Speech #810008134

The bill will be received and appropriately referred. and. without objection. the text of the bill and the letter will be printed in the RECORD. The bill to amend the immigration laws relating to stowaways. introduced by Mr. MCCARRAN. was read twice by its title. referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. and ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows: I Be it enacted. etc.. That section 3 of the Immigration Act of February 5. 1917. 39 Stat. 875. as amended (8 U. S. C. 136). is amended as follows: "After the word stowaway strike out the following language: . except. that such stowaway. if otherwise admissible. may be admitted in the discretion of the Attorney General. Src. 2. Section 16 of the Immigration Act of 1924. 43 Stat. 163. as amended (8 U. S. C. 216). is hereby further amended by adding at the end thereof the following subsections: "(d) The owner. charterer. agent. consignee. or master of any vessel arriving at the United States from any place outside thereof who fails to detain on board any alien stowaway until such stowaway has been inspected by an immigrant inspector. or who fails to detain such stowaway on board after inspection if ordered to do so by the immigrant inspector. or who fails to deport such stowaway on the vessel on which he arrived or on another vessel at the expense of the vessel on which he arrived when required to do so by an Immigrant inspector. shall pay to the collector of customs of the customs district in which the port of arrival is located the sum of $1.000 for each alien stowaway in respect of whom such failure occurs. Pending final determination of liability for such fine. no vessel Shall be granted clearance. except that clearance may be granted upon the deposit of a sum sufficient to cover such fine. or of a bond with sufficient surety to secure the payment thereof approved by the collector of customs. The provisions for detention of aliens for examination before boards of special inquiry and the right of appeal provided for In sections 16 and 17 of the Immigration Act of February 5. 1917. 39 Stat. 887 (8 U. S. C. 153). shall not apply to aliens who arrive as stowaways and no such alien shall be permitted to land in the United States. except temporarily for medical treatment. or pursuant to such regulations as the Attorney General may prescribe for the ultimate departure or removal or deportation of such alien from the United States. "(e) The owner. charterer. agent. consignee. or master of any vessel arriving in the United States from any place outside thereof which has on board any alien stowaway shall pay to the collector of customs of the customs district In which the port of arrival is located the sum of $1.000 for each alien stowaway aboard such vessel. No vessel shall be granted clearance while such fine is unpaid. except that clearance may be granted upon the deposit of a sum sufficient to cover such fine. or of a bond with sufficient surety to secure the payment thereof approved by the collector of customs. No fine imposed under the provisions of this section shall be subject to refund. but the Attorney General may. upon application in writing therefor. mitigate such penalty to not less than $200 for any such violation for which such penalty is imposed. upon proof satisfactory to him that the presence of the alien stowaway aboard the vessel at the time of Its embarkation from the last port outside the United States was not known to and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of reasonable diligence by the owner. charterer. agent. consignee. and master of the vessel aboard which such stowaway arrived in the United States." The letter presented by Mr.