But heretofore I have not had an opportunity to discuss this bill at all. I have been looking after other matters in which my district is vitally concerned. In 1819. as I said a moment ago. the first law was passed by Congress restricting immigration. and from that time down to now every law that we have had except one has been to restrict more and more the immigrants coming into this country. This question was not agitated by the people of this country until 1835. From 1835 until 1S60 there sprang up what is known as the KnowNothing arty. and the question of foreign immigration was much before the country during that period. The great influx of immigrants coming here in 1849 and 1850 greatly accentuated this question. and the KnowNothing Party had 43 Members of this House. 5 governors of the various States. and that many State legislatures. But it went out of existence without having accomplished anything so far as the restriction of immigration is concerned.
Keywords matched
immigrants immigration