President. among my papers that during the last XXXVI7 session. when this bill was under consideration. or was about to be considered. I made some notes on this particular point. which I will take the liberty to inflict upon the Senate. As I understand the matter. the head tax is a charge against the transportation company and not against the alien. so that it has no influence in restricting immigration. Under the present law the head tax is charged only against the steamship companies bringing aliens to seaports of the United States. The following are the provisions of law in respect thereto: That there shall be levied. collected. and paid a duty of 50 cents for each and every passenger. not a citizen of the United States. who shall come by steam or sail vessel from a foreign port to any port within the United States. The said duty shall be paid to the collector of customs of the port to which such passenger shall come. or. if there be no collector at such port. then to the collector of customs nearest thereto. by the master. owner. agent. or consignee of every such vessel. within twentyfour hours after the entry thereof into such port. (See. 1. act approved August 3. 1882.) That statute was amended August 18. 1894. so as to read: That the head monej from alien passengers on and after the Ist day of October next. collecte under the act of August 3. 1882 to regulate immigration. shall be $1 in lieu of the 50 cents as provided in said act. (An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1895. and for other purposes. Approved August 18. 1894.) Mr. President. this has been the uniform practice. as I understand the matter. since the passage of the first immigration law. and it seems to me ill advised. to say the least. to make this change arbitrarily without the most careful study and investigation of the subject.
Keywords matched
immigration head tax