Most of the early immigrants came from Great Britain, a fair number from Germany, but very few from other European countries. In 1850 Great Britain furnished about 60 per cent of the immigrants and Germany 584.000, or 36 per cent. Thus 96 per cent of the immi grants in 1850 were of Teutonic blood, with the Anglo-Saxon element predominating. The proportion was very much the same in 1860. But in 1870, while the totals were much larger, the British percentage was falling and that of the other foreign elements was increasing. In 1880 the British contingent, including the Cana dian, though larger in the grand total than be fore, had dropped to 47.5 per cent, the German to 30, but a considerable new element had ar rived of Bohemians, Poles, Scandinavians, Italians and Russians. In 1890 the British con tingent had fallen to 29 per cent, or 2,700,000; the German increased to 33 per cent, or 3,000, 000; while the number of Poles, Russians and Bohemians in the country amounted to 450,000, the Italians to 182,500 and the Scandinavians to 933,000. In 1900 the Slav element had reached 1,000,000, or nearly 10 per cent of the foreign-born population of the country, the Scandinavian over 1,000,000, the French includ ing French-Canadian 500,000, the Italian nearly 500,000, the Mexican over 100,000, while the British had sunk to 19.4 and the German to 14 per cent. Since 1900 the Teutonic element has diminished considerably while immigrants from the countries of southern and eastern Europe have flocked in overwhelming numbers to our shores. Of these the Italians and Poles have Several laws have been passed by Congress, designed to prevent certain evils of indiscrimi nate immigration. Among those evils may be mentioned the immigration of criminals, pau pers, contract laborers, diseased persons (whether in mind or body), and such other persons as are unable to support themselves. Such persons, according to the laws enacted from 1882 to 1893, are not permitted to enter the United States, and the steamship companies bringing in such immigrants as are rejected under these acts are required, at their own expense, to transport them back to the coun tries whence they came. The following table shows the number of undesirable aliens de barred and deported during the years 1905-16: In 1864 Congress passed the first immigra tion act, which was designed to promote, not to restrict, immigration ; but this act was re pealed in 1868. In 1882, the year after immi gration reached the unprecedented mark of 669,431, Congress enacted the first restrictive law debarring criminals, paupers, insane and other undesirable classes, as indicated above, and imposed a head tax of 50 cents on all aliens entering the United States. This head tax, by subsequent acts of Congress, was in creased successively to one, two and four dollars. In 1885 a more drastic act was passed, which was intended to exclude contract labor ers and strike-breakers and persons of the baser sort. But this act did not operate as success fully as was expected; for it debarred the bet ter classes of immigrants, such as artists, archi tects, musicians and even clergymen, along with the undesirable daises which it was especially intended to exclude. It was, therefore, amended, in so as not to militate against such classes of immigrants as should be en couraged.
In 1888 and Congress passed enactments debarring such immigrants of alien race as, for any reason, refuse to assimilate with our natives. This measure was directed specifically against Chinese immigrants and was intended to prohibit Chinese laborers from entering the United States. The law was the natural out growth of the constant labor agitation and the earnest appeals from the Pacific Coast for re+ lief from the vast hordes of ignorant and im moral Chinese flocking to our shores.
In 1903 more drastic legislation was en acted, which requires a of intending immigrants at the point of de parture and gives the government the right to deport, within two years after arrival, any immigrant landed in violation of this special act In 1906 Congress legislated into being the present Bureau of Immigration whose duty it is to keep a complete record of all aliens enter ing the United States.
In 1907 further restrictive legislation was enacted, which prohibits the bringing of women or girls into the United States for immoral purposes, such as prostitution. The immigra tion enactments of 1907, also, provided for a commission of nine persons consisting of three senators, three representatives and three per sons appointed by the President, to investigate the whole subject of immigration and to report to Congress with recommendations.
