The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-26
MANY MINDS ON THE
 IMMIGRATION BILL
(Ccntinued from First Paee)


 Southern Italians, the Hungarians, the
 Poles and the Savonians. It was their opinion that it would penalize immigrants such as the Germans, Danes, Swedes,
 Norwegians. Films, Irish and Scotch and
 English who came usually with large families The recent atrocities in Russia
 resulting in the killing of many Jews
 and the murders at Kishnief came in for strong and vigorous speeches on the
 part of Mir. Littaur of New York and
 MT. Goldfoggle of New York MT. Lit
 taur offered the following amendment. which was adopted without division: Admits Religious Refugees. ''An immigrant who proves that he is seeking admission to this country solely to avoid prosecution or punishment on re- ligious or political grounds, for an of fense of a political character of persecu-
 ton involving danger of Imprisonment or danger to life or limb on account of the religious belief shall not be deported
 because of want of means or the prob ability of his being unable earn a liveli- hood"
 He spoke sympathetically of politcial refugees, who driven from home. seek this country because 1t is their belief that here religious persecution is unknown. In supporting the amendment Mir, Gold foggle said he advocated even broader provision which would exempt the per secution refugees from the educational qualification test. America, he said, had always been regarded as the heaven to which If the immigrant was worthy he could come to escape from the tyranny. race intolerance and oppression to which | he had been subjected in his native land. Now that the streets of Russia ran red with blood of the victims of persecution | and the civilization of the world had been | shamed by the wholesale slaughter of | inoffensiVe men, women and children, | America ought not to close their doors to | those who are fleeing to this country for protection
 MT. GrosVenor opposed the amendment | on the ground that he did not want the | immigrant inspectors at the port of entry | constituted tribunal to pass upon the
 question of religious belief, which the 1 government had carefully avoided in all | the past
 The section relating to the educational l test was then taken up and MT. Denby | of Michigan offered the following amend
 ment, which was adopted:
 ! Provided further, In case of an imm- grant who proves that he Is seeking ad-
 mission to this country solely to avoid
 religious persecution. punishment on
 religious or political grounds, or for an 1 offense of a political character or perse- | cution involving danger of imprisonment
 or danger to life or limb on account of | religious belief such immigrant may be admitted although unable to satisfy the | educational test provided in this section
 at the discretion of the secretary of com | merce and labor, or under such regula-
 tions as he may from time to time pre- | scribe"
 Substitute for Educational Test. | Mir. Grosvenor of Ohio presented a sub | sttute for the educational test as provid- | ed for in the bill the following being | it's important provision:
 ! '"rhat a commission Is hereby created. | consisting of two senators to be appoint | ed by the president of the Senate. and l three members of the House of Repre- | sentatives to be appointed by the speaker l of the House of Representatives, and | two citizen members to be appointed by | the President of the United States. Said | committee shall make full inquiry ex- | animation and investigation into the sub l ject of immigration"
 | The amendment also provides: l Said commission shall report to Con- l gross the conclusion reached by it. and | make such recommendations as in Its 1 judgment may deem proper.
 1 Provision .s also made for empowering 1 the commission to obtain information in | the usual manner also for the salaries | of two presidential commissioners and 1 the expenses of the commission.
 MT. Underwood of Alabama said that l the best test of citizenship in ntelli- l gence and character and we want those | excluded from citizenship and from ad- | mission to this country who lack ntelli- l gence and who have not character" He said there was hardly a country in | Europe where a man or a child of char | acter and of intelligence, cannot obtain l an education sufficient to enable him to | read and that was all that the test in the | bill requires.
 l Mir Cochran: Read and write?" 1 MT. Underwood: "No the test in the | provision here requires merely that he | shall be able to read the English Ian | guage. or some other language. CT dia- l lect."l
 MT. Underwood spoke at length on the | subject saying:
 | Underwood on Immigration. l MT. Speaker:-In my opinion no legis. | lation has come before this House fol l consideration in many years past, oi 1 greater importance to the coming gen | erations of American citizens than the | bill now under consideration, which pro. l poses to restrict foreign immigration com | ing into this country. Rich lands. grea, l rivers, and mineral wealth have never | been the test of a nations greatness | country to be great must be occupied by | great people. It is the man that makes | the government the man that makes - ~slR AFAnna Al1