Speech #480122162

Mr. President. the amendment may not be opposed to what is intended to be the spirit of the bill. but there is some language in -the bill that causes me to feel that it may be necessary in order to preserve the rights of the States. and also the rights of those persons who may seek to bring in permanent immigration. I notice in the first section of the bill the following language: That from and after the passage of this act it shallbeunlawful for anyperson. company. partnership. or corporation. in anymanner whatsoever. to prepay the transportation or in any way assist or encourage the importation or migration of any alien or aliens. any foreigner or foreigners. into the United States. its Territories. or the District of Columbia. under contract or agreement. &c. Similar language also is employed in the third section. which is the punitive section. and reads: That for every violation of any of the provisions of section 1 of this act. the person. partnership. company. or corporation violating the same. by assisting. encouraging. or soliciting the migration or importation of any alien or aliens. I FEBRUArY 17. foreigner or foreigners. into theUnited States. its Territories. orthe Districtof CoIumbias. to perform labor or service ofanykind under contractor agreement. SW. Many of the States have bad! their agencies abroad for the purpose of getting immigration. and. aswasremarkedbytheSenatorsfrom Texas who discused the matter relating to their own particular locality. inducements of various kinds have been held out tocthose immigrants to settle up the country. The purpose was to get a permanent population. to get immigration. but the means used to secure that end I think would be means that are denounced in the bill. hey are means that axe calculated to give some assurance to emigrants before they come here that they will receive employment. that they will receive homesteads. that they will be well treated. &c. ) I know that in the State of Alabama organizations have been engaged in inducing immigrants from foreign countries with very great success. and they have offered inducements in the way of homesteads and alsoin the way of advances upon crops to be made. provisione and .farming implements. tools and thelike. for the purpose of getting those persons to come in and occupy waste and unproductive lands. & The State of Alabama has an area of 50.000 square miles. and I suppose that very little more than onehalf of it is actually occupied in agricultural industry or in any other. We ]have a great deal of what is called now waste land in that State. timbered land. and lands in the hilly country. not mountainous. but hilly country. that are not ferIe as compared with other broad valleys and savannas. where the lands are very rich. The consequence has been that our population has gathered chiefly upon the streams and in the alluvial valleys of that State. and the hills have been heretofore somewhat neglected. though they are very excellent lands. . In later years. and particularly since the black population have congregated in the lowlands and in the richer -parts of the State. the white immigration to Alabama has gone chiefly to the hilly lands. The truth is that that is one of the main elements in the development of that surprising growth. the city of Birmingham. which has sprung up there of late. and other large towns which are going into a rapid state of growth. The State of Alabama has only been deprived of the opportunity of increasing this immigration by the fact that we had debts to pay. and that our system of taxation was as we thought comparatively heavy. Otherwise that State would have resorted to a regular system for the introduction of immigration. particularly German immigration. from foreign countries. Many years ago. before the late war. a railroad company was chartered to run a line south and north. that is now called the South and North Road. from Decatur. Ala.. to Montgomery.