Speech #510039716

Mr. Chairman. Castle Garden was established in 1847 as a landing point for immigrants. and has been managed by the commissioners appointed by the State of New York ever since. It has been conducted exceedingly well for the most part. Up to th dateot making t heir last report for this year the number of immigrants who have been landed at Castle Garden reached n total of 9.600.000. and as an evidence of the careful management and conduct of this establishment by the commissioners of the State of New York. as to the life of the people lauding there. during the whole period of the existence of the Garden. and notwithstanding the vast number of immigrants who have been landed there. not a life has been lost by any accident that occurred. A few years ago Congress passed what was known as the contractlabor law. prohibiting laborers from coming into the United States under contract from foreign countries. and I will say in passing. without stopping to criticise it now. that that law in my judgment furnishes a very fruitful field for some gentlemen or for this House and the other to enter upon a thorough revision of it. As it stands now it seems to deny to these people who want to come to this country the liberty and the privilege of coming under any sort of contract. and encourages what may be denominated loafers to come and take their chances. But that is the law upon the statutebooks at this time. and together with some provisions embodied in the act of 1882 creates a new jurisdiction. The act of 1882authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to enter into a contract with the commissioners conducting Castle Garden. which he did. bat nevertheless there has been all the time a divided jurisdiction. These commissioners have not been invested with the power to send back those who came to this country in violation of the contractlabor law. and the commissioners or agents appointed by the Treasury Department havebeen in chargeof the administration of this law. while the commissioners were executing the other laws and excluding immigrants from coming on the ground of immorality or because of being paupers. Like every other divided jurisdiction. it produced conflict. and this conflict has gone. I fear. fo an irreconcilable extent. The Secretary of the Treasury gave notice some time ago that at the expiration of sixty days this contract would be terminated. and it expires. under the notice. on the 18th of the present month. In pursuance of that action the Secretary went to New York. and after an investigation decided to move from Castle Garden. It was originally an old fort. converted into this use for the reception of immigrants. embracing an area of about 2 or 3 acres. It is growing quite old. and more and more unsuitable for the purpose to which it has so long been devoted. The Secretary went down the bay and looked at Governors Island and Bedloes Island. where stands the Statue of Liberty. But the fact that the statue is there and the island devoted to this purpose produced active opposition to the Secretarys purpose of going there. and the joint committee of the two Houses visited New York recently. in view of that controversy and the great objection raised to Bedloes Island. We went and looked at Castle Garden and saw the processes by which the immigrants are examined and passed. and went to each of the islands. and in my judgment the best location. if an island at all is to be selected. is on Governors Island. where there is a tract of 60 acres of groand which is occupied only by officers and some soldiers. It is a beautiful island. and on one corner. where the old fortstands. is. or would be. a splendid location for an immigrantlauding depot. plenty of room and near to the main channel. The committee were unanimous in thinking that the Secretarys location on Bedloes Island was not the proper place. nor was any place determined on. A meeting of the joint committee was held alter we had seen all the points before returning. and a resolution was passed unanimously by those present requesting the Secretary of the Treasury to withdraw his notice of termination of the contract at Castle Garden. and suggesting to him the basis of an agreement with the commissioners allowing his own appointees to occupy space within the hall and pass on immigrants there and the commissioners taking them at the gates and enforcing the laws or regulations of New York touching their landing in that State. But this. when communicated to the Secretary. I am advised by the chairman of the joint committee. was not accepted. and he did not follow the suggestion. But while the joint resolution was pending in the Senate. which originated for the purpose of removing the powder station from Ellis Island. and I will say just here. that while there is probably no immediate danger from the retention of these stores on the island. Commander Folger stated that there was. so far as the people of the Jersey side were concerned. no danger. but it is near the general anchor ground of vessels. and large numbers of vessels are almost always anchored near it. so that in case of an explosion it would be disastrous to many of them. but that as far as the retention of stores wa concerned. while no immediate danger exists. it was a source of constant apprehension to the people. and this is a reason why it should be removed to a better location. I have no opposition in the world to the resolution for the purpose of selecting a proper place for the removal of the powder supplies. but this resolution coming up in the Senate to appropriate $75.000 for the removal of the stores and their location at a better place. was amended at the instance of Senator HiscocK . of New York. by the addition of $75.000 to provide for this point and fit it up as an immigrant station. and gentlemen will see by examining the provisions that it is not broad enough. it seems to me. in its provisions in regard to fitting it up for an immigrant station. if it is the best place. When the matter came up in the committee of the House. after this had been passed by the Senate. the Committees of the two Houses on Immigration and Naturalization sitting together took a vote upon the question as to selecting Ellis Island as a proper place for an immigrant depot. I voted against this. though the majority of the committee voted for it and accepted it. Ellis Island is about 4 acres in extent. The deepest water that can be olbtained for any approach to it at present is about 7 or 8 feet only. In order to make it large enough for the purposes of an immigrant station a large expenditure of money will be necessary at a near day.