Speech #620257994

I- have it here. but- I will give the gentleman the amendmlent in substance. It was one which allowed the deportation of aliens who were in this country and who were trying to organize strenuous opposition to organized governmnet. That is substantially it. There was much opposition to It. There were members of the committee who believed that if the Root amendment were adopted and people. without trial by Jury or trial by courts. merely upon the lpse dixit of the lmmigration inspector. were deported. then the Russian rulers would have their- spies all over this country. and they would trump up charges against people from that country. some of them probably splendid Jewish people. and. without trial they would be deported for the purpose of having condign punishment meted out to them on the- other side. There were many members of the committee who did not believe that amendment ought to be- passed. The other proposition required that those who- came to this country to land: should be compelled to have an identification certificate. That was opposed by many people. tnd before us we- had the distinguished conmissioner of immigration from Ellis Island. where most of these people come. That gentleman stated. and it is n the RECORD. that if any such thing as that were required these people would lose the certificate before they got outside of the building. and It would be absolutely useless and perhaps make trouble for many a poor fellow who could not produce it. Those were the two things mainly on which we held the hearings. The gentleman says it was the representatives of the steamship company that appeared before us. I am not in touch or in the. confidence of the steamship companies and hence can not say. as the gentleman seems to speak from knowledge or some information that he relies upon. that it was the. steamship companies that appeared before us: Let me read what he says in regard to it: The immigration committee of the Republican Senate Industriously considered. the bill. while the gentlemans committee as Industriously pigeonholed the very same immigration bill which I myself introduced and had referred to the gentlemans committee seven months ago. as I have said. and where my measure still remains unconsidered and unreported to this day. Mr. Speaker. I am going directly to call attention to the gentlemans bill. and then. see whether that committee did not do right.. especially in view of the fact that. the gentleman never thought enough of his bill to ask for a hearing upon it. He talked to me a time or two in regard to whether immigration legislation. would. be reported. but never cared enough for his bill to ask for its consideration. Already the bill which I introduced had been reported. and I immediately filed a resolution asking for a rule to have it considered. by the House. and when the Dillingham. bill was considered. for several days. on motion. of a gentlemanI shall not say who he was. though I do not think he would objectthe unanimous. opinion of those who were In favor of restriction was that the Dillingham bill should be stricken out. after the enacting clause. and the Burnett bill should be reported in its place.