I beg to simply suggest to the committee to which this resolution shall go. the Committee on Commerce. I suppose. the importance of early action not only with reference to the State of New York but other States. The United States Supreme Court. in a ease decided in 2 Otto. held that the law of New York. which we supposed to be somewhat in the nature of police regulations. by which the State of New York collected from immigrants a small amount pt- capita to provide for the sick and poor who came into the State. to be unconstitutional. and that Federal legislation must provide for that difficulty. I therefore hope the committee will take the subject up and see what law we may pass to relieve States like New York. Massachusetts. California. and Louisiana from the difficulty they experience in having a large number of sick and poor people left upon them. against whom they cannot in any way protect themselves by raising any revenue from immigrants to pay the expense of taking care of them. The system we had in New York of course is destroyed by this decision. and the State is quite anxious that Congress should act upon the subject.
Keywords matched
immigrants