This simply is an additional inspection abroad under charge of the Treasury officials. This is an important subject. The 860.000 proposed to be appropriated by thebill is a mere pittance compared with the great subject of immigration. I think it is best under all the circumstances to take the bill as the Secretary of the Treasury recommends it. In the light of his opposition. in the light of the opposition of the Secretary of State. and in the light of the report made by Mr. Weber and others who went abroad expressly to investigate this subject. it strikes me that it is the wise and proper thing to do to have Treasury agents abroad for this purpose instead of consular inspection. Mr. President. it is not our object. while desiring to prevent improper immigration. to place unreasonable obstacles in -the path of honest emigrants. The emigrants are situated in the interior. They desire to come to this country. How can our consuls at one of those ports know anything about the circumstances. the history. or the character of the man? He is hundreds of miles away from the place where the consul is. Before the emigrant knows whether he is coming. he must travel to find the consul. The consul is not in a situation to make proper inquiries. It would be a useless and unnecessary expense to the emigrant. It puts him to unreasonable trouble. and it would only operate to the inconvenience of the honest emigrant. I do not know that it is a proper argument to urge here. but I simply say that all the German papers in the United States. without regard to party. are against a provision for consular certificates. They do not desire to have such a system adopted.
Keywords matched
immigration emigrants emigrant