Speech #530033239

Mr. President. the Senator from Delaware. I think it was. went on substantially to state that the Geary act. so far as the deportation of Chinamen who had been arrested was concerned. could not be enforced for want of funds. He said it would cost some six or seven million dollars to deport from the United States all the Chinese unlawfully here. The Senator knows that a Chinese laborer can not be deported until after a decision by a court that he be deported. that it would be impossible to deport all the Chinese in one year or two years or three years. It is impossible that all the cases be heard in that time. When the Government undertakes a great work of public importance. which is to cost six or seven million dollars. Congress does not appropriate the whole amount at one time. but it appropriates it in small sums. It would be just as reasonable to say that the work should not be commenced because it is to cost $6.000.000. and only $100.000 is appropriated. as it would be to say that the work of deporting the Chinese unlawfully in this country should not be commenced because the whole amount necessary to deport all the Chinese in this country has not been provided. I know that immediately after the expiration of the time allowed by the Geary act for registration. circulars were sent out by the AttorneyGeneral to district attorneys and instructions were sent to officers of the Government not to enforce the provisions of the Geary act providing for deportation. a lack of funds being given as an excuse. but the judge of the southern district of California. in a case tried before him. after the instructions to the district attorney were read in his court. said that the AttorneyGeneral could not say that the money appropriated to execute the Chinese exclusion act wasto be used for this or that particular purpose. that as long as there was any portion of the appropriation unexpended itecould be applied for the deportationof Chinese. I think the action of the Department of Justice am this matter. and probably the action of the Department of the Treasury. is justly subject to criticism. I think they had proceeded to enforce the law to the extent possible with the ney which had been appropriated for the purpose of executa it.