The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-19
THE IMMIGRATION BILL
Passes the Senate and Goes
TO the President.
SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE

There Was Much Opposition TO the
Measure. but It Went IhroaEh By o
Vote Of "a 60 3i-what Was Done
BY the Members Of the Lower House
of Congress.
WAsmS0roS, Feb. Is.-The immi.
grafton bill now goes to the president.
the Last Legislative step having been
taken In the senate Wednesday by an
agreement 10 the conference report on
the bill Strong opposition was mad1
20 tho report, but on the final vote tho
friends Of the measure rallied. the vote
being yeas, 80 nays, a.
The bill a. passed extends the immi.
grafton restrictions against "all person,
physically capable aud over 10 years OF
age who cannot read and write the
English language but person not 50
able 10 read or write who h over 20
years Of age and Is the parent or grand.
parent of a qualified immigrant over %
years Of are and capable Of supporting
such parent or grandparent may be sent
for and come 90 join the family of a
child or grandchild oFer q years Of ags
similarly qualified and capable, and n
wife or minor child not 90 able 20 read
and write may accompany OF be- sent
Tor and come 20 join tho husband or
parent similarly qualified and capable. A"
For the purpose Of testing the immi.
grants hteraoy he IL competed 20 read
and write from 20 20 20 words Of the
United States constitution Aside from
these extensions Of the present law. the
bill inaugurates new system Of Re-.
stricting immigration from border oouu.
tries. and designed TO apply principally
20 immigration from Canada. The pro.
visions are ~ follows
section 4 That II shall hereafter be
unlawful for any male alien. who has
not, IN good faith, made hts declaration.
and-before the proper court. Of bis In.
tention 20 become a citizen Of tho United
States 10 BE- employed on any public
works Of the United States or O. come
regularly or hahitually into the United
States by land or by water for the pur.
pose Of engaging In any mechanical
iFade or manual labor Tor wages OF sal.
ary, returning from timo b time 30 a
foreign oountry.
Section 5.-Thai 10 shall b. unlawful
for any person, Partnership. company
or corporation knowingly o employ any
alien coming into the United States In
violation Of the next preceding section
oi this act Provided that the pruvis.
ions oi this act shall no, apply 10 tho
employment OF sailors. deck hands or
other employees Of vessels or railroad
t4aiu hands. such a. conductors. engin.
ecrs, hTakomea. trcmen or haggagcmen
whose duties require them 70 pass over
the frontier 30 reach the termini of their
runs, or % boatmen or guides on the
lakes and rivers on the northern border
oi the United States
A violation % these sections u made a
misdemeanor punishable by ine up %
80 or imprisonment up TO one year or
both.
A special provision exempis from the
operation % this Law persons arriving
from Cuba during the continuance Of
the present disorder there. Tho law l.
60 take effect July 1, noxi.
A resolution Of Mr. Allen for the in.
vcstigaiion Of the discharge oi peisuns
employed by tho government AZ South
Omaha Tor political reasons was adopted.
The house, after two hours debate.
passed hill Of considerable importance
20 the arid regions Of the west Il opens
20 use and occupation under the right.
oi.way &C, Of March 3, 1891. all the res.
ervoir sites reserved by the geological
survey. There are i3S of these site.
scattered throughout the arid country.
and this act will enable them TO Be put
TO practical use by individuals or corpo.
rations Two amendments were AZ.
tached to the ball, one Of which permits
states or territories 70 occupy these sites
ifthey choose. and the other empowers
Nhe states and territories IN which they
are located 60 iix water rates.
The conference reports on the legisla.
tive, executive and Judiciary appropria.
ton bill and the bill 90 DIX the time and
place Of holding court IN Utah wcrc
adopted, and a bill was passed to re-.
move the political disabilities Of Coloncl
William +. simms Of kentucky.