Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-22
AN IMMIGRATION BILL
AGREED UPON BY HOUSE AND SEN
ATE CONFERREES.
IGNORANT FOREIGNERS BARRED
ALL ADULTS MUST BE ABLE TO
READ AND WRITE.
Provisions of the Act Shall Not Ap-
ply to Persons Who Enter From
Cuba During the Disorders
There-ConGression
Proceedings.

Washington, Jan. 2l.-The compromise
immigration bill which mas been agreed
upon by the conferrees of the house and
senate, and which will come before the two
houses for acceptance within few days,
contains several new features which have
not before been made public.
The first section of the senate bill is re-
tanned, which excludes from the United
States all persons over Is years of age
who cannot read and write the English LAM
guage or the language of their native coun-
try but is amended by the words ''or res
ident." before country" in accordance
with a suggestion made by Chairman Bar
tholdt of the house committee.
For the purpose of testing the ability of
immigrants TO read, 1t is provided that
they shall draw from Il box a printed slip
containing between twenty and twenty-five
words of the constitution instead OF hve
lines of it required by the senate bill, and
read these words. A clause is added to
the bill that, If the slips are not at hand
for use, the officers shall make the test by
the most appropriate and available means
at hand, and state in writing the reason
the slips are lacking and the SuD-teSt eHl-
ployed. - ,,-..,,,,. =,
Michigan, for excluding aliens from tenn
porary employment in the United states,
reads as follows: That 1t shall hereafter
be unlawful for any male alien who has
not in good faith made his declaration be-
tention to become q citizen of the United
States, to be employed on any public works
of the United States, or TO come regularly
or habitually into the United States by
| land or water for the purpose OF engaging
| in any mechanical trade or manual labor
! for wages or salary, returning from time 10
| time to foreign country.
That it shall be unlawful for any per-
| son, partnership. company or corporation
knowingly to employ any alien coming into
1.-THE United States in violation OF the next
I xf .as.f Eah
| that the provisions 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, en-
| gineers, brakemen, firemen or baggage
| men, whose duties require them to pass
| over the frontier to reach the terminus
of their runs. or to boatmen or guides on
| the lakes and rivers on the Northern DOR
! der of the United States.
| Violations of these sections by aliens or
citizens are made misdemeanors, punisha-
| BILE by $500 fine or imprisonment not eX-
| ceeding one year, or both, and persons
| coming into the country in violation OF
the sections are to be deported to the
| country whence they came.
| The secretary of the treasury is author
| lied to permit the entrance of aliens for
| the purpose of teaching new arts or in
| dustries under such rules as he may pro-
| vide.
The section of the senate bill exempting
| from the act persons who may enter from
| Cuba during the disorders there is re-
| tanned.
A new section Is added to the bill. which
| follows: THAT any alien who shall, in
| violation of this act, or any other existing
| law. secure entry into the United States
| without inspection or examination, OF
| through mistake, Misrepresentation. col
| lusion, deception or fraud, may be taken
| into custody by the properly authorized
| immigration officers within thirty days aft
| er the facts become known to them. and
| such alien. upon Il special inquiry at the
| most convenient place. shall be dealt with
| as provided by law for alien immigrants
| upon their first arrival
| Instead of taking effect three months aft.
er its passage, the bill is amended to take
| effect July l. 1897.