File No. 803.
American Legation,
Peking, August 1,
1906.
No. 366.]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
The Prince of Ch’ing
to Minister Rockhill.
Foreign Office,
Peking, July 30,
1906.
No. 176.]
Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform
your excellency that on the 17th of this month my board received a
dispatch from H. E. Liang, Chinese minister to the United States, as
follows:
“Chinese of the exempt classes going to the United States from ports
in China are required by Article VI of the exclusion act to secure
certificates from certain customs taot’ais and other officials. They
can then enter the country within the law. The records show numerous
cases that have been dealt with in this way. But up to this time no
provision has been made with regard to Chinese of the exempt classes
entering the United States from ports in other countries, and it has
not been pointed out what officials are authorized to issue the
required certificates. Traveling Chinese are therefore foot bound,
and there are innumerable inconveniences. I recently received a
communication from the Department of State asking me to state what
officials could be authorized to issue these certificates to Chinese
of the exempt classes entering the United States from countries
other than China, that notice could be circulated regarding the
matter and the powers of these officials recognized. I therefore
took the matter up with the Department of State and arranged that
Chinese of the exempt classes entering the United States from
countries other than China should secure these certificates from the
Chinese minister residing in that country, or from the chargé
d’affaires, or from a consul-general or consul, said certificates to
be filled out according to the regular form required by law and sent
to the American minister in that country, or to an American consul,
for his signature and seal. Such certificate is to be considered as
complying with the law, and will be sufficient to allow of entry
into the United States. In places where there are no Chinese
diplomatic or consular officials the same American officials shall
be empowered to issue the certificates.
“Information of the matter of the authorization given to the
above-mentioned officials is to be given to the American minister in
Peking by the Wai Wu Pu, and he will report it to his Government.
The Wai Wu Pu will also instruct its minister at Washington to
communicate with the Department of Commerce and Labor through the
Department of State, that the matter may be put on record.”
Having received the above, my board has communicated with Minister
Liang as suggested, and in addition it becomes my duty to transmit
to your excellency [Page 272] the
information above conveyed, trusting that you will forward it to the
Department of State for their information and action.
A necessary despatch.
[Seal.]
