Mr. President. I had long since made up my mind to vote for some fair. just. prudent measure to restrain immigration from China to the United States. My own observation when on a visit to the Pacific coast. what I have heard in the debates now and in times past. and what I have read upon the subject. convinced me fully that some proper legislation ought to be adopted by Congress to prevent the vast immigration that will probably pour into this country from all China unless it is restrained by law. I recognize as fundamental the principle stated by the Senator from Vermont. that every nation has an inherent right to prescribe who shall come and share the advantages of its institutions and its citizenship. No nation could deprive itself of that right. The power is expressly given to Congress by our Constitution to frame laws for the naturalization of foreigners. We have always reserved the right to control who shall conic here and who shall exercise rights and privileges under our laws. But there is another thing that is equally clear. and that is that it has always been the public policy of this country from the very foundation of the Government to open the doors wide to the immigration of foreigners from all the nations of the world. Never before. I suppose. in our history has such a bill as this been presented to the Congress of the United States.
Keywords matched
immigration naturalization