Mr. Hay to Mr. Wu.

No. 194.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 10th instant, with inclosures, reviewing the treaties and laws regulating Chinese immigration in this country, and requesting that before opening the question of new legislation, Congress will provide for a commission to visit the localities in the United States and in the Philippine and Hawaiian islands, where the Chinese most largely congregate, and by a personal investigation ascertain how the present laws and regulations affect the Chinese, and how the exclusion of Chinese affects the localities in question.

I have communicated copies of your note and its inclosures to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

Accept, etc.,

John Hay.