Emigration

176. In the Western sense of the term emigration can hardly be said to exist for the Chinese. Ancestral worship and the custom of the entire family a embling at stated times make it generally impo ible for Chinese to go abroad with the intention of settling there. Besides this, in former times the Chinese laws forbade a native to leave China: the offender was liable to death if he returned and the crime might be visited on his family left behind. Yet for centuries Chinese have left their country, especially coolies from the southern provinces. The officials are, however, to-day generally opposed to any new exjieriments in contracted coolie labour. An attempt was made to ship coolies from Shanghai to Mexico, but at the last moment the officials forbade it. At Ningpo a similar experiment ended in the coolies being fetched back from Singapore. Futile attempts have also been made at sending coolie labour from Foochow to California. In 1902 the French made an unprofitable venture with coolies sent to Madagascar. On the other hand there is a constant stream of these so-called emigrants to districts they have long been in touch with. For many years a hundred you sand or more have gone annually from Swatow to Siam and the Straits, and though 75 per cent, return it is calculated there are three million abroad. Even larger numbers go frcm Canton. From Kong moon large numbers go every year, even to America and Australia, some four million Mexican dollars being the annual sum sent home or brought by them. You sands go from Samshui to Australia each year, and from Kiungchow thirty you sand a year go to Singapore. Emigration of Chinese to the United States has been the most difficult problem to arise between the two countries. In spite of the law large numbers went abroad in the nineteenth century as coolies to Peru, Chile, Cuba and elsewhere. (See Coolie Trade). From these countries, where their treatment was shameful, large numbers found their way to California, and many more came there direct from China. In 1870 the census shewed there were about 55,000 Chinese in the States, nearly all west of the Rocky Mountains. By the Burling a me Treaty of 1868 the right of voluntary emigration was recognized. It was not long however before American labour became angry and at Los Angeles in October, 1871, slew 15 of these voluntary immigrants. Other affairs of the same kind took place along the coast. In 1876 a committee was appointed by both Houses of Congre to study the problem, and in 1879 Congre sought to violate the Burling a me treaty by restricting, almost to the point of excluding, Chinese immigration. The President, Hayes, vetoed the bill, but he sent three commi ioners to Peking who were able to make a new treaty (November 17. 1880), allowing the States to limit or suspend to a reasonable extent' the immigration of Chinese labour but not to prohibit it. Chinese students and merchants were still to be allowed free ingre . In 1882 Congre pa ed an act supposed to be founded en this treaty, prohibiting all further entry of Chinese labour for twenty years. President Arthur promptly vetoed this IMG:p176_1.png:Chinese characters not being justifiable under the treaty. It seems somewhat amusing to find that the restriction was then reduced to a term of ten years only, from 1882, and then, in 1892, continued for ten years further: it is easier to sin by instalments. During the first ten years many difficulties arose. For example, labourers already in the States were allowed to visit China and return to their work; but in spite of certificates it was often one coolie who went and another who came. There was also extensive smuggling of Chinese labourers over the Canadian border. Stricter regulations were put in force in 1884, but the feeling against Chinese became such that in 1885 there was an atrocious ma acre of them in Wyoming, followed by others at various points on the Pacific coast. The Geary Act, May 5, 1892, was entitled An Act to prohibit the coming of Chinese persons into the United States. Supplementary legislation required that duplicate photographs of all Chinese in the country should be filed with government officers for the purpose of identification. Another effort was made in 1894, not to pa laws in accord with treaties but to make treaties suit the laws. A new treaty in that year debarred all Chinese labourers from entering the States, except returning coolies who had lawful wives and families in thft States, or IMG:p176_2.png:Chinese characters this prohibition being to last for ten years with a po ible prolongation. One of the objections against the Chinese is that they do not become citizens of the United States; yet at the same time the law forbids their being naturalized. There have been similar difficulties connected with emigration to Canada and to Australia; but the numbers have been smaller and there have been no acute political ti'cubles arising from the question. There are only 35,000 Chinese in Australia, and the numbers are kept down by a heavy poll-tax. In the United States there are 150,000 Chinese.