroad building and in other similar pursuits, and they have not formed any acquaintance with white people, so that white people are able to identify them; that the officers of the United States connected with the Treasury Department are in the habit of going among these Chinese people and without any warrant issued by a proper court, or without any proof other than mere suspicion, arresting them, and without any evidence whatever taking them before a United States commissioner and there requiring them to furnish satisfactory white evidence that they are lawfully in the United States, and on failure to do so the commissioner orders them deported to China. Many of these Chinese people so arrested have no means whatever to employ attorneys and they are constantly harrassed and annoyed by these unwarrantable arrests. Believing that injustice is being done to these Chinese people, we desire by this means to call your attention to the same, that the matter may be properly laid before the President and his Cabinet, that the evil may be remedied.

Albert H. Kellogg, Wm. B. Engle, Daniel Pierson, A. W. Cook, T. W. Calhoun,
F. H. Le Lourd, A. H. Kolme, Geo. Paddon, H. C. Power, Robert Brown, G.
W. Morse, T. F. O'Ceary, James Gillespie, John Chase, J. S. Thomas, W. H.
Race, J. R. Sherwood, Sabine Abbott.

Mr. Tsui to Mr. Blaine.

CHINESE LEGATION,

Washington, November 27, 1891. (Received November 28.) SIR: Under date of July 10, 1889, this legation submitted to you a form of certificate proposed to be issued by the Chinese Government in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of November 17, 1880, and section 6 of the act of Congress of July 5, 1884, to enable Chinese merchants and others of the exempt class to enter the United States; and, under date of July 25, 1889, your Department communicated to me the gratifying information that the form of certificate had been examined by the Treasury Department and had been found satisfactory by that Department.

The form of certificate was thereupon forwarded to the Imperial Government, and being approved by it has been sent to the various maritime provinces for the observance of the proper authorities. This legation was informed several months ago by the consul-general at San Francisco that the customs authorities of that port had refused to permit the landing of the holders of such certificates issued by the authorities of Shanghai and viséd in due form by the United States consulgeneral, on the alleged ground that it was believed some fraud had been practised in obtaining the certificates. As soon as this fact was brought to my attention I at once communicated with the viceroy of Nanking, immediate superior of the Shanghai authorities, asking for a thorough investigation and the severe punishment of the officials who should be found guilty of any frauds in connection with this matter.

By the last mail I received an official reply from the viceroy of Nanking, with a detailed report of the investigation, which shows that the

certificates before they were issued had passed through a strict examination and the regular routine, and that no irregularity or fraud had been practiced by any Chinese official respecting the issuing of the certifi cates. In addition to this I am informed that more peremptory instructions have been given to the authorities to whom are intrusted the duty of issuing the certificates, to exercise the greatest strictness, and orders have been issued to visit with severe punishment any abuse or fraud in connection with this business.

I have, therefore, to respectfully request that you will be so kind as to bring the foregoing facts to the attention of the Secretary of the Treasury, and ask him to instruct the customs authorities of San Fran cisco and elsewhere to hereafter take cognizance of such certificates as valid, and to give their holders the least trouble possible on their landing, and thereby cause the treaty stipulations between the two Governments to be respected.

I improve the occasion, etc.,

TSUI KWO YIN.

Mr. Blaine to Mr. Tsui.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, December 8, 1891.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose, in further reply to your note of 26th October last, relative to the alleged improper interference of Treasury officials with Chinese residing on Whidbey Island, State of Washington, a copy of letter from the acting Secretary, Mr. Spaulding, and of papers therewith, communicating the result of a special investigation on the subject.

Accept, etc.,

Mr. Spaulding to Mr. Blaine.

JAMES G. BLAINE.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,

Washington, D. C., December 3, 1891. (Received Dec. 4.)

SIR: Referring to your communication of the 30th of October last, with which was transmitted copy of a note of the minister of China to this capital, and of the petition which accompanied the same relative to the alleged improper interference of Treasury officials with Chinese residing on Whidbey Island, in the State of Washington, I have the honor to herewith inclose for your information copy of a report dated the 21st ultimo, and of its accompaniments from Special Agent C. J. Mulkey, who was instructed to investigate the subject.

Respectfully, yours,

Mr. Mulkey to Mr. Foster.

O. L. SPAULDING,
Acting Secretary.

OFFICE OF SPECIAL AGENT, TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

Tacoma, November 21, 1891.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, transmitting copies of a communication of the 26th ultimo, addressed to the Secre

tary of State by the Chinese minister at Washington, and its accompanying petition in relation to alleged improper interference by Treasury officials with Chinese residing on Whidbey Island, State of Washington, and instructing me to investigate the subject and to sunmit a report of the result with as little delay as practicable. The petition represents that officers of the United States connected with the Treasury Department are in the habit of going among Chinese persons who are engaged in agricultural pursuits on said island and without any warrant issued by a proper court, or without any proof other than mere suspicion, arresting them, and without any evidence whatever taking them before a United States commissioner and there requiring them to furnish white evidence that they are lawfully in the United States and on failure to do so the commissioner orders them deported to China.

