186 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



NOT VOTING Messrs. Archer, Ayer, Barnum, 

 Biggs, Bird, Boles, Cake, Cleveland, Covode, Cowles, 

 Degener, Dickinson, Dyer, Haight, Haldeman, Ham- 

 bleton, Hawkins, Hays, Heaton, Hodge, Jenckes, 

 Loughridge, Lynch, McKenzie, Morphis, Morrissey, 

 Negley, Packer, Peters, Potter, Prosscr, Eogers, 

 Schenck, Schumaker, Scofield, Shanks, Porter Shel- 

 don, Slocum, William J. Smith, "Worthington C. 

 Smith, Starkweather, Stevens, Stiles, Stone, Strong, 

 Taylor, Townsend, Van Wyck, Voorhees, Wallace, 

 Welker, Williams, and John T. Wilson 53. 



So (two thirds voting in favor thereof) the 

 rules were suspended, and the bill was passed. 



In the Senate, on June 25th, the bill from 

 the House was considered, and the Committee 

 on the Judiciary reported an amendment to 

 strike out all after the enacting clause, and to 

 insert as a substitute a new bill. It was agreed 

 in the Senate to regard this substitute as the 

 original bill for the purpose of amendment. 



Mr. Sumner, of Mass., said : " I offer a new 

 section, which has already been reported upon 

 favorably by the Judiciary Committee : 



And be it further enacted, That all acts of Congress 

 relating to naturalization be, and the same are, here- 

 by, amended by striking out the word ' white ' 

 wherever it pccursj so that in naturalization there 

 shall be no distinction of race or color." 



Mr. "Williams, of Oregon, said : " I move to 

 amend the amendment of the Senator from 

 Massachusetts. It is to insert at the end of 

 the proposed amendment the following : 



But this act shall not be construed to authorize the 

 naturalization of persons born in the Chinese empire." 



The President pro tempore: "The question 

 is on the amendment of the Senator from Ore- 

 gon to the amendment." 



Mr. Stewart, of Nevada, said : " I -desire to 

 be heard, and must be heard on a proposition 

 of that character, which we of the Pacific coast 

 have more knowledge of than others here. 

 Here are two distinct bills pending, involving 

 altogether different principles.. Does an agree- 

 ment to vote at a certain time upon one bill 

 bind the Senate to take up another bill and 

 put it upon that bill without a chance to say a 

 word ? I undertake to say that it is not ger- 

 mane, and upon that point I have a right to be 

 heard. The proposition was that we should 

 vote on a bill to regulate naturalization as to 

 persons now entitled to receive it." 



The President pro tempore : " The question 

 is on the amendment of the Senator from Ore- 

 gon (Mr. "Williams), to ( the amendment of the 

 Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Sumner)." 



Mr. Morton, of Indiana, said : " One word. 

 This amendment involves the whole Chinese 

 problem. Are you prepared to settle it to- 

 night?" 



Mr. Stewart: " "Without discussion." 



Mr. Morton : "And without discussion? The 

 country has just awakened to the question and 

 to the enormous magnitude of the question, 

 involving a possible immigration of many mill- 

 ions, involving another civilization, involving 

 labor problems that no intellect can solve with- 

 out study and without time. Are you now 



prepared to settle the Chinese problem, thus 

 in advance inviting that immigration ? I am 

 not prepared to do it." 



Mr. Sumner : " The Senator says it opens 

 the great Chinese question. It simply opens 

 the question of the Declaration of Indepen- 

 dence, and whether we will be true to it. 'All 

 men are created equal,' without distinction of 

 color." 



Mr. "Williams : " I propose to withdraw my 

 amendment to the amendment of the Senator 

 from Massachusetts, with the understanding 

 that that will be voted down. If it is not voted 

 down, I shall renew my amendment and intend 

 to stand here as long as I can and fight for it. 

 I shall not submit to have these Chinese 

 brought here." 



Mr. McCreery, of Kentucky, said: "I offer 

 this as an amendment to the amendment : 



Provided, That the provisions of this act shall not 

 apply to persons born in Asia, Africa, or any of the 

 islands of the Pacific, nor to Indians born in the 

 wilderness." 



The amendment to the amendment was re- 

 jected. 



Mr. Sumner: "Some time during the last 

 Congress I had the honor of introducing a bill 

 to strike the word ' white ' from our naturali- 

 zation laws. I tried to have it put on its pas- 

 sage. I was resisted then by the Senator from 

 Yermont, who moved its reference to the Com- 

 mittee on the Judiciary. There it remained 

 without any report until that Congress expired. 

 During the first week of the present Congress, 

 now more than a year ago, I introduced the 

 same bill. It remained in the room of the Ju- 

 diciary Committee from March, 1869, until very 

 recently, when it was reported favorably. 



"Such, sir, have been my efforts to bring 

 the Senate to a vote on this question. Never 

 till this moment has it been in my power to 

 have a vote on a question which I deem of 

 vital importance. I have here on my table at 

 this moment letters from different States from 

 California, from Florida, from Virginia all 

 showing a considerable number of colored 

 persons shall I say of African blood ? aliens 

 under our laws, who cannot be naturalized on 

 account of that word ' white.' 



"Now, sir, there is a. practical grievance 

 which needs a remedy. This is the first time 

 that I have been able to obtain a vote upon it, 

 and I should be unworthy of my seat here if, 

 because Senators rise and say they will vote it 

 down on the ground that it is out of place, I 

 should hesitate to persevere. Senators will 

 vote as they please ; I shall vote for it. The 

 Senator from Illinois (Mr. Trumbnll) properly 

 says it is in place. Never was there a bill to 

 which it was more germane. You are now 

 revising the naturalization system, and I pro- 

 pose to strike out from that system a require- 

 ment disgraceful to this country and to this 

 age. I propose to bring our system in har- 

 mony with the Declaration of Independence 

 and the Constitution of the United States. 



