Speech #510039697

But I object. Mr. Chairman. to the adoption of the proposition that Ellis Island. after these explosives shall have been removed from it. shall become a permanent. or even the temporary. site of an immigrant bureau so far as the port of New York is concerned. In order that the House may fully understand the merits of this proposition. a brief statement as to the existing law bearing upon this matter may not be regarded as improper. The matter of immigration into this country is regulated by an act of Congress passed in 1882. Under the provisions of that act the Secretary of the Treasury is made the director. very largely. of the proceedings in connection with immigration from abroad to any of the ports of this country. Section 2 of the act of 1882 provides that the Secretary of the Treasury may make arrangements with the officers of boards of charity in the various States (where those officers serve without pay) for the purpose of carrying out the details of the act. It was under that section of the act of 1882 that the then Secretary of the Treasury made the existing contract with the commissioners of immigration of the State of New York. In our State six of the members of that board are appointed by the governor of the State. the remainder of the board being constituted of the mayor of New York city. the president of the Irish immigration society. and the president of the German society. and. as I have stated. those gentlemen. in carrying out the details of the immigration act. serve without pay. it is with them a laborof love. and I say without hesitation that the members of the present board have performed their onerous duties. in the fte of great difficulties and embarrassments. with exceeding credit to themselves. The agreement entered into between the Department and the State commissioners of immigration provided that it might be abrogated by the service of a sixtyday notice on either party. looking to the termination of the agreement. and. singular to say. while the Secretary of the Treasury must have had cognizance of the existence of abuses. if those abuses existed. in and around Castle Garden. months and months ago. it was not until about sixty days ago that he served the notice of abrogation and then presented his request to this Congress that Ellis Island should be fitted up as a site for the new immigration bureau. Mr. Chairman. I deny that there is anything like the foundation stated by some gentlemen. who speak. I think. from interested motives. for the charges of abuses in or about Castle Garden in connection with the system of immigration. I say. further. that if those abuses did exist it was not the fault of the commissioners of immigration of the State of New York. but was the fault of the Secretary of the Treasury. who. under the act of 1882. had full power to formulate all regulations or provisions for wiping out abuses and for the protection and the welfare of the immigrants. If this be the reason why the Secretary of the Treasury seeks to abrogate this contract. then I say he hal no one but himself to blame for the existence of these abuses of which he complains. But.