Speech #570041823

It is claimed that the pending bill is the existing law. but into this measure there has been written as law the regulations which have been adopted from time to time since 1882 by the Treasury Department for the guidance of their officers and inspectors. It seems to me it is pretty poor policy for Congress to doubt either the ability or the purpose of any one of the great Executive Departments of this Government to execute any law that is committed to any such department to be administered. I understand that to the Treasury Department is committed substantially the whole duty and responsibility of administering the immigration laws and imposing regulations to carry such laws into effect. If we are to take these regulations. which may perhaps need to be amended tomorrow by new conditions as they present themselves. and make them matters of statutory law. we have. as it seems to me. insulted the head of that Department. We certainly have expressed a distrust of the ability of the Treasury Department to make regulations that will effectively carry into operation the provisions of the law which we may adopt.