Upon making a careful investigation of the matter I have ascertained that the petition in question was instigated and prepared by certain attorneys at Seattle who were employed in the defense of the Chinamen hereafter referred to and that several of the persons signing the same, notably two, whose letters are herewith inclosed marked Exhibits A and B, did so under mistake and misapprehension of the facts; that the only ground for the presentation of such petition exists in the fact that during the month of August last some eighteen Chinese laborers were arrested on said island for being illegally in the United States; that these Chinamen were not arrested on mere suspicion nor without warrant from a proper court, inasmuch as on the contrary they were, after due consultation with Mr. P. H. Winston, the United States attorney for this district, and submission of evidence to him, arrested by Chinese Inspector Munn, upon warrants duly issued by a United States commissioner in the manner prescribed by the statutes; that the said Chinese were from the time of their arrest and until their discharge (eight having been discharged by the commissioner upon the hearing before him and ten by Judge Hanford upon appeal) treated in the same manner as other United States prisoners are treated, and fed with the same rations, and that, so far as I can learn, the evidence upon which the warrants were issued and the persons arrested fully justifies the action of the United States Chinese inspector. The evidence went to show that some of these Chinese were recognized at "Diegalah Bay" while passing on their way to the Chinese quarter of the island from a section where no Chinese are employed, and that they had but recently landed on the west bank, while as to others the proofs indicated that they had been on the island but a few days and that they had not reached there from any United States port.

I may further state that the geographical position of Whidbey Island with its innumerable coves and hiding places and its close proximity to Victoria and other places in British Columbia, renders it a favorable resort for the illegal introduction of Chinese laborers, and that it is without doubt true that large numbers find their way to that island by canoes and small craft at night.

In connection with this matter I inclose a communication addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury by a large number of the citizens of Whidbey Island (Exhibit C.) Respectfully, yours,

C. J. MULKEY,
Special Agent.

EXHIBIT A.

Mr. Pearson to Mr. Munn.

COUPEVILLE, November 17, 1891.

SIR: In relation to a petition, a copy of which I now have, and which I return to you, I wish to say that at the date of signing the petition I was misinformed, and accept your explanation and believe your actions to have been honorable and just. DANIEL PEARSON. Mr. C. E. MUNN,

Chinese Inspector.

EXHIBIT B.

Mr. Gillespie to Mr. Munn.

COUPEVILLE, WASII., November 19, 1891. SIR: In relation to a petition to the honorable Chinese minister, signed by me on August 25, 1891, I wish to say that I was misinformed of the facts at the time of signing the same, and believe your actions to have been honorable and just.

JAMES GILLESPIE.

C. E. MUNN,

Chinese Inspector.

EXHIBIT C.

Residents of Whidbey Island to Mr. Foster.

ISLAND COUNTY, STATE OF WASHINGTON,
Coupeville, November 17, 1891.

We, the undersigned citizens of the United States and residents of Whidbey Island, beg to submit the following facts in relation to a petition signed by eighteen citizens of this island, asking protection for Chinese laborers resident on said island from unjust molestation at the hands of Treasury agents and United States commissioner:

First. The conditions of facts set forth in said petition of August 25, 1891, are without truth and foundation in every instance.

Second. To us it is firmly believed that, with few exceptions, at the time said petition was signed, nearly all Chinese residents on Whidbey Island were unlawfully on said island.

Third. That while we believe in the rights of all residents of whatever nationality, we protest against any insinuations that advantage in any respect was taken in the efforts of the Treasury agents to enforce the provisions of the Chinese restriction act which have occurred on Whidbey Island.

Fourth. That we believe said petition of Angust 25, 1891, was drafted at the instigation of certain lawyers, resident in Seattle, Wash., and who have long been employed as the attorneys for the Chinese firms interested in smuggling Chinese laborers into the United States and on Whidbey Island.

Fifth. That we believe in the honor and integrity of the officials who were interested in the enforcement of the Chinese exclusion act at the time said petition of August 25, 1891, was signed, and heartily indorse their actions as being conscientious and honorable, and strictly in accordance with law and justice.

J. B. LIBBEY and others.

Mr. Pung to Mr. Blaine.

CHINESE LEGATION,

Washington, February 5, 1892. (Received February 6.) SIR: I have the honor to inform you that, from a report just received from the Imperial Chinese consul general in San Francisco, I learn that various residents of Butte City, Mont., have been obstructing in their lawful business and outrageously treating the Chinese subjects in that place, which fact I feel constrained to bring to your notice in the hope that you will kindly cause prompt protection, as guaranteed by the treaty stipulations, to be extended to them.

It appears that in the month of November last various labor unions of Butte City passed a regulation prohibiting the people in the said city against trading and dealing with the Chinese subjects resident there, and at the same time placed guards at the front of the Chinese stores to arrest and punish any native who should be found to infringe the regulation. Subsequently the labor unions forbade the native landlords to hire any more of their houses to the Chinese, and ordered them to raise the rents of houses already tenanted by them. They further required the Chinese laundrymen to register their names, and attempted to extort from them each $10 for the same. Upon their refusal to comply with their demand the lawless people fired at them and assaulted some of them about the head with their pistols, so grievously wounding them that their lives were in peril.

As the Chinese subjects resident in the United States are entitled to the protection of the laws of the country and guarantied to them by Article III of the treaty of 1880 between China and the United States, I beg respectfully to solicit immediate relief on the part of the outraged Chinese of Butte City, and hope that the necessary instructions may be

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