Speech #470053209

A condition of things scarcely within the scope of the wildest dreams of the patriotic enthusiast of a hundred years ago is not only fully realized by is. but the imperative duty even is recognized that these unforeseen conditions require regulation by legislative enactments. and that many questions must be satisfactorily solved which owe their origin entirely to modern growth and recent development. Modern legislative acts mark. like so many mileposts. the progress or retrogression of civilization. One of these questions is the regulation in sanitary and other respects. during the voyage across the sea. of the gneat influx of immigration from the Old World to the United States which now furnish "food and freedom" already to over fifty millions of people. and still continue to exert the magnetic attraction so well indicated by the Massachusetts statesman. For there are other lands generously endowed by bounteous nature with fertility of soil. geniality of climate. and other valuable resources. yet it is to the United States that the immigrant turns his longing eyes. and undergoes so many hardships until the goal is reached. The Crimea. the lower parts of Russ: a in Europe. the Danubian principalities. Algiers. Mexico. South America with its hundreds of thousands of square milesall these can compete with us in natural resources. yet the great stream of immigration from despotic Europe rolls its human waves almost uninterruptedly toward our shores. in quest of free homes. The present unprecedented prosperity of the United States brilliantly illustrates the advantages to the country of immigration in the past. Its importance in the development of our vast uioccupied domain in recruiting our industries. and particularly its bearing upon Ainericr " civilization and American institutions in the future cannot be overestimated. Nor is it possible to presage. even with the enthusiasm of a Fisher Ames. what this Republic may be a hundred years hence. let us hope. Mr. Speaker. that the rapid strides of the past toward greatness and prosperity shall be as far outdone in the future as the present has exceeded the expectations of the past. The wealth alone brought to our shores by immigration is difficult to determine. The mere physical uncultivated powers added by the immigration to the resources of our people were estimated in the year 1871 by the chief of the Bureau of Statistics. Mr. Edward Young. at $6.243.880.800. and for the year 1870 alone. in which immigration had begun to increase to enormous proportions. at $285.000.000. But what estimate would do justice to the value to our country. its progress. its institutions. and its future of the high intellects. the mechanical skill. the genial. creative minds which have enriched our land. and left their impress in the development of wealth. comfort. commerce. industry. and even in the halls of legislation V But while we may feel justly proud of our achievements. and indulge in sanguine hopes for the future. it is well fur us to remember that these great results have not been accomplished without great sacrifices. Wisdom and prudence. as well as humanity and patriotic duty dictate that everything within our power should be done to increase the benefits and lessen the disadvantages which arise to the immigrant in his transmigration. and none of the latter invite our attention and demand rectification more than the transport of passengers at sea. The first effort at legislative regulation in that respect was made by the act of March 2. 1819. This act determined the carrying capacity of a vessel. so far as it concerned the passenger. according to the tonnage (customhouse measurement) to be two passengers to every five tons.