law" was before the Senate and some
of the Senators think that it is now being employed to kill Mr. Morgan's
Cuban Bill and the Arbitration Treaty.

To prevent this Mr. Mason wishes a rule of cloture (or closure, as it is
called in England) adopted. This is a French word, meaning, to bring to an
ending, or close.

Such a rule was introduced in the English House of Commons by Mr.
Gladstone in 1882, when the debates on the Irish question threatened to be
endless, and the whole business of Parliament was stopped by a few members
exercising their right to speak as long as they chose.

The rule of cloture operates in this way. When the debate has continued
for some time and any member believes that the majority have heard enough,
he introduces a motion that "The question be now put;" and if this is
passed, all debate is stopped, and the presiding officer must immediately
call for a vote on the question which has been under debate.

What has been called "Senatorial courtesy" has heretofore prevented the
passage of a rule of cloture in the Senate, but Mr. Mason thinks that the
transaction of public business is of more importance than any exaggerated
courtesy among the Senators.

* * * * *

We spoke last week about the invasion of Hawaii by the Japanese.

It seems that the immigrants, turned back from Honolulu, have made up
their minds to go to California; and it is said that they are trying to
reach San Francisco by way of British Columbia.

It is doubtful if they will be any more welcome here than they were in
Hawaii, and it is probable that means will be found to prevent them from
landing, if they come in large numbers.

We did this with the Chinese, and there is little doubt that we will do
the same with the Japanese, if they begin to trouble us.

There is at this moment a little trouble about the Chinese, and that you
may understand it fully, we will go over the whole matter.

In the early days of emigration to California, those days when the
wonderful discoveries of gold were attracting adventurous spirits, the
Chinese were among the first to go there.

At first they were welcomed and kindly treated, but after a while it was
found that Chinamen would work for less wages than white men, and
therefore obtained employment when the white men were left in idleness.
From this the pioneers came to distrust John Chinaman, and then to dislike
him.

In 1877 there was a serious anti-Chi