Speech #750082346

Mr. Speaker. title I of this bill is an attempt to reimburse seven individuals for losses they sustained when bail bonds were forfeited in the deportation cases of seven aliens 12 years ago. These losses came about. I am satisfied from reading the report. through the misconduct. negligence. or ignorance of the attorney employed by these individuals. The facts are these: In 1924 seven aliens of Italian ancestry entered this country illegally through Canada. They paid no head tax. they submitted themselves to no inspection. they had no visas. and they were not charged against the quota of their nationality. They were apprehended about a year later and released under bond of $500 each. These bonds were supplied by an attorney named Corti. With each bond he deposited $500 of Liberty bonds as collateral. Hearings were held and the men were ordered deported. The bondsman was ordered to deliver the aliens at a certain time and place for deportation. He failed to do so. In fact. he failed to do anything. he made no effort to obtain an extension of time. and I doubt whether he even notified the aliens to appear at the time and place. designated. The bonds were forfeited. the collateral was forwarded to Washington. and the proceeds covered into the Treasury. Subsequently the aliens were apprehended by immigration officers and deported. It now appears that each of the seven claimants in this bill supplied $500 of Liberty bonds to their attorney for deposit as collateral when the bail bonds were given. but the Government was no party to those transactions. and the Government had no knowledge that the bonds belonged to anyone except the bondsman who deposited them. The Federal Government never had any dealings of any kind with the claimants in the pending bill.