Speech #680115732

I will read section 1 as follows: Sec. 19. No alien seanlan excluded from admission into tIle United Slates under the immigration laws and employed by any vessel arriving in the United States from any place outside thereof. shall be pfrmitted to land in the United States. except temlporarily for mcdiCal treatment or pursuant to sueh regulations as the Secretary of Labor nmy prescribe for the ultimate departure. removal. or deportation of such alien from the United States. The term "immigration laws" is on page 43. liles 2.l to 24. delined as follows: The term "immnigratiol laws " include such act. this act. and all laws. conventions. and treaties of time United States. relating to immigration. exclusion. or expulsion of aliens. Surely there must be souse unconscious oversight. In section 4612 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. tile word seaman " is defined its follows and every person (apprentices excepted) who shall be employed to serve in tiny capacity oi board the same (vessel) shall be deemed and taken to be a " seaman." Sections 3 and 15 exempts the seanlan from the immigration laws. and he may go on shore. Section 19 places him under tile immigration laws and he may not go on shore except in case of sickness for medical treatment or pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary of Labor Day prescribe. Those regulations must. of course. be within the immigration laws. and it does not seem that lie can go on shore at all unless lie can qualify as an immligrant iii every particular and in addition thereto has an immigration visa. which he can not obtain except in his own country. Section 21 provides a fine of $1.000 in each case for any failure to keep the seaman on board until examined physically and otherwise. or for failure to keep on board and deport him who is not permitted to land. and finally the same fine is imposed if any seaman has deserted and is not on the vessel when she is about to depart from the port. The master will see that no one deserts if he can prevent it. unless he carried such person to our port with the purpose of violating the immigration laws. The fine of course can not be collected unless collusion can be proved. and under such circumstances as exist in every vessel there is no chance of proving collusion. Thus it seems that the bona fide seaman is legally tied to the vessel. while the mal fide seaman. who came with the purpose of violating the immigration laws. Is accomplishing this purpose. The purpose of amending our maritime law by passing the seamens act was1.