The Paperwork of Exclusion: Chinese Residents Ordered to Register

Collector of Internal Revenue Harlan yesterday received from Secretary of the Treasury Foster a copy of the printed rules for the enforcement of the provisions of the Chinese exclusion act relating to the giving of certificates of residence to Chinese already lawfully in the United States.

Certificates of residence are to be given to Chinese who were lawfully in the United States previous to May 5, and may be issued up to May 1893. The following is the form of application to be filled in and sworn to: "I, a Chinese, hereby make application to the collector of internal revenue for the district of ___ for a certificate of residence under the provisions of the act of congress approved May 5, 1892, and state that I arrived in the United States on the ___ day of ___, was lawfully within the limits of the United States, residing at ___ on the 5th day of May, 1892. That my age was ___ years on my last birthday, and that my present local residence is at ___ and my occupation is ___. I further state that a true photographic likeness of myself is affixed to this application."

The provisions in regard to the furnishing of photographs are as follows:

Every applicant will be required to furnish three unmounted photographic likenesses of himself or herself, one to be affixed to the application and two to be affixed to the certificate of residence; one to the original, one to the duplicate. These photographs will be securely affixed to the papers by strongly adhesive paste. Great care will be taken in receiving the photographs to see that they accurately represent the features of the applicant. If the collector or his deputies have any doubt in regard to the correctness of the photograph presented they will refuse to receive the application and require a correct one.

The photographs shall be sun-prints, such as are usually known as card-photographs, of sufficient size and distinctness as to plainly and accurately represent the entire face of the applicant, the head to be not less than one and a half inches from base of hair to base of chin. No tintype or other metal picture will be received.

The application must be accompanied by the affidavits of two credible witnesses of good character to the fact of residence and lawful status and to the correctness of the photograph. Failing such witnesses, the applicant must furnish other proof, which with the application must be sent to the commissioner of internal revenue for his decision, otherwise the application will be rejected. The form of certificate in duplicate states the facts of lawful residence and embodies a schedule giving a detailed description of the Chinaman, and has a stub in the book giving the same points. If any blank certificate is destroyed, an affidavit giving the facts in regard to its destruction must be attached to the book. The collector's official seal must be affixed to the certificate, partly on the photograph, and the number of the certificate and name of the Chinese must be written across the photograph but not across the features. The same forms will be used for persons other than laborers, with verbal changes.

When a certificate is lost or destroyed, it must be shown to the collector's satisfaction that the loss or destruction was accidental and without fault or negligence. The collector may then issue a duplicate, writing across it and the stub the fact that it is a duplicate. He must then report the fact of its issue to the commissioner and each collector of internal revenue.

Following are the definitions of Chinese laborers and merchants:

The persons referred to in the acts of congress to which these regulations apply and whose immigration into the United States is prohibited are limited to Chinese laborers. No class of Chinese are prohibited from coming into the United States, or remaining here, except such as may properly and within the meaning of said statutes be known as "laborers." But persons other than laborers must present as a condition precedent to landing the certificate required by section 6 of the act approved July 5, 1884. Collectors of internal revenue and their deputies are instructed that all classes of skilled and unskilled laborers and persons employed in mining, as well as hucksters, peddlers and persons engaged in taking and drying or otherwise preserving shells or fish for home consumption or exportation and laundrymen shall be classed as laborers. Persons who are employed in stores, but who are not owners or part owners in the business, shall be classed as laborers. A person to be exempted from the operations of this law as a merchant must be an owner or part owner of a bona fide mercantile establishment.