Chapter 206. to facilitate the enforcement of the immigration and contract-labor laws of the United States
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CHAP. 206.— An Act to facilitate the enforcement of the immigration and contract-labor laws of the United States.March 3, 1893. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Alien contract-labor immigration. That, in addition to conforming to all present requirements of law. upon the arrival of any alien immigrants by water at any port within the United States, it shall be the duty of the master or commanding officer of the steamer or sailingMasters of vessels to furnish answers to listed questions as to immigrants. vessel having said immigrants on board to deliver to the proper inspector of immigration at the port lists or manifests made at the time and place of embarkation of such alien immigrants on board such steamer or vessel, which shall, in answer to questions at the top of said lists, state as to each immigrant the full name, age, and sex, whether married or single; the calling or occupation; whether able to read or write; the nationality; the last residence; the seaport for landing in the United States: the final destination, if any, beyond the seaport of landing; whether having a ticket through to such final destination; whether the immigrant has paid his own passage or whether it has been paid by other persons or by any corporation, society, municipality, or government; whether in possession of money, and if so, whether upwards of thirty dollars and how much if thirty dollars or less; whether going to join a relative, and if so, what relative and his name and address; whether ever before in the United States, and if so, when and where; whether ever in prison or almshouse or supported by charity; whether a polygamist; whether under contract, express or implied, to perform labor in the United States; and what is the immigrant’s condition of health mentally and physically, and whether deformed or crippled, and if so, from what cause.
Sec. 2. That the immigrants shall be listed in convenient groups andGroups of thirty in each list. no one list or manifest shall contain more than thirty names. To each immigrant or head of a family shall be given a ticket onIdentification tickets. which shall be written his name, a number or letter designating the list, and his number on the list, for convenience of identification on arrival. Each list or manifest shall be verified by the signature and theVerified lists.Master’s oath before consulas to inspection, etc. before departure. oath or affirmation of the master or commanding officer or of the officer first or second below him in command, taken before the United States consul or consular agent at the port of departure, before the sailing of said vessel, to the effect that he has made a personal examination of each and all of the passengers named therein, and that he has caused the surgeon of said vessel sailing therewith to make a physical examination of each of said passengers, and that from his personal inspection and the report of said surgeon he believes that no one of said passengers is an idiot or insane person, or a pauper or likely to become a public charge, or suffering from a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease, or a person who has been convicted of a felony or other infamous crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or a polygamist, or under a contract or agreement, express or implied, to perform labor in the United States, and that also, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, the information in said list or manifest concerning each of said passengers named therein is correct and true.
Sec. 3. That the surgeon of said vessel sailing therewith shall alsoVerification by ship’s surgeon. sign each of said lists or manifests before the departure of said vessel, 570 and make oath or affirmation in like manner before said consul or consular agent, stating his professional experience and qualifications as a physician and surgeon, and that be has made a personal examination of each of the passengers named therein and that said list or manifest, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, is full, correct, and true in all particulars relative to the mental and physical condition of Or other surgeon.said passengers.
If no surgeon sails with any vessel bringing alien immigrants, the mental and physical examinations and the verifications of the lists or manifests may be made by some competent surgeon employed by the owners of the vessel. Sec. 4. That in the case of the failure of said master or commandingPenalty for failure to comply. officer of said vessel to deliver to the said inspector of immigration lists or manifests, verified as aforesaid, containing the information above required as to all alien immigrants on board, there shall be paid to the collector of customs at the port of arrival the sum of ten dollars for each immigrant qualified to enter the United States concerning whom the above information is not contained in any list as aforesaid, or said immigrant shall not be permitted so to enter the United States, but shall be returned like other excluded persons.
Sec. 5. That it shall be the duty of every inspector of arriving alienDetention of arrivals for special inquiry.Vol. 26, p. 1084. immigrants to detain for a special inquiry, under section one of the immigration act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, every person who may not appear to him to be clearly and beyond doubt Conduct, etc., of special inquiries.entitled to admission, and all special inquiries shall be conducted by not less than four officials acting as inspectors, to be designated in writing Designation of inspectors therefor.by the Secretary of the Treasury or the superintendent of immigration, for conducting special inquiries; and no immigrant shall be Favorable decisions.admitted upon special inquiry except after a favorable decisions made by at least three of said inspectors; and any decision to admit shall be subject to appeal by any dissenting inspector to the superintendent of immigration, whose action shall Appeal from.Review by Secretary of the Treasury.Vol. 26, p. 1085.be subject to review by the Secretary of the Treasury, as provided in section eight of said immigration act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one.
Sec. 6. That section five of the act of March third, eighteen hundredMinisters, professor and recognized professionals excepted.Vol. 26, p. 1085. amended. and ninety-one, “in amendment of the various acts relative to immigration and the importation of aliens under contract or agreement to perform labor.” is hereby amended by striking out the words “second proviso” where they first occur in said section and inserting the words “first proviso” in their place; and section eight of said act is hereby Medical examinations on arrival.so amended that the medical examinations of arriving immigrants to be made by surgeons of the Marine Hospital Service may be made by any regular medical officers of such Marine-Hospital Service detailed therefor by the Secretary of the Treasury; and civil surgeons shall only be employed temporarily from time to time for specific emergencies.
Sec. 7. That no bond or guaranty, written or oral, that an alien immigrantOnly authorized special public-charge bond receivable. shall not become a public charge shall be received from any person, company, corporation, charitable or benevolent society or association. unless authority to receive the same shall in each special case be given by the Superintendent of Immigration, with the written approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. Sec. 8. That all steamship or transportation companies, and otherNotification of intending emigrants of immigration laws.Certificate to be filed. owners of vessels, regularly engaged in transporting alien immigrants to the United States, shall twice a year file a certificate with the Secretary of the Treasury that they have furnished to be kept conspicuously exposed to view in the office of each of their agents in foreign countries authorized to sell emigrant tickets, a copy of the law of Vol. 26, p. 1084.Printed in language of country, etc.March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and of all subsequent laws of this country relative to immigration, printed in large letters, in the language of the country where the copy of the law is to be Attention called thereto.exposed to view, and that they have instructed their agents to call the attention thereto of persons contemplating emigration before selling tickets to them; and in case of the failure for sixty days of any such 571 company or any such owners to file such a certificate, or in case they file a false certificate, they shall pay a fine of not exceeding five hundredPenalty for not filing certificate, etc. dollars, to be recovered in the proper United States court, and said fine shall also be a lien upon any vessel of said company or owners found within the United States.
Sec. 9. That after the first day of January, eighteen hundred andPrivileges at Ellis Island immigrant station to be sold. ninety-three, all exclusive privileges of exchanging money, transporting passengers or baggage, or keeping eating houses, and all other like privileges in connection with the Ellis Island immigrant station, shall be disposed of after public competition, subject to such conditions andConditions, etc. limitations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe.
Sec. 10. That this act shall not apply to Chinese persons; and shallChinese excepted.Effect. take effect as to vessels departing from foreign ports for ports within the United States after sixty days from the passage of this act. Approved, March 3, 1893.