GARDNER of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman. whatever may be the title of this bill. and whatever the nationality to which. as drawn. it may specifically apply. is it not true that it is legislation upon the general immigration system of the country? .If the bill now before the House. called "the Chineseexclusion act." is not a bill essentially to regulate immigration. what is it? There is practically no doubt that the United States has full jurisdiction over the question of immigration. It seems to me there can he no question that anything bearing directly upon the general system of immigration is in order on a bill dealing with the subject of immigration. though only dealing with a branch of it. Now. for the purposes of legal regulation. criminal and civil. the deck of a vessel carrying a United States license and sailing under a United States flag is as much territory of the United States as is the District of Columbia. Where can she sail. where can she be. that in case of abuse of the crew or the commission of a felony or other similar occurrence the court of the United States will not hold that the vessel is to be regarded as a part of American territory? Now. if this be a bill for the regulation of immigration. and if a vessel bearing the license and carrying the flag of this country is a part of the United States territory. then a provision regulating immigrationthe coming of Chinese or other people on board of a United States vessel anywhere in the worldis germane to this bill. and it is equally germane to regulate the employment of such persons upon that vessel. wherever she may be. as much as though she were a part of the fixed territory of the country. The illustration given here in regard to the employment of servants in Paris has no application whatever. because that city is not and never will he under the jurisdiction or the flag of the United States.
Keywords matched
immigrationthe immigration