The Chinese Exclusion Crisis: Seattle’s Marshal Refuses to Free Detainees
District Attorney White and Judge Walsh clash over the legality of holding forty Chinese residents under federal exclusion laws, revealing a deep rift between local enforcement and constitutional rights.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Seattle, June 27. -- A heated legal battle is unfolding in the District Court regarding the detention of forty Chinese individuals under the federal Exclusion Act. District Attorney White argued that the government has no fund provided for their support, stating, 'The Constitution of the United States says that no money can be drawn on the Treasury except from a fund specifically appropriated for the purpose.' He insisted that while the parties entered the country in violation of law, they are now prisoners and should not be punished indefinitely without proper funding.
Judge Walsh countered, calling it a 'passing phenomenon of an absurd and curious arraignment' if the court could not act. 'If your honor thinks the state courts have no jurisdiction,' said Mr. White, 'then we are at fault.' The judge responded, 'The court will assume all responsibility in the matter.'
Marshal Hamilton was ordered to take the detainees into custody. When asked if he had the authority to hold them, the Marshal replied that he was already there as custodian of the court. The situation remains tense, with the Attorney General's office potentially involved. Meanwhile, in other local news, five boys were fined for gambling by Judge Walsh. Real estate activity continues to boom, with S. O'Brien reporting significant transactions despite rumors of fraud involving Charles Tuttle.
This 1894 account highlights the brutal reality of the Chinese Exclusion Act, where local law enforcement in Seattle became the instrument of federal racial exclusion policies. The legal squabbling between District Attorney White and Judge Walsh over 'jurisdiction' and 'funding' mirrors modern debates about sanctuary cities and the limits of local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
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