Speech #470032288

Benedict. He has been greatly misinformed. To show his injustice to the delegation here. let me quote what he said in his carefully prepared remarks: "It is not the groat question of national immigration. but whether the State of Ness York shall continue to expend from her treasury $200.000 or more yearly to maintain a vast steamship and railroad office for the benefit of foreign companies and corporations. and mainly for other States. and to receive as charity patients the sick. lame. blind. and insane alien paupers who are shipped with systematie regularity and landed on our shores by the agents of steamship and railroad com. panies to become a public charge on the State treasury or a burden on the several counties of the State." Mr. Benedict argued that a refusal by the legislature to appropriate further moneys would compel Congress to take action. the expenses incident to immigration being clearly a proper charge on the whole country. 0e charged that the commissioners of inmigration had failed to do their duty in urgig Congressional action because it would conflict with their own interests. their tenugre of ofice being at stake. He charged a like remissces on the part of Now Yorks Senators and Rlepresentatives in Congress. In vindication of our labors here let me say. Mr. Chairman. that it is grossly untrue that "the commissioners of emigration failed to do their duty in urging Congressional action. because it would conflict with their own interests. their tenure of office being at stake." As it seems to aie. Mr. Chairman. the Representatives from this State. and the commissioners of emigration have done all that lay in their power to obtain national legislation. The failure is attributable in part to adverse action by gentlemen from other States. who would not consider the gravity of the questions and the fairness of the requests of New York. My report on this head is a carefully digested statement of the question. in all the length and breadth of its emergencies and needs. To show the grondlessness of this assemblymans charge let me refer to the history of the legislation hero proposed. That history is as follows: the Legislature of New York. on the 29th of April. 1876. adopted a resolution directing the commissioners to bring to the notice of Congress the condition of the immigration laws arising out of the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States declaring them unconstitutional. After consultation and correspondence with the boards of charities of other States a bill was agreed on and introduced by myself in the House of Representcttives on Jely 7. 1876. (H. R. 3853.) On my motion. the memorialof the board was on the same day received and printed in the CONGRESSIONAL IECORD.