ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT ON FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION. For the complete report on federal immigration legislation see Reports of the Immigration Commission, vol. 39. The Chinese-exclusion law of 1882. The Chinese-exclusion law of 1884. The Chinese treaty of 1888.... The Chinese-exclusion law of 1888. Page. FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION. This feature of the Immigration Commission's general report is a brief review of the sentiment toward immigration as expressed in legislation, or attempts at legislation, upon the subject in Congress. For convenience, the review is divided into four periods, namely: From colonial times to 1835; the "Native American" and "Know Nothing" period, 1835-1860; end of state control, 1861-1882; period of national control, 1882 to the present time. Chinese-immigration legislation is discussed in a separate chapter. During the period first mentioned immigration was taken as a matter of course; the only legislation enacted, and practically all that was proposed, was the law of 1819 for the regulation of the carriage of steerage passengers at sea, which law also for the first time provided that statistics relative to immigration to the United States be recorded. THE NATIVE AMERICAN MOVEMENT. The second period, from 1835 to 1860, is sharply defined by the so-called "Native American" and "Know Nothing" movements, which, as is well known, were largely based on opposition to the immigration of Catholics. The hostility early took the form of a political movement, and in 1835 there was a Nativist candidate for Congress in New York City, and in the following year that party nominated a candidate for mayor of the same city. In Germantown, Pa., and in Washington, D. Č., Nativist societies were formed in 1837, while in Louisiana the movement was organized in 1839 and a state convention was held two years later. It was at this convention that the Native American party, under the name of the American Republican party, was established. In 1845 the Nativist movement claimed 48,000 members in New York, 42,000 in Pennsylvania, 14,000 in Massachusetts, and 6,000 in other States, while in Congress it had 6 Representatives from New York and 2 from Pennsylvania. The first national convention of Native Americans was held in Philadelphia in 1845, when 141 delegates were present and a national platform was adopted. The chief demands of this convention were a repeal of the naturalization laws and the appointment of native Americans only to office. While these societies were stronger in local politics than in national, and were organized chiefly to aid in controlling local affairs, their few representatives in Congress attempted to make Nativism a national question. As a result of their efforts, the United States Senate in 1836 agreed to a resolution directing the Secretary of State |