Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-04
ALIEN IMNIGRANTS.
Secretary Of The Treasury Sends
4 Circular Latter
10 Various Steamship Companies 3D.
sasad IN The Business,
Telling what rhsy VIII aud VIII Hot
BE Allowed to Do.

WARRINGTON, June 8 The secretary Of
the treasury today addressed the following
circular letter to steamship companies and
others engaged in bringing alien immi-
grants into the United States Attention
Of corporations and others engaged in
brir gns slisn immigrants into the uaited
States is invited TO the accompanying copy
of The general laws Of Congress, designed
to regulate immigration.
First, idiots; second, insane persons !;
third. paupers and persons likely to become
public charge; fourth. persons suff ering
from losthsome or dangerous contagious
disease; ffsh, persons who have been con-
victed of felony or other infamous crimes
or misdemesnor involving moral turpitude
not including persons convicted OF polili-
cal ohenses only: sixth. poly gamists |;
seventh. persons coming uader contrsc. to
labor. Ali corporations and others bringing
into the United States aliens, falling within
any Of the prohibited classes are required
by law, under heavy penalties, to return
them, st their own cost, to the ports or
countries whence they exme and this re-
qairement holds good for one year, after
any such prohibited alien may have entered
the United States.
ship lines, under the pressure OF sharp com.
petition. to gather up in Europe and bring
to the United States sill who. with or with
out the aid Of others, can pay the now
trifling c0st Of sleerage passage; regard
less OF their character or condition, and re-
gardless of our laws; compels on the part
Of the Uaited States government q closer
scrutiny and adoption Of more compfehen-
A..
necessary. Ii is wrong that either the greed
OF some steamship companies. the mistaken
kindness Of friends. or the wish Of many
foreign communities to to be rid
OF burdens properly theirs. should be
permitted to result in this useless cruelty.
Much OF this wholesome preventive work
can be effectively done by transportation
companies directly and through their local
inland SCENTS in Europe. The attention of
steamship and other transportation conf
panies is particularly called to the provision
of law now in force excluding persons
likely to become public charges"
Doubtful cases should be excluded from
this passenger list. inasmuch as it bss
come that steamship companies. 10 order
to increase their carrying capacity, have
recently disregg,ded the provisions Of the
laws of the United States requiring cer-
tain allowance of cubic air space to each
sieerage passenger, notice is hereby given
that hereafter more thorough inspections
will be msds of all steamships engaged IN
bringing immigrants to the United States
ports and penalty for violation Of the
law in this respect will be rigidly enforced.
The measure suggested is not designed to
take the place Of inspection by regular
United States officials at the several ports
Of arrival but is to be preliminary to and
in aid Of such Inspection.
(Signed) CHARLES Foster, Secy.
Assistant Secretary Nettleton states that
the foregoing circular looks 10 further en-
largement Of the plans of the government
for effectively enforcing the several. acts
Of Congress relating to immigration. OF
the steps thus far determined upon. one is
the sending abroad of q commission
of inquiry, whose early departure
for Europe has already been announced.
1t is believed, he says, from
conferences with representatives OF
the leading steamship lines, that all, or
nearly all. Of the transportation companies
will promptly and willingly cooperate 10
carrying ous such system of examination
prior to the embafkation of immigrants as
will prevent the sailing OF four-ffths of
the pc rsops who would fail within the pro-
hihited classes.