Mr. Foster to Mr. Herbert.
Washington, August 10, 1892.
Sir: Information has reached me that the Canadian Pacific Railway is making contracts to transport Chinese persons from China and deliver them at designated points in the United States for fixed sums, the price named being, for instance, 8140 from China to Chicago.
Such action on the part of the Canadian Pacific Railway, I need scarcely observe, makes it well nigh impossible to execute the Federal laws governing the entrance of Chinese persons into the United States; and even in the case of violations of those laws being detected, enormous expense is detailed in deporting the offenders. I am informed that there are at the present time at Detroit alone no less than fourteen Chinamen under detention, who were brought from the Pacific coast and attempted to be introduced into the United States in violation of existing law. It is credibly reported that there are many, probably more than one thousand, Chinamen now at Vancouver awaiting transportation into the United States by Canadian channels.
The policy of the Government of the United States to restrict the coining of Chinese laborers into this country has been made clearly known. The question raised by the difficulties of enforcing that policy throughout a long and unguarded inland frontier has been specifically presented in a kindly spirit to the Government of Her Majesty. Under date of October 22, 1890, Mr. Lincoln was instructed to bring to Lord Salisbury’s attention a concurrent resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives inviting negotiation with the Government of Great Britain with a view to securing treaty stipulations for the prevention of the entry of Chinese laborers from the Dominion of Canada contrary to our laws. Mr. Lincoln communicated the proposition November 5, 1890, and his lordship deferred a reply until the views of the Canadian government should be ascertained. On February 11, 1891, Mr. Lincoln renewed the proposition and the Marquis of Salisbury stated that he would at once call the attention of the Canadian Government to it by cable. A response is yet awaited.
This incident serves to show alike the vital importance attached by this Government to the question and the indifference of the Dominion government to the subject.
The present aspects of the matter would seem, however, to overpass the bounds of mere indifference and to indicate the tolerance of a proceeding whose friendliness is open to grave question. When the policy of this country has been proclaimed and enforced by appropriate laws, it can not be deemed a friendly act should a great corporation, amenable in so many respects to the control of a neighboring government, employ its vast power and resources to thwart the purpose of this Government by becoming an organized machinery for the unlawful introduction of Chinese persons into the United States.
The question of preventing the influx of Chinese has heretofore attracted serious attention when the evil was comparatively slight and when the Chinese were often in fact contravening Canadian law or abusing Canadian hospitality in their efforts to gain admission to the United States from that quarter. I should deeply regret if their attempts should find sanction on the part of the Canadian authorities or effective aid from the Canadian Pacific Railway.
[Page 298]The importance of the subject constrains me to request an immediate investigation into the facts and a prompt response befitting the friendly intercourse of the two countries.
I have, etc.,