Speech #680073969

In the first place. the State of New York is not making a claim of $33.000.000. as the gentleman says. as a result of foreigners or aliens in hospitals. The facts relevant to this claim arose upon an investigation of the care and treatment of alien patients In the State hospitals for Insane and public charges. from 1882 to August 1. 1921. and the State claimed $17.447.616.17. which would be the cost of the care of said patients admitted each year since 1882. The Federal immigration act of 1882 provided for a head tax upon each immlgrant for the purpose of creating all immigrant fund to be used under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury to defray the expenses of regulating Immigration under the act and for the care of immigrants arriving in the United States. for the relief of such as are in distress. and for the general purposes and expenses of carrying the act into effect. The constitutionality of this provision has been affirmed by the Supreme Court. and the provision is still in effect. It seems to me that the unexpended balance to the credit of the immigrant fund on the books of the Secretary 6f the Treasury amounts to about $11.000.000. A large portion of this money rightfully belongs to the State of New York for its care of the immigrants. who came into distress subsequent to the passage of the act of 1882. and were cared for in the New York State hospitals. and amongst these claims are bonds given to the Government that the inunigrant will not becoiie a public charge. Thousands of these bonds have been forfeited and the United States (lovermninent got the money. and all that the State of New York is seeking from the United States is part of that money under which these men have forfeited their bonds. That is all that the State of New York is seeking. The State of New York is not here complaining against the immigrants. The State of New York does not come in here and say to you Members of Congress. " Close the doors of Ellis Islanl." It is men from other parts of the State and men from thousands of miles away. who do not know anything about the immigrant. who come here and say. " Yes. we will discriminate against one class in preference to another class. or nation. or creed. or color." It seems to me there are some good features In this bill. and I am going to give credit to the Johnson bill to that extent. It allows the nonquota relatives into this land. Outside of that. gentlemen of the committee. the bill is discriminatory from its inception. because if you follow the hearings before the committee and the statements of proponents of the bill you would be easily convinced that this bill is not an American measure.