Speech #590164635

I Laughtor. I The Senate during the last session passed an act entitled "Al act to amend an act entitled An act to regulate the finliiglration of aliens into the United States. " etc. This Senate bill was broad in its provisions and substantially allended the immigration laws then in force. It was very georal in its nature. ts will be found upon examination. The lill caine to the House. The House struck out all of the Senate lill after the enacting clause. by way of allendment. and passed a substitute therefor. So that the House entirely disagrced wvith every line. with every paragraph. with every section of the Senate billeverything except the enacting (laiuse -and proposed a substitute therefor. and this substitute oil examilntion is found to lie a complete codification and amendment of existing inimignil 1 laws. and incidentally the labor laiws onnected therewitlh. i.. peeially those dealing with contract labor. and with many other questions to wvhieh it is not necessary to refer. And in the final clause of tIme louse substitute there is the provision: That tie act of March 3. 1903. Ieing an act to regulate lhe immigration of aliens into the United States. except section 34 thereof. and the act of March 22. 1904. being an act to extend the exemption from head tax to citizens of Newfoundland entering the United States. and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed. Provided. That this act shall not be construed to repeal. alter. or amend existing laws relating to the immigration or exclusion of Chinese persons. etc. So that not onily does the House by its substitute amendment codify and amend all the laws touching immigration. but incidentally changes those relating to labor. especially contract labor. The house substitute is found- to be abounding in section after section with. the prohibition of contract labor in connection with immigration. and with various other provisions of a similar nature. The House substitute. by way of amendment. went to the Senate. The Senate disagreed to every line. paragraph. and section of the House provision. and with that disagreement to the Senate provision. and with the House provision in effect a disagreement to the original Senate bill. the whole matter wvent to conference. That is. by this action there was committed to conference the whole subject of immigration. and. as connected therewith. the prohibition of immigration by way of contract labor in the fullest sense of the words.