Speech #710026022

President. I am sure that Members of the Senate have given considerable thought and study to the chart which hangs upon the back wall of the Senate Chamber at this time. I want to say before proceeding with any discussion regarding those figures that it ought to be noted that in the case of Ireland. for example. where there is shown a total immigration from Ireland for 70 years and where there is shown the British for 70 years and where there is shown the quotas to which they are entitled under the present basis and where they are shown as to the number who could come from that country under the nationalorigins plan. that in part those figures belong to England. in other words. that the quota on the 1890 basis Instead of being 28.567 ought to be in all probability less than that. because the 1890 basis has not fully succeeded in eliminating the number of Irish who might be included under the English quota. Mr. President. the 1890 basis is of a rathei arbitrary nature. It was determined that for temporary purposes it would be fair to say that in 1890 we had a given percentage of immigration from the various coltries of Europe and that in so far as those percentages could be carried out they should prevail in the making of the 1890 basis of quotas. It was felt that. according to the 1890 census of the foreignborn population in America. if Italy was shown to have had a given percentage of the foreignborn population in 1890. then Italy should have that same percentage of the total immigration which would be permitted under the 1890 basis. So while that was rather arbitrary it is. indeed. surprising to find out how very well it has worked out in proportion and in justice to the people who came to us over the period of the 70 years preceding 1890. the first 70 years of immigration statistics. The first records of immigration were those of 1820. Taking those records through 10year periods. starting from 1820 leading up to 1890. we find the total 70year immigration from the leading countries of England. Scotland. Wales.