The native American., 1838-07-28
FOREIGN PAUPERS AND aNATURALI
ZArION LAWS. n
. ITO accompany bills H. r. Nos s73 and s7il
ta July 2, 1898.

.
" jury 2, 1898.
Mr.. RUSSELL, from the Select Committee ap-
pointed on the subject, made the following
REPORT:
7Ne Select Committee 10 ,chich mere referred The memorial
of Me Mayor, .Aiicrmtn, and Commonaly Of The city NJ
New York, Me memorials Of HE nha'trafs IF the cotniies
Of WashingtoG Kings, and seDerai Others IA ne aae q
NeW York That Of The municipal gorern mcni in Tho city
of Boston, hat Of ci-ens Of Suton. That Of the ciSeas o.
H Mhita,y IN The Slate of Massachusetts, ai'd TINT ofMe
Naiice amercaa dissertations" IN Tie city Of Wnshng
ton. IN e District Of Columbia and s"rc,al others from
dDcrem Siaes, praying Repeal IF the Naturalization
Iros oihc United Stutcs, or such aLerntioa thereof
M shH eriend the time Of residence IN he Uaied States
of Foreigners preri0us 10 their bcag adalited 10 The
cse Of poicol rights beyond Me period hch is required
by The erag lars; and also prnyng The passage Of
llp rhch wU eDecuaiy prepea The iairodniion of ptn
pcrs and coapcs from foreign countries nio The Uned
Stries: aLso the rcmonstrance of number Of German
citizens Hcing in the sohcrn paiofhe MHeo Of Missouri,
against granting Me prayer Of Me memoraliss, nspcci-
fully REPoKT:Ea .}..sl tat Eta
The mcmoriasts allcgc that the number Of
cmigrants from foreign countries into the United
States is increasing with such rapidity as to
jcopardsc the peace and tranquility Of our citi-
zcns. if not tho pcrmancncy of the civil, religious,
and political institutions of tho United States.
That many of them are the outcasts Of foreign
countries; pa,tpers, ragraais, and nalc)aciors,
from the poor-houscs and pcnlcntares Of Europe,
sent hither at the expense offorcign Governments,
to relieve them from tho burden Of their maintc-
nance. That, from the destitute condition Of this
class when they arrive in this country, they i'm
mediately become burdensomc to our citizens,
exhausting the accumulated funds which had been
raised, and were being disbursel, by the various
charitable institutions in our country, for the use
Of our own unfortunate and destitute citizens.
Among those who have been sent hither, arc
many laboring under the infirmites Of old age,
whose days Of usefulness and vgor have been
spent IN England, or upon the continent Of Eu-
rope; and, when they can be no longer useful in
their native country, are sent among US, entirely
destitute, to linger out fricndless and burden
some cxstencein strange land, Others, equally
helpless and burdensomc from natural inirmitcs,
bearing unquestionabc indications of their hav-
ing been paupers in their natiue land Others,
and not few, laborng under mental alteration,
evidently Of long standing, and incurablc. Others
idiots; and there is hardly any degree of mental
infirmity which affects mankind and which is
tcrmcdiae, mere eccenfriciiy and absolute phren-
sy, which may not be found among these, thus
cast upon our country. Others, whose residence
among us is still more objectionable, are convicts
from the European states, condemned TO impris-
onment in their native country for aggravated
Al -. l..
imprisonment only on condition OF taking up their
residence in this western hemisphere. tits the
concentration Of these classes of foreigners III the
United States, from various foreign countries
which has drawn forth these Simultaneous appeals
to Congress, from the different sections of the
Union, to save our country and our citizens from
the blghting influence of such population, ant
more especially the laboring class. An American
laberer is among the most useful of our citizcns
and the primeval principle which was proclaimed
sweat Of his brow" he acknowledges as rule 0
duty, prescribing reasonable service, from
which neither habit nor inclination prompts him
to depart; his pride and ambition are stimulated
by desire to attain independence and to main
tain his family with the fruits of his own labor
and, in the vigor Of manhood, to accumulate ;
treasure which will smooth tho pathway of his
declining years, and alleviate the sorrows ncidcn
to old age. Whatever causes may conspirc il
the European states to produce paupcrsm, few
exist here; and it is believed to be not only un
reasonable, but unjust, to'Pcrmit foreign Govern
ments to relieve themselves from tho maintenance
of their own poor, which is caused principally by
their forms of government, their policy, ant
their laws, at the expense Of the citizens of The
United States. Their collision with our citizens
in the various pursuits of private life, their dis
regard Of those social, moral, and political obliga
tons which control the action OF the American
people, and attach them to the homes OF then
fathers, render them obnoxious to suspicion anC
distrust, and unwelcomc associates in their daily
toll. 1t is estimated that there are about l46,OOt
foreigners who annually arrive in the United
States; many of them entirely destitute OF tho
necessaries of life, and depending for daily sub