Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

THE BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION

ITS HISTORY, ACTIVITIES, AND

ORGANIZATION

CHAPTER I

HISTORY

The Bureau of Immigration of the Department of Labor has for its purpose the administration of the laws relating to the admission, exclusion, and deportation of aliens.

The history of the service falls naturally into two phases: the period prior to 1891, and the period subsequent to that date, when centralized control had been set up by the government.

Early History. For over one hundred years after the adoption of the Constitution, control of immigration was unorganized, and attention to the problem was intermittent so far as the national government was concerned.

During the Colonial period, and indeed well into the thirties, immigration was allowed to pursue a natural, or practically unregulated course, so far as national restrictions went.

Legislation enacted during a period of over fifty years tended to the encouragement of immigration rather than restriction or regulation. The few restrictive acts in operation were, for the most part, laws passed by those states directly affected by the influx of aliens.

Congressional Action. While Congress has acted with regard to the naturalization of aliens as early as 1790, immigration, as such, did not receive attention until many years later, that is, 1819.

On March 2 of that year an act was approved (3 Stat. L., 488, 489) which required that reports concerning immigrants1 be made

1

Age, sex, occupation, country of citizenship and of intended residence. Original report made out by master of vessel.

I

annually to Congress by the Secretary of State. This practice continued from 1820 to 1870. The act also aimed to secure some degree of comfort and convenience for steerage passengers en route to the United States.

From 1819 until the early thirties, proposals for other legislation were few and enactment entirely lacking except for the acts of February 22, 1847 (9 Stat. L., 127-An act to regulate the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels), March 2, 1847 (9 Stat. L., 149-An act to amend an act entitled "An act to regulate the carriage of passengers in merchant vessels" and to determine the time when said act shall take effect), and May 17, 1848 (9 Stat. L., 223-An act to provide for the ventilation of passenger vessels and for other purposes). All of these laws aimed at more comfortable and sanitary accommodations for immigrants. During these years the flow of immigration had increased rapidly, the Irish constituting a large proportion of the influx, and beginning with 1835 the "Know-Nothing" and "Native American " movements made themselves felt.

Immigration had raised its head as an important problem, and restriction of some sort was widely urged. However, action did not follow, due largely to the sentiment that it was contrary to the principles and ideals of the government as expressed by the founders to exclude anyone from its privileges and advantages.

The First Organization. The next legislation of importance so far as administration was concerned' came on July 4, 1864: “An Act To encourage immigration" (13 Stat. L., 385). The title was, however, not strictly indicative of the provisions of the law which was concerned chiefly with setting up an administrative organization to supervise immigration.

'On February 19, 1862, the Coolie Act (12 Stat. L., 340) had been approved. It was designed to prevent American traffic in coolies between China and the West Indies, and did not, therefore, affect immigration into the United States.

3

* Italics ours. It was the sole attempt of the government to promote immigration by direct legislation, although certain indirect aid was given as late as 1883, in an act of March 3 of that year (32 Stat. L., 488, 517) which provided that “. . . teams of animals, including their harness and tackle and the vehicles or wagons actually owned by persons emigrating from foreign countries to the United States with their families and in actual use for the purpose of such emigration shall . . . be admitted free of duty, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe."

The act provided for the appointment by the President of a Commissioner of Immigration to be under the direction of the Department of State, made the term of office of such commissioner four years, and authorized the employment of three clerks. A United States Emigrant Office was also established in New York, and a Superintendent of Immigration appointed, with power to employ one clerk.

The Superintendent's duties (Section 4) were:

. . . such superintendent shall, under the direction of the commissioner of immigration, make contracts with the different railroads and transportation companies of the United States for transportation tickets, to be furnished to such immigrants, and to be paid for by them, and shall, under such rules as may be prescribed by the commissioner of immigration, protect such immigrants from imposition and fraud, and shall furnish them such information and facilities as will enable them to proceed in the cheapest and most expeditious manner to the place of their destination. And such superintendent of immigration shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the commissioner of immigration:

Although this act was repealed March 30, 1868 (15 Stat. L., 56, 58), it is interesting in detail as the first attempt (and the sole one until some thirty years later) to establish a central organ of control for immigration.

[ocr errors]

Annual reports concerning immigation were not discontinued in spite of the repeal of the act of 1864. In 1866 a Statistics Bureau had been established in the Treasury Department, and beginning with 1869 a report on immigration was included in the report on commerce and navigation issued by that bureau.

*The act, on the general question of immigration, made valid in the United States contracts entered into by aliens while in foreign countries pledging their wages to repay expenses of emigration, and permitted advances for transportation as liens on lands later acquired by the immigrant-that is, 'contract labor."

66

'Reports concerning immigrants for 1865-66 and 67 were rendered by the Commissioner and transmitted through the Secretary of State.

This duplicated the work since the State Department had continued to make such reports. The act of May 7, 1874 (18 Stat. L., 42), eliminated the duplication by providing that the report should be rendered to Congress through the Treasury Department.

« PreviousContinue »