This commission expired by limitation 5 Dec. 1910, and submitted a final report, in which they reached the unanimous conclusion that the time had arrived for taking steps for the radical restriction of immigration. The pro posals of the commission for such restriction, as presented in this report, are as follows: (a) a reading and writing test; (b) the exclusion of unmarried unskilled laborers; . (c) limita tion upon the number of immigrants arriving at any one port and from particular races; (d) material increase of the amount of money in the possession of immigrants on arrival; (e) material increase of the head tax (now $2). The commission, moreover, made the fol lowing recommendations: 1. That for the protection of immigrants, government officials, both men and women, be placed on vessels carrying steerage passengers. 2. That the boards of special inquiry, which pass upon the appeals of would-be immigrants from adverse administrative decisions, should be composed of persons qualified to exercise judicial func tions, that the hearings should be public and that an Assistant-Secretaryship of Commerce and Labor should be created to review appeals from the boards. 3. That the state should strictly regulate immigrant banks and employ ment agencies. 4. That the exclusion of Chinese laborers should be continued. 5. That no legis lation regarding Japanese and Korean labor should be adopted so long as the present method of restriction is found effective. 6. That an understanding should be reached with the British government for the exclusion of East Indian laborers.
Of the foregoing propositions, the one pro viding for a reading and writing test attracted the widest attention both in and out of Con gress. The American Federation of Labor urged the retention of the clause as the best method of excluding undesirable foreigners. On the other hand it was argued that its re tention would exclude European agricultural workers who were every way desirable, but had lacked educational advantages.
A bill incorporating most of the recommen dations of the above-mentioned commission was passed by Congress as designed to bring about the desired restriction of immigration, but be cause of its literacy test provision the bill was vetoed by President Taft in February 1913. During Wilson's administration Congress has passed two similar bills in 1915 and 1916, but these likewise have been vetoed by the Presi dent, for the same reason.
The European War greatly curtailed immi gration to the United States as well as in creased emigration to Europe. Thus the num ber of immigrants from eastern and southern Europe (Poles and Italians) was reduced to below the number from the Teutonic races of Europe. Of the total 298,826 immigrants in the year 1916, the principal contributing races were as follows: English, 36,168; Scotch, 13, 515; Irish, 20,636; Italians, 38,814; Greek, 26,792; Scandinavian, 19,172• French, 19,518; Mexican, 17,198; Hebrew, 15,108; Portuguese, 12,208; German, 11,555; Spanish, 9,259; Jap anese, 8,711; Dutch and Flemish, 6,113; Fin nish, 5,649; Russian, 4,858; African, 4,576; Polish, 4,502; Cuban, 3,442; Bulgarian, Serbian, Montenegrin, 3,146• .Chinese, 2,239; no other race in excess of 2,000.
The chief occupations of immigrants arriv ing in 1916 were as follows; professional (in cluding teachers, engineers, artists, actors, clergy, etc.), 9,795; skilled labor of various sorts, 45,528; miscellaneous, 138,737, among which are included laborers (55,816), farm laborers (26,250), servants (29,258), merchants and dealers (7,017), farmers (6,840), agents (1,538), fishermen (741), manufacturers (315), hotel-keepers (243), etc. Those reporting no occupation, such as women and children, num bered 104,766 of the total number of immi grants (298,826).
Of the total alien immigrants admitted into the United States in the year 1916 (i.e., to 30 June, the end of the fiscal year), 141,390 entered through the port of New York; 12,428 through the port of Boston; 7,955 through the port of San Francisco; 4,029 through the port of Providence, R. I. • 3,896 through the port of Seattle, Wash.; 3,298 through the port of Honolulu, Hawaii; and smaller numbers through other ports. But it is significant to note that a large number of the alien immi grants in 1916 came into the United States through the border stations, 100,366 entering through Canada and 16,520 through Mexico.
The destination of the alien immigrants ad mitted into the United States during the last two fiscal years is indicated by the appended table.