I will answer my friend from Indiana by saying that efforts have been made in this House for the last six or eight years. to pass some law by which this enormous immigration which comes to this country. half a million a year. shall be cared for. It has been done heretofore by New York State. It has been exclusively done by its appropriation of its own money. Such an appropriation is an unfair tax on a State which secures but a small share of the immigration. It will be borne no more. A small sam for this year. and that will end it. Chaos will come again. and Castle Garden and its great uses will be lost. The shark will again. as thirty years ago. prey on the defenseless immigrant.. The Supreme Court of the United States decided that as the capitation tax. or head money. fell under the head of commerce. the taxation imposed by the State of New York for this purpose was unconstitutional and void. It should be a Federal exaction or not at all. Therefore. in order to maintain Castle Garden as the entrepot and guardian of the immigrant. in order to protect the poor. destitute and sick who come to this country from abroad. and in order to return the paupers and criminals sent us. in order to prevent diseases from being scattered over the whole country with their contagion. to provide that which would otherwise be uncured for. we are compelled to come to Congress and seek relief. Give us. if not this measure. some system which will enable us to be selfprotective. just and kind to these immigrants. There is no more simple or humane plan than that of my colleague. I confess that I have no hope of a more elaborate plan.
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immigrants immigration immigrant