The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-16
Public General Laws.
CHAPTER 2s5.

AN All III ADD A NEW Ah4ACA%A1
TO THE CODE OF PUBLIC GEN
ERAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF
MARYLAND UNDER THE TITLE OF
IMMIGRATION" ESTABLISHING
A BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION IN
AND FOR THE STATE OF MARY
LAND.
Section /. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That a new art-
the Code of Public General Laws OF Mary,
land, under the title. Of Immigration
which shall be as follows; r-.
Section 2. Be it further enacted. Ihere
is hereby established within and Tor the
state OF Maryland Bureau OF 1mmgra-
tion to encourage immigration 10 this
state.
There shall be appointed by the Governor,
by and with the advice and consent OF
the Senate, once in every two years
board of immigration commissioners,
composed of three members, one OF whom
shall be president of the board and one OF
whom shall be state Superintendent OF
Immigration" and shall be SO designated
in his appointment; the said commission
ers shall be appointed for a term OF TWO
years and until their successors are duIy
qualified; the state superintendent snail
receive a salary of two thousand dollars
per annum, payable quarterly upon the
warrant of the Comptroller, and the other
compensation, except for their actual ex-
penses in attending the meetings of the
board; and
the State Superintendent of Immigration
shall be man Of good character ana ca
pacity, a citizen of the state of Maryland,
and shall give bond to the state Of Mary
land in the sum of ten thousand dollars,
with sufficient sureties, to be approved
by the Governor. conditioned for the faith
full and efficient discharge OF the duties
of his office.
Section 5. Be it further enacted, That
the Board of Immigration Commissioners
shall procure a good and sufficient office
in the city of Baltimore, well located for
the purposes for which the Bureau of I'm
migration is established, which shall be
o'clock A. NJ. to five, o'clock P. M, in
which said office shall be kept convent
emily for ready reference maps, pamphlets
and other statistics, fully and clearly de,
scriptive of the geographical position OF
each county of the state, its agricultural
and other resources and capabilities
the quantities and character of lands
for sale and the price for which. the
same may be obtained: the social, edu-
cational and other conditions of the sew
eral counties and the advantages and in
ducements of every character offered t
immigrants by each, and full and ex-
plicit information in these several par
ticulars, and any others that may be
deemed necessary, shall be at all times
gratuitously furnished to all who may
apply in person or by letter for the same
o.
the said Board of Immigration Commits
sioners shall appoint secretary, who
shall be a person of good address and
conversant with the English and tn
office during the time of said Board, un
less mis- appointment shall be sooner
revoked for cause; he, shall receive {
salary of twelve hundred dollars pei
annum, payable quarterly, upon the war
rant of the Comptroller. and he shall give
bond in the sum Of five thousand dollars
- 8 -. .tarw1 NNsT
| Commissioners. for the faithful discharg,
of the duties of his office; ii shall be thu
| duty of the Secretary to attend daily a
the office of the Bureau of Immigration
| during the office hours as hereinbefor'
prescribed. to arrange and carefully fix
| away and preserve all the records
statistics, maps, pamphlets and Other
the books of the Bureau, conduct its cor
| respondence and perform such othel
| duties pertaining to the functions Of th'
Board of Immigration Commissioners
and, in the absence of the State Super
| intendent, shall be the duty of the Score
tary to furnish all required Information
| regarding immigration matters to per
sons. who may apply thereto.
Section Z. Be It further enacted, Tha
| as soon as organized, 1t shall be the duty
of the Board of immigration Commits
| sioners to take the proper steps to col
| lect reliable information appertaining t.
the functions of this Bureau in regarC
TO every county of this state. and for this
purpose. as well as for the purpose Of
| distributing and locating such immi
| grants as may be brought to the stat,
through the agency of the Bureau. il
migration Commissioners to invite anC
| encourage the organization of loca
| Boards of immigration Commissioners II
| the several counties of the state; sucf
| auxiliary boards, however, to receive NJ
| ,pecuniary aid or assistance from tht
State Board; the said Board Of Immigra
| ton Commissioners may also call upor
| the County Commissioners of the sew
eral counties to assist them in the col
| lection of the necessary statistics anC
| information, and in the verificatlon o.
the same; and the said Board of Commits
sioners shall procure, at the expense Of
the state, such maps and other drawing
| as may be necessary to properly illus
trate the geographical. Typographical
physical, agricultural and other condi
| tions of the state appertaining to tn,
| functions of this Bureau.
Section s. Be 1t further enacted, Tha
| II shall be the duty of the State Super
| intendent of immigration to visit Europ,
| once in each year for the purpose o
| soliciting immigration to this state, anC
remain at least four months in the
prosecution of his work, visiting the diff
ferent countries. having always a du,
regard to the character, circumstances
and desirability of the immigrants solic
| tied or contracted with; during the re
mainder of the year he may devote sucf
| time as he may be able to absent himself
from his office to the personal solicita
| ton of immigration from the other
states of the Union and from Canada
and he may adopt such means of adver
tisement to that end as may commend
themselves to his judgment. keeping him
| self always in HIS expenditures for thi
and other purposes within the appropria
ton for the support OF this Bureau
Section g. Be 1t further enacted, Tha
the Board of Immigration Commission
ers shall have power to make contract,
with railroads. steamship lines. trans
portation companies and masters of yes
sells, securing a low rate of Transports
| ton to immigrants, and to make tn.
necessary arrangements for their recep
ton and temporary accommodation
upon their arrival at Baltimore or othel
points in the state. until they can BIZ
distributed and located in the differen
counties of the state.
Section 10. Be It further enacted, Tha
| the Board of Immigration Commission
ers shall meet quarterly at their offic,
| times as they may determine, for tn,
| purpose of promoting the work for which
this Bureau is organized; and they shall
make an annual report to the Governor
to be by him laid before the General AS
| sembly at each regular session; said re
port shall contain an itemized statemen
of all money received by the Board, ant
(the vouchers for which expenditure.
shall be filed in the office of the Bureau)
the results attained, or expected to b.
dlldlutuf Tue sAdllSllCS OI
and other kindred information. togethe
with such suggestions as the Board ma,
think proper to make.
Section II. Be 1t enacted, That tn,
sum of five thousand dollars per yea
for the years eighteen hundred anC
ninety-six and eighteen hundred ant
| ninety-seven, is hereby appropriated 70
| the use of the Bureau of Immigration Ii
carrying out the provisions Of thi
article, said fund to be known and des
| ignated as the Immigration fund" anC
| the Comptroller shall draw his warran
| on said fund upon the requisition of thu
Board of Immigration Commissioners.
Section IL. Be 1t enacted. That the frs
| term of office of the Board of Immigra
| ton Commissioners hereby appointed
| shall commence on the first day OF May
| in the year eighteen hundred and ninety
| six, and If there be not sufficient oppor
/ tunity after the adoption of this articl
| for the Governor to appoint such boarC
| by and with the advice and consent of thu
| Senate at its present session. he Il
| hereby authorized to make such appoint
ment, subject to the approval of the Sen
ate at its next session; all acts, or part
Of acts. inconsistent herewith are here
/ by repealed.
Section 10. Be 1t further enacted, Tina
this act shall take effect from the dat
| of its passage.
Approved April I'd. 1896.
LLOYD LOWNDES, Governor.
WILLIAM CABELL BRUCE,
President of the Senate.
SYDNEY E. MUDD,
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
i Xra hr atlxr n 40 a