AMERICAN PASSENGERS' ACT.
An Act supplementary to the Act in relation to Immigration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in determining whether the immigration of any subject of China, Japan, or any Oriental Country, to the United States is free and voluntary, as provided by section two thousand one hundred and sixty-two of the Revised Code, title "Immigration," it shall be the duty of the Consul-General or Consul of the United States residing at the port from which it is proposed to convey such subjects, in any vessels enrolled or licensed in the United States, or any port within the same, before delivering to the masters of any such vessels the permit or certificate provided for in such section, to ascertain whether such immigrant has entered into a contract or agreement for a term of service within the United States for lewd and immoral purposes, and if there be such contract or agreement the said Consul-General or Consul shall not deliver the required permit or certificate.
SEC. 2-That if any citizen of the United States or other person amenable to the laws of the United States shall take or cause to be taken or transported to or from the United States any subject of China, Japan, or any Oriental Country without their free and voluntary consent for the purposes of holding them to a term of service, such citizen or other person shall be liable to be indicted therefor, and on conviction of such offence shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars and be imprisoned not exceeding one year, and all contracts and agreements for a term of service of such persons in the United States, whether made in advance or in pursuance of such illegal importation, and whether such importation shall have been in American or other vessels, are hereby declared void.
SEC. 3.-That the importation into the United States of women for the purposes of prostitution is hereby forbidden; and all contracts and agreements in relation thereto, made in advance or in pursuance of such illegal importation and purposes are hereby declared void, and whoever shall knowingly and wilfully import, or cause any importation of women into the United States for the purposes of prostitution, or shall knowingly or wilfully hold or attempt to hold any woman to such purposes in pursuance of such illegal importation and contract or agreement, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and on conviction thereof shall be imprisoned not exceeding five years, and pay a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars.
SEC. 4. That if any person shall knowingly and wilfully contract or attempt to contract, in advance or in pursuance of such illegal importation, to supply to another the labour of any coolie or other person brought into the United States in violation of section two thousand one hundred and fifty-eight of the Revised Statutes, or of any other section of the laws prohibiting the coolie-trade or of this Act, such person shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, in any United States Court, shall be fined in a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars and imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year.
SEC. 5. That it shall be unlawful for aliens of the following classes to immigrate into the United States, namely persons who are undergoing a sentence for conviction in their own country of felonious crimes other than political or growing out of or the result of such political offences, or whose sentence has been remitted on condition of their emigration, and women "imported for the purposes of prostitution." Every vessel arriving in the United States may be inspected under the direction of the Collector of the port at which it arrives if he shall have reason to believe that any such obnoxious persons are on board; and the officer making such inspection shall certify the result thereof to the master or person in charge of such vessel, designating
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.