The record-union., 1897-02-18
THE IMMIGRATION BILL
GOES TO THE PRESIDENT.
Last Legislative Step Taken on the
Measure in the Senate,
An Agreement Being Reached on the
Conference Report.
Strong Opposition Made to the Re-
port, But on the Final Vote the
Friends of the Bill Rally a Small
Majority, Passing the Teasure by
Vote of Thirty-Four to Thirty
One.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE immi-
grafton bill now goes to the President,
the last legislative step having peen
taken in the Senate to-day by an agree
ment to the conference report on the
bill. Strong opposition was made u
the report, but ON the final vote the
friends of the measure rallied a small
majority, the vote being yeas 81, noes
81
The bill as passed extends the immi-
grafton restrictions against all per
sons physically capable and over 16
years of age who cannot read and write
the English language or some other
language, but a person not so able to
read and write who is over 80 years
of age, and is the parent or grandpar-
ent of a qualified immigrant over Il
years of age, and capable of support
ing such parent or grandparent, may
accompany such immigrant, or such d
parent or grandparent may be sent for
and come to join the family of child
or grandchild over y years of age. sim
ilarly qualified and capable, and a wife
or minor child mot so able to read and
write may accompany or be sent for
and come to join the husband or parent
similarly qualified and capable
For the purpose of testing the im1ni-
grants illiteracy, he is compelled to
read and write from twenty to twenty
five words of the United States Con-
stftution. Aside from these extensions
of the present law, the bill Inaugural tes
new system of restricting imlnigra
.tion from border countries, and desig
mated to apply principally TO ianmigra
ton from Canada.
The provisions are as follows:
Section 4. That it shall hereafter be
unlawful for amy male alien who has
not in good faith made his declaration
before the proper court of his intention
to become a citizen of the United
States to be employed on any public
works of the United States, or to cerne
regularly and habitually into the Unit
ed States by land or water for the pur
pose of engaging in any mechanical
or manual labor, for wages or salary,
returning from time to time to a for
eign country.
Section D. That is shall be unlawful
for any person, partnership, company
OF corporation hlBON1liSly W tiiIplOS
any alien coming into tine United States
in violation of the next preceding sec
ton of this Act; provided, that the
provisio ions of this Act shall not apply TO
the employment of sailors, deck hands
or other employees of vessels or rail-
road train hands, such as conductors,
engineers, brakemen, firemen or bag
ga agemasters whose duties require them
to pass over the frontier to reach the
termini of their runs, or to boatmen or
guides ON the lakes and rivers of the
northern border of the United States.
A violation of these sections is mada
a misdemeanor. punishable by fine up
to $500 or Imprisonment up to one year,
or both.
A special provision exempts from the
operation of the law persons arriving
from Cuba during the continuance of
the present disorder there. The law is
to take effect July 1st next
During the morning hour Allen (POp)
of Nebraska spoke on his resolution re-
lating to dismissals from office at
South Omaha, Neb. He said the al
legged causes of dismissal were utterly
puerile. The Senator declared that in
charged. their offense was that of hav-
ing Mr.. Bryans picture in their win
dows There were six other ladies,
Allen said who had Mckinley pictures
in their windows, but they were not dis
turbed. The ladies who displayed the
Bryan pictures did it in honor of a citi-
zen of their own State, and yet, Allen
said, this Administration had brought
about the discharges.
The Senator cited other cases of men
who had spoken for Bryan. Allen de-
Jared that from this it appeared the
civil service law was a fraud and de-
lusion, and that the Civil Service Com
mission was using it for most unworthy
purposes.
Aliens resolution calling on the Civil
Service Commission for full informa-
ton as to the South Omaha discharges
was then agreed to.
Lodge (R) of Massachusetts then
brought forward the conference report
on the immigration bill He explained
that the bill as now presented modi-
fed the provision of the language in
the English or some other language.
II dlSo ONciNclIiC tiiG OpJC1l1Oli biidt
husband and wife might be separated.
The Corliss amendment relative to Ca
madam border immigration was re-
tanned.
Palmer CD of Illinois opposed the
report He said he knew of no senti-
ment for which he had greater detesta-
ton than ''natism." He held the right
of migration and eXpatration to be es-
sential to the liberty of individuals.
This bill was extension of the same
sentiment of natism. Palmer pointed
out defects in various sections The
test of illiteracy would. he said, operate
against worthy class. and not against
the dangerous men, the 'brawling an
archist" who was able to read and
write. He said the restrictions on Ca
radian border immigration was with
out a parallel in the legislation of the
world 1t was a remarkable movement
to originate in the land of the free and
the home of the brave" With the
adoption of the miserable narrow poll
icy our neighbors north and south
would be invited to adopt similar
course 1t was an outrage, he de-
clared, on the comfy of nations and
civilization of the age.
Mr.. Carter (Rep) Of Montana also op-