CONTRACT LABOR AND INDUCED AND ASSISTED IMMIGRATION. The complete report of the Immigration Commission on this subject. Table 1. Immigrants admitted to the United States, total number debarred, 378 378 379 CONTRACT LABOR AND INDUCED AND ASSISTED IMMIGRATION. In 1864 a federal law for the encouragement of immigration was enacted. This law provided that all contracts made in foreign countries by emigrants to the United States whereby such emigrants pledged their wages in the United States for not more than one year to repay the expense of emigrating, should be valid in law and might be enforced in the courts. Several companies were organized to deal in contract labor, but their operations aroused much opposition and in 1868 the law was repealed. CONTRACT-LABOR LAW OF 1885. Immediately following the repeal of the law an agitation was begun in favor of forbidding the importation of laborers under contract, but it was not until 1885 that the first federal law in this regard was enacted. The text of the law of 1885 is as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act it shall be unlawful for any person, company, partnership, or corporation, in any manner whatsoever, to prepay the transportation, or in any way assist or encourage the importation or migration of any alien or aliens, any foreigner or foreigners, into the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia, under contract or agreement, parol or special, express or implied, made previous to the importation or migration of such alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, to perform labor or service of any kind in the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia. SEC. 2. That all contracts or agreements, express or implied, parol or special, which may hereafter be made by and between any person, company, partnership, or corporation, and any foreigner or foreigners, alien or aliens, to perform labor or service or having reference to the performance of labor or service by any person in the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia, previous to the migration or importation of the person or persons whose labor or service is contracted for into the United States, shall be utterly void and of no effect. SEC. 3. That for every violation of any of the provisions of section one of this act the person, partnership, company, or corporation violating the same by knowingly assisting, encouraging, or soliciting the migration or importation of any alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, into the United States, its Territories, or the District of Columbia, to perform labor or service of any kind under contract or agreement, express or implied, parol or special, with such alien or aliens, foreigner or foreigners, previous to becoming residents or citizens of the United States, shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of one thousand dollars, which may be sued for and recovered by the United States or by any person who shall first bring his action therefor, including any such alien or foreigner who may be a party to any such contract or agreement, as debts of like amount are now recovered in the circuit courts of the United States; the proceeds to be paid into the Treasury of the United States; and separate suits may be brought for each alien or foreigner being a party to such a See p. 565. |