Speech #620291695

Speaker. it has been said by one of Americas most distinguished sons. exPresident Theodore Roosevelt. that next to the conservation of our natural resources immigration was our most important national problem. In tle miuds of many immigration is even more inportant than conservation. because it goes a long way in settling the kind of people who make up the population of this country now and in the future. and the kind of peolle there are in a country inevitably determines the kind of citizenship. the kind of government. and file kind of civilization the country has . and the kind of citizenship determines the liberty. the sort of happiness. and the measure of progress which prevail in it. The importance. therefore. of the subject of immigration to this country can readily be appreciated by every thoughtful American. A little history of immigration legislation may not be Front the first settlement of this country at St. Augustine. Fla.. in 3565 down to .1875more than 300 yearsimmigrants came here as a matter of course. so far as Federal legislation was conceriled. Congress was forbidden by the Constitution of the United States to interfere. prior to 1808. with any States right to admit all the immigrants it saw fit. except Congress might impose a tax or duty not to exceed $10 on each person adlnitted. Practically up to 1835 the only legislation enacted by time Federal Government. and practically all that was proposed. was the law of 3819. regulating steerage passengers at sea and making provision for recording statistics relative to imminigrants to this country. None was kept before this. Profs. .Ienks and Lauck. in their book. the Problem of Immigration. say. on page 41: In earlier days neither the Federal Government nor State governmeats had passed any laws to protect the United States against the immigration of undesirable lersons of whatsoever kind. Even the energetic action of those promoting the socalled " Native American." or " Know Nothing." movement from 1835 to 1860 resulted In no protective legislation. In 1866I a joint resolution [of Congress] condemned the action of Switzerland and other nations pardoning persons convicted of murder or other infamous crimes on condition that they would emigrate to the United States. So up to this time all that was done to prevent even murderers from coming to this country was just to pass a resolution condemning such things. but that did not prevent them fronl coming. From 1835 to 1860 the subject of immigration to this country was much discussed. and there sprang up what was known as the "Native American" and " KnowNothing" movements. largely basing their opposition to immigrants to this country who embraced the Catholic faith. These movements 8oon assuned the form of a political organization known in history as the American Republican Party. and later the KnowNothing Party. As a result of these organizationsorganizations in the main later affiliating with the new political movementthe United States Senate in .836 passed a resolution directing the Secretary of State to collect information respecting the immigration of foreign paupers and criminals to the United States. The House of Representatives in 1838 agreed to a resolution instructing the Judiciary Committee of the House to consider the propriety of passing a law prohibiting the importation of vagabonds and paupers Into this country. as well as to consider tie expediency of making our loose naturalization laws more stringent. This resolution was referred to a committee of seven members. and their favorable report was the first congressional report ever made concerning any phase of the immigration question. A bill was introduced in Congress. upon the recommendation of the majority report of the committee. which. provided that any ilaster of a vessel who took on board an alien passenger who was an idiot. lunatic. maniac. or one afflicted with an incurable disease. or one convicted of an infamous crime. with the intention of transporting such person to the United States should. upon conviction. be fined $3.000 or be imprisoned from one to three years. This bill was not even considered by Congress. and then for some 10 years following little attempt vas made to secure immigration legislation. but the great increase in immigration to this country from Europe from 1848 to 1.850 put new life and fears in the breasts of those fighting immigration. and it is recorded that in 1855 both the governors and legislatures of New Hampshire. Massachusetts. Rhode Island.