New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-02
EcdernI Immigration Bill.

cisiye vote seems to have been well de-
served The only fear is that 1t may come
| lib again in more plausible shape Nomi,
| naly an act to promote immigration, 1t was
| designed rather to prevent 1t, or at least to
| hart every interest of immigration, and to
| help only the office seekers, whom 1t would
! have provided with numberless fat places.
| and possibly certain railway and land com
| panies whose profits it would have swclled.
| Luckily the bill was SO clulnSllV drawn
| that had its object been praiseworthy it
| could not have become practical law.
| One of its provisions, as was pointed
out in the debate on its passage, is direct
nsurpatIon of the treaty making power, if
not an impairment interference with the
rights OF foreign governments Section
| four made it the duty of our consul5 to in
spect personally all emigrAnt vessels ar the
port of departure, to see that the provisions
of the act were complied with, or to report
their violation. Perhaps on American YES
sells such a regulation might be enforced.
But how many American vessels remain in
the emigrant carrying trader And how is
the authority of our consul, supposing him
to have the time for personal inspection, to
be extended to foreign vessels III a foreign
port? If the foreign vessel refused to be in
spected, what then!
Another provision of this remarkable
bill, as was mentioned in the vigorous re
monstrance Of the New York Chamber of
Commerce, aimed to promote immigration
by driving half OF the immigrant carrying
vessels out of the trade. No ship owner
could stand so indefinite and arbitrary
tax as the assessment provides for in see
ton nineteen, lat the expense of the vessel
for the immediate and temporary necess-
ties of those who arrive destitute or the
outlay consequent on the Encouragement OF
passenger room and CARRYING space made
A he, A 4, -
the Storage, as the Tribune has repeatedly
urged and shown, can never be freed from
at least the disComtorts OF limited space.
What this limit shOuld be. in order
to combine a fair profit to the ship
owner with the personal safety and
health of the passenger, has been clearly
ascertalned by years of experience, and has
the sanction of existing laws. That limit
Is far below the eXtravagant one allotted
by this DILL, which would require something
like fleet to replace every single vessel
now in the business. Another section looks
after the comfort OF emigrants by virtually
torbldding that they shall have any
thing to eat after two o'clock in the after
noon. OF the rest OF the provisions. some
are impracticable and others ridiculous
while none afford a title of the protection
or care now furnished the immigrant by
our State laws, at a trihing cost to himself
ana none at all to our own people.
We are thus particular in referring TO a
'iCteated bill because it is not a all imp0s-
slble that in some other shape 1t may be re-
newed before the end of the session. In
whatever shape it comes up to supersede
our State Rmigrant laws and substitute Il
costly, eumbrous and inefficient federal
fnachlns for our present State commission,
we trust t0 SIZE it again defeated. The New
soEk ShasntpI of eJommerce and The com
nilsslOnefs OF emigration memOrializad Con
TrSss against the passage of Mr.. Conger's
hlil; ana the House proceedings slow that.
1"P the first time in ma3y months.
III" Sew Cork delegation voted q
uniS against IT, Of these three pub
ne declarations of sentiment imply any
th!ng, they mean that public opinion in
thls State, ds represented by the greatest
experience and knowledge of the AIhiect
is Supposed To interference with our present
state arrangements for the protection of
Shlgrants. And this for obvious reasons
the chlef OF which is that for twenty-five
years the state laws have been found to
give the emlgrant, in the language of the
chamber of Commerce, "all the advice and
assistance he may reasonably look for: and
even more, lnasmuch as the commission
meets wants and troubles which, in his IL.
horance OF our country, the emigrant DID
not think OF and did not antiripate."
10 the protection of emigrants in transit
N wv an VI through me country, TED
era care may properly apply itself and
VIII VIII ma much to do. If Mr. Conger really
mas at heart the welfare of this important
td,l IN our national progress, he will
ic"Ne our state regulations alone and aDply
himself to secure the adoption of that inter
hatioha! convention for the protection OF
eul grants on shipboard, which was drafted
sumo years ago by the commissioners Of
emigration and the then repre-pDtatiyas #
the North German Confederation, in con.
s"Natlon with Secretary Fish, and which is
no" In She state Department. Ehat is his
proper held of effort; that and such federal
provision as his restless beneyoence mag
suggest III States which have made none.
but so far as its objective point is con
"erned, immigration to the United States is
practically immigration to the StatcoF New
york, and the State of New York ought to
he aliowad TO take such measures as wisdom
suggests and experience approves to protect
herseit and those temporary wards against
dangers or discomforts tha. may hauHen 70
both III the contact. pm