The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-05-26
TO KEEP OUT THE SCUM
New Move to Exclude Undesir-
able Immigrants.
TO BE EXAMINED BEFORE SAILING.

Provisions of the Bill Reported from the
Immigration Committees of Both Houses
Attention Paid to Several sugges.
tions of the Secretary of the Treasury.
WASHINGTON, May 90. 49, The General
Immigration bill, reported from the
Immigration Committees of both houses
of Congress as their ultimatum for the
present session, is understood to be sat
isfactory to the Government so far as it
goes, but an examination of its pro-
visions and a comparison of them with
the recommendations of the Secretary of
the Treasury last February will show
that these recommendations have been
generally ignored.
In February last the Secretary of the
Treasury sent TO Congress the reports
made to him by the special commission
detailed to investigate the immigration
question in Europe, and in his letter of
transmission he recommended that ad-
ditional legislation should be had to
cover the following points:
First-That the cubic air space for
immigrants on board ship should be
largely increased.
Second-That the present head tax of
fifty cents each upon immigrants should
be abolished, and a special license tax
upon the steamships amounting to 81
for each immigrant be substituted there
for.
Third-That the owners or agents of
immigrant vessels should be required to
furnish a bond of $4,000 for the faith
full performance of their obligation to
return to the countries from which they
came all immigrants landed here con-
trary to the laws of the United States.
Fourth-That some system of inspec-
ton OF immigrants before their EN-
barkation at foreign ports should be
adopted.
The Composite Committee bill, now
presented as containing the only legis-
lation to be attempted this year, makes
hardly an allusion to the first three of
the Secretary's points. The bill pro-
vides stringent regulations to be OBJ
served by captains Of immigrant vessels
in making out their manifests and des-
criptions of their passengers, with a
view to preventing the landing of unde-
sirable immigrants, but, instead of ex-
acting a bond, the bill imposes fines for
the failure of captains to comply with
the provisions Of the law.
The most important feature of the
new bill, perhaps, is that which relates
TO the Secretary's fourth point. 1t is
provided that the lists of manifests of
emigrant passengers shall be made
out before sailing, giving full and com
plete information rs to the character
and condition Of each emigrant, and
that they shall be verified by the oath
of the captain, taken by the United
States Consul at the port of departure,
to the effect hat each emigrant has
been thoroughly examined by himself
and the surgeon of the ship, and that
he believes that no one of the emigrauts
is insane, idiotic, a pauper, a felon, a
~polygamist, a contract laborer, or a
sufferer from contagious disease. The
surgeon must make oath similarly. The
United States Inspectors are ordered to
detain for special inquiry any immi-
grants attempting to land, concerning
whom there is any reason to entertain
doubt in regard TO any of the above
points.
Further than this, the bill compels
all companies engaged in transporting
emigrants to display in their offices
printed copies of the immigration laws
of the United States. Immigrants de-
tanned for special inquiry are not to be
admitted except after a favorable de-
cision by at least three of the four in
spectors.
The bill is to take effect after thirty
days from It's passage, and Chinese per-
ions are excepted from the operation Of
its provisions.