Italy has issued these certificates. We have used them. of course. as a matter of evidence. It has not had the effect of checking emigration from Italy at all. It has been a protection to the innocent immigrant. because there he had complete proof at once that he had no criminal record. whereas It is a very easy thing for some enemy. perhaps somebody on board ship he has a quarrel with. to make a suggestion that he has a criminal record. and then he Is held up for days that the matter may be looked into. My own belief is that it protects the innocent instead of injuring them. But if any such result flowed from this. it is within our power to stop it in a moment. There would not be the slightest difficulty about that. I desire to call the attention of the Senate to the fact that this is but one small clause. easily disposed of if put to bad uses. in a great bill such as occupied the attention of Congress. through the Immigration Commission and through both its. committees. for years. It contains new provisions of the very. greatest importance to the better administration of our criminal laws. I am not speaking now of the illiteracy test. which has been the point in contest. For instance. we have some 15.000 aliens excluded under our laws who come back here as seamen on ships. shipping just for the voyage. getting in those ships and passing into this country. perhaps diseased. perhaps with criminal records. without any examination at all. For the first time we have made provision for meeting that very serious difficulty. .1768 The whole administration of the Immigration Service has been greatly improved by this bill. An immense amount of work has been put upon it. The bill passed the Senate carrying all these provisions. except the one we are now discussing. with only 9 votes against it.
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Immigration immigrant emigration