Mr. President. my position on the immigration bill is. I think. very well known. I think the position of all I Senators. especially those who were Members of this body in the last Congress. is well known. A very large majority of them are earnestly in favor of the enactment of the immigration bill. On two occasions the question as to what measures should be taken up at the present session was brought before the Democratic conference and once or twice before the Democratic steering committee. The question of adjournment at a seasonable time was considered in connection with the question as to what measures should be taken up. There were certain measures that were regarded as imperatively necessary to be taken up. There were the shippurchase bill. the appropriation bills. conference reports. the revenue bill. and two or three other bills that were designated. It was believed that the consideration of those bills would occupy the time of the Senate until the 1st of September. and for that reason it was decided by the Democratic steering committee and by the Democratic conference twice that as the immigration question was not so acute as it was two years ago before the commencement of the present deplorable war. the public interests would not suffer if it was permitted to go over until the first week in December. By a very large majority the Democratic conference decided that the immigration bill should go over and be made a special order for the first Monday in December. After that. by the unanimous vote of all present. the unanimous vote of 38 men. that action was declared to be binding party action. and that in face of the fact that fivesixths of the men who attended that conference were as warmly in favor of the immigration bill as the Senator from South Carolina or the Senator from Georgia or any other man.
Keywords matched
immigration