Speech #570041683

Persons charged with being unlawfully in the country and taken before a court are denied the privilege of .ball. but must remain in jail until their case is decided. The bill. in place of providing some relief for these hardships. rather adds restrictions thereto. Tbe provisions with regard to transit across the United States imposed by this bill are almost impossible to he complied with. because people who are passing through the United States en route to othe countries do not know he laws of the country. and they can not understand the intricate rules and regupations made by the CommissionerGeneral of Immigration. oe report of the committee says that "the greatest degree of fairness and justice to the exempt classes be insured by t ti o previsions of the bill. which provides better means for the investigatien and disposition of their claims." And again it says: "The features of the bill * * * will tend to protect the worthy immigrant in his treaty rights and privileges." I have referred to the fact that the previsions as to the admission of the exempt classes are in direct violation of the treat . and in addition to this the bill provides that the exempt classes must en mit their right to admissioin to the adjudication of thme Immigration nueaiu. which. as I showed in mny note to you of December 10. last. was a purely ex parte investigation. where the claimant was not permitted to confront the witnesses. was deprived of the privilege of counsel. and was excluded from an appeal to the courts. i can nt understand how the committee can style this --the greatest degree of fairness and justice." or how the "wvorthy immigraiit is protected in his treaty rights and privileges." It seems to me. omi the contrary. that his treaty rights are taken away frem him. The p revisions of the bill above referred to. and ethers which might be cited. place so many restrictions upon Chinese persons and require them to comply with such strict previsions that no Chinese having the least respect for himself would submit to such indignities and come to this country. I fear the effect of the bill. if it becomes a law. will be that Chinese merchants will not come here to buy goods nor students come for educational purposes.