It was the feeling of members of the committee that this subject should be gone into in a separate bill. The Senator will remember there was a partial hearing: but it was generally understood that before legislation was undertaken on this subject representatives of the department. representatives of the Seamens Union. and representatives of the shipping interests should be fully consulted in order to work out the features that were in question. Now I wish to call the attention of the Senate before the vote is had on this amendment to section (f). which reads in part: No vessel shall enter a port of the United States. except in distress. having on board as a member of the crew any alien who If he were applying for admission to the United States as an immigrant laborer would be subject to exclusion under the Chinese exclusion laws. Under that provision. if it shall be enacted into law. a British ship could not enter the port of San Francisco if it had on board one Chinaman. I think that is rather a dangerous sort of a provision. Itis unwise at the end of a long contest upon an immigration bill to vote into it something that ought to be very seriously considered. Personally. I am in favor of much of this amendment. and it was understood that the committee would meet and take up the matter. and it will take it up.
Keywords matched
immigrant immigration Chinese exclusion