New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-02
THE HEAD-MONEY TAX.
HOW MASSACHUSETTS HAS DEALT WITH
IMMIGRANTS.

TION-OUGHT ALIEN PASSENGbhS ~ rh'
FOR ADMISSION TO THIS COUNTRY 1--TRYING
AN ExPERIMENT-rHE STATE ADOPTS THE
PRINCIPLE OF FREE IMMIGRATION - THE
HOPES OF BOSTON.
fPR0h AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBOhhl
BosToN, Nov. IA" Facts are the best an
swers TO theoriesv said The DAILY Adverser eplgram
as eirded ITSELF last Spring, for little bout
with the friends Of tho head-money tax. Boston mas
taught itself 10 believe that this tax is an odious thing
an infringement OF the ablebodied immigrants inherent
right to make home this country, bar to the trade
which properly belongs TO this port and eproach 10
the civilization OF the old Commonwealth And the
Dai can safely be counted to speak for Boston when
ever there fit occasion In the late instance 1t went on
to show the folly Of those whe contended that the abo
ton OF the afore-named woud make difference IN
the foreign Of the city and pointed then 10
tho fact that TO have two additional steamers
put into the line between Boston and Liverpool, while
our imports and exports we're very gratifylngy H.
creased over the corresponding period of last year The
CITY has become convert not TO free trade but 10 free
Immigration | am to give you sketch OF what the
state has from time to time done respecting Head
Money aud Of the contest which resulted IN It's aboii-
ton.
The capi'ation tax established In 1881 when tne
State had population Of about 0O and u saoo"neu
In 1872 when have population OF about l'oOO'o"
The theory Of the tax il found Ia the terms Oh tho os
inai act by which 1t was imposed The law pto'iueu
that on the arrival at any Of ports of vessel with
alien passengers board who may become chargeaDe
as the master Of such vessel shoud enter h'o
bond with the municipal authorities to indemnify ana
hold harmless the municipality and the CommOD"ea'D
from all charge for such passengers support during o
term OF three years" 1t provided further thit 'he
aforesaid authorities might dispense with such pond oh
tho payment by the master OF IS headmoney OF without
such payment H. in their Judgment there was t'e prop
ability that the passenger would become pubic charge
during the period mentioned The object Of the tax,
therefore was to shield the State from the expense OF
pauper immigrants. This suppose, Is the ogect IN
every State which maintains such tax
HISTORY OF mEADMosEY LEGISLATION.
The law enacted Al years ago remained unchanged
in its essential features till the present year In 1857
was 80 modified that bond at ten years was required
for idiots, lunatcs, &c. while the captauoh TAX ior al
other alien passengers reduced to w. In lS4O was
provided that what moneys from this impost were IN
town treasures after proper provision hau oeeh nsoc
for INDECENT Aliens should be paid over to the state III
sts the appointment superntendeDts OF allen passen
gers was authorized. cities and towns were reneVeu
from further responsibility where there were such ON
cias and all head-money to be paid directly INTO
the State Treasury In 1851 the State system tne sup
port OF INDECENT aliens established ana IN one Ior
or another that system has continued down 10 ts uae
In that year Board Of Commissioners OF Amen fas-
seugers was authorized, which existed TIL 1853 wheh II
was abolished, and its duties transferred 10 tue
Board of State Charities. In 1853 1t was enacted
that headmoney should be refunded in cases OF passsn
oers who left tho State within 48 hours after landing
This statute remained in force IL years. was repealed III
1898 and then regnacted in 1870 But while stoOd az
law consgnees to whom headnoney was thus reIunded
were liable for the support OF any Immigrant Drought
over by them who after leaving the State, returned ana
became pauper within five years. With one exception
these brief statements indicate the most important
changes which have been made III the orlgiuai S''"
imposing the oapitation TAX
Down to 1915 Immigration was lmited In that year
the number of arrivals to 1884, nearly double what
it had been any previous year aud in 1877 the aeSre
gate increased to 5 the excess arising undoubtedly
from the prevalence OF the famine in Ireland For some
time before that date there had been doubts as 10 the
eon,titutonalty OF the head-money law. I'VE were al
WAYS careful not to bring suit against persons landing
here said Of the former state agents al
legislative hearing two years ago. IN 1870
when the capitatiOn tax IN hew-forK was sl
ond - this State 81, suit was instituted
to- test it's SalidIty. The case was carried 70 'ns
Na,,oai s,rer, Court, and there argued by DAVID T.
O., - orr ct,, and Daniel Webster. decision
,.s rendered I'm 1870 ana opinions may be found ID
the seventh OF Howard where they and the arguments
are given at much length The hourt held tna' sne V'A
was unconstitutional IN VIOLATION oi QUIZ trea'co
with several foreign powers. But 10 t6s u Us
marks Mr. Justice Wayne said Paupcrs an 'aRaoonuS
have no right OF national intercourse; no one ma "
10 transport them without authority of law from
they are to any other place the states may meet them
upon their arrival in port and put chem under all proper
restraints And Mr. Justice Mclean said, the officers
may 90 on board OF ship from Foreign port which
arrives at Boston with alien passengers ON board ana
Examine " neither any of them are hWatics, diots'
mairned, aged hnfrm, incompetent 10 maintain them
selves have been paupers in any other country and
permit such persons TO he put on shore unless Sc
curty given that they shall not become to wn city,
or state charge: this is the exercise OF ltnques
tionabe power in the state TO protect itself from
foreign paupers and other persons who would
be public charge" This decision OF the Supreme Court
led to some material changes the structure though NOT
the essential scope OF Tho headmoney law both iu
this State aud NewYork. Hero 1t was enacted that
bond OF 900 should DO given for each insane, idotc
blind, deafmute manned or deforned person, and OF
$500 for each other immigrant, conditioned that he she
should not become public charge within five years
And it was further provided that these aforementioned
bonds might be committed by the payment OF & each
Thus the constitution which the President has in bis
bench raised alot for Official and popular observance!
BEFUsDMd THE MONEY WHEN THE IMMIGRANT IMaE
pnTELY LEFT THE STATE.
As has already been said during the II years from
1853 to 1885, the refunded in Of passengers
who left the state within 4s hours after landing. The
provision to this effect originated with Judge RUSSELL
present Federal Collector and he says chiefly
Intended for the benefit Of scandinavian immigrants,
considerable numbers of whom were landing here on
their way to settlement in the West In these II years.
head money to the amount OF 6 was refunded being
about per cent OF the aggregate collected during that
period. In reference 30 this tax on aliens passing
throu gh the State IL was said by Mr. Justke Grer In
the court decisions from which citations have been made
in the preceding paragraph: II persons migrating to
the Western States may be compelled to contribute TO
the revenue OF Massachusetts,, NewYork, or Louis
ana whether for the support of paupers or penien-
!aes they may with equal justice be subjected to the
same exactions in every other city State through
which they compelled 10 pass, and thus the unfor