The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-11-24
The immigration COnTentiOR-The
ChafPmanss AddrpRR

ChaiFman's Address.
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 23.-Governor
Merrill, of Iowa, called the Conven.
ton 10 order at twelve O'Clock. Col.
Albert 4. Shaw, OF Memphis, was
elected Temporary Chairman. and
Col. John 9. Loomis. of New York.
temporary Secretary.
Col. shay, on taking the Chair,
spoke as follows:
/ thank you for the compliment
you have paid me, and the great hon.
or you have conferred upon me by
selecting me TO preside temporarily
over your deliberations. / am no
speech-maker- and If i were. [ 40 not
know that should deem ii wise to
infict speech upon you, for we c9me
together to deliberate and to act,
rather than to make any talking dis
play. think you will agree with me
that one good solid shot Of fact is
worth q whole fusilade of rhetoric.
The call, which has been read,
sufficiently indicates the objects and
purposes for which this Convention is
assembled. We can scarcely exagge-
rate its importance. Our country,
now so great and so glorious. is but
the child of immigration. All of US,
forty millions OF souls, are only immi-
grants or the children of immigrants.
We all trace back our origin over the
aater. We are Celts, or Teutcns, or
Saxons, or Latins. What a wonder
ful thing immigration and emigration
have done for our country. Not
vainly do we claim the first place
among the nations; the youngest of
all, we see the first greatest and best.
Yet it is q little more than 25O years
since the 6rst immigrant set foot upon
our shores, and all our grandeur has
been derived from those who have
since followed. No wonder we regard
immigration as D great and important
interest. No wonder the Governors
of the great States should agree to
cell : National Convention to consult
concerning this interest. Very
properly il assumes the Dimensions
of national coucernment in our de-
liberations. / trust we shall all the
time remember this characteristic of
nationality. We certainly should
know no North, no South, no East,
no West; only q great and entire
nationality, Immaculate from any
stain Of sectionalism. Let the dead
past bury its dead. Neither can We
contemplate the Introduction Of any
political FIRE brand here, while our
deliberations and action may become
in the best aud highest sense polit-
ical. trust we shall studiously ig-
more and repel any attempt to en-
ploy the shibb0leth or tricks Of parti-
sanship. Allow me TO suggest, in
conclusion, gentlemen, that a strict
observance of order and the usual
preliminary regulations will 60 far to
wards securing harmony of action,
and facilitating the dispatch of busi-
ness.
A committee of three, consisting
Of Messrs. Smith, of Indiana, Smith,
Of Wisconsin, and Downs, of Arkan-
sas, were appointed on credentials.
On call, the States delegates from
the following States and Territories,
responded: Arkansas, Colorado,
Kansas, District of Columbia, Illi-
nois, Iowa, Indiana. Kentucky. Mis-
sissippi, Minnesota, New York, North
Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Ten
nessee, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,,
Wisconsin, West Virginia and Ohio.
A resolution, inviting all the Gov
ernors, ex Governors, Senators, and
Representatives in Congress, present,
to take part in the deliberations of
the Convention. was adopted.
Mr.. Young. Chief Of the u. s. Bu-
reau of Statistics, In response TO
unanimous vote, addressed the Con-
vention, exhibiting a diagram and
printed tables. showing the extent of
Immigration By nationalists during
the fifty years { :om 1920 to 1870. The
average number per year which arrived
in excess of the Eve decades. are as
follows: From 1920 to '2S, 1881; 80
TO '39, 50. .S38; 80 to '49, 142 T29; 80
to '59, 81, ,453, and go TO '69. 235, ,478.
He traced the increase fro a 3 1856
| In 1920 to the elimination in 1854,
when 427, ,S33 alien passengers arrived,
giving his views Of the cause of the
unprecedented increase, and its de-
cline to 81, 900 in 1862 and 1863, and
| its recovery 20 385, ,287 in 1870. He
gave the classiications by sex, occu-
patton, age, giving the per centage of
each, especially noting the number
and percentage Of able bodied males.
Mr.. Young then discussed the val
ne TO the country of immigrants. he
slightly differed from DIR. Engel, who
afirms that the value of an immi
grant is the amount of his cost until
the age of fifteen is attained. Mr..
| Young contended that the law Of
supply and demand prevails in this
case. and that the value of an immi-
grant is what his services are worth
In the place where he locates. He
averaged the value Of alien passengers
al $500 excess, thus giving as the ag-
Rregate value Of the immigration for
the last half century at about six
billions Of dollars.
The questions under discussion at
the night session, we're the abuses the
immigrants are subjected to at Castle
Garden, New York, and In transit
B. railroad and steamboats, to the des-
tination in the West and South, and
q resolution, fayoriDg the establish
ment of Bureau of immigration By
the Federal Government. and the abb
olition of the per capita tax By States
on immigr1 nts, was offered. A large
majority of the resolutions presented
to the Convention and speeches Of the
delegates favor the last proposition.
The Convention adjourned till 8 AN.
to morrow.
General Butler on Parties In General,