by them, to appoint an agent or agents either for the eastern States of the United States or for Europe, for the purpose of aiding and advising immigration; and such agent or agents shall act solely under the instruction of the Board of Immigration, who shall also fix and allow their compensation for their services, to be paid out of the fund created as hereinafter provided. SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of the Board of Immigration to meet in the city of St. Louis, on the last Monday in the months of March, June and September, and on the first Monday in December, for consultation, and to transact such business as properly may come before the same; but nothing in this act shall be so construed as to prevent a meeting of the board at any other time, whenever a majority thereof shall deem it advisable for the dispatch of business and the interest of immigration; such calls, however, shall always be made. by the president of the board, and countersigned by the secretary thereof. SEC. 6. The Governor of the State shall be presiding officer of the board, and in their first meeting on the last Monday in March, A. D. 1865, the board shall elect, by ballot, a corresponding and recording secretary, a vice president and a treasurer, out of their own number. SEC. 7. The treasurer of the board shall give bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars, which bond shall be approved by the president and secretary thereof, and deposited with the Secretary of State. SEC. 8. Four thousand dollars are hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the use of the Board of Immigration, and to be expended by them as they think best and expedient for the interest of immigration to the State of Missouri. SEC. 9. The Board of Immigration is furthermore authorized and shall have power to open books and invite and solicit contributions and endowments of money from corporations, manufacturers, merchants and all persons who are immediately and directly benefited by the flow of immigration; which money so contributed shall also be under the control of and expended by the board for the intents and purposes in the preceding section stated. SEC. 10. The fund so created shall be called "Immigration Fund," and all money accruing under the preceding section shall be deposited in a bank to be designated by the board, subject to the order of the same. The drafts to be signed by the president and countersigned by the treasurer. SEC. 11. In case of a vacancy in the board occurring by death, removal, resignation or otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the board. SEC. 12. It shall be the duty of said board to co-operate with the Bureau of Immigration at Washington City, and to make regular reports of their labors and proceedings to the General Assembly of the State, accompanied by such references, suggestions and statistics as may furnish good and reliable data and a proper basis for future legislation on the subject of immigration. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved February 16, 1865. TITLE XXIII. CHAPTER 68. AN ACT CONCERNING THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: SECTION 1. There shall be a Board of Immigration, which shall be composed of five members, three of which are to be appointed by the Governor. SEC. 2. The Governor and Secretary of State shall be ex-officio members of this board; and it shall be its duty to do all and everything which may and will advance and encourage immigration to this State, either from the eastern States of the United States or from the eastern hemisphere. SEC. 3. The members of this board shall, if they deem it advisable and proper for the encouragement of immigration, publish or cause to be published pamphlets, essays and articles treating on and describing, in a true light, the developed and undeveloped agricultural and mineral resources of the State of Missouri, our facilities for navigation, railroad connections, and our wide-spread commerce, and to distribute them in such localities wherever, in their opinion, they may be useful, beneficial and of good for the promotion of immigration to our State. SEC. 4. They also shall have power, whenever deemed expedient by them, to appoint an agent or agents, either for the eastern States of the United States or for Europe, for the purpose of aiding and advising immigration; and such agent or agents shall act solely under the instruction of the Board of Immigration, who shall also fix and allow their compensation for their services, to be paid out of the fund created as hereinafter provided. SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of the Board of Immigration to meet in the city of St. Louis on the last Monday in the months of March, June and September, and on the first Monday in December, for consultation, and to transact such business as properly may come before the same; but nothing in this chapter shall be so construed as to prevent a meeting of the board at any other time, or the regular meeting of the board at any other place, whenever a majority thereof shall deem it advisable for the dispatch of business and the interest of immigration; such calls, however, shall always be made by the president of the board and countersigned by the secretary thereof. SEC. 6. The Governor of the State shall be the presiding officer of the board, and the officers now appointed and serving shall hold their offices until the last Monday in March, 1867, at which time the board shall elect, by ballot, out of their own number, a recording secretary and a corresponding secretary, a vice president and a treasurer, who shall hold their offices for two years and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. SEC. 7. The treasurer of the board shall give bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars, which bond shall be approved by the president. and secretary thereof, and deposited with the Secretary of State. SEC. 8. The sum of two thousand dollars, annually, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury of the State not otherwise appropriated, for the use of the Board of Immigration, to be expended by them as they think best and expedient for the interest of immigration to the State of Missouri, which shall be in full of all other appropriations. SEC. 9. The Board of Immigration is furthermore authorized and shall have power to open books and invite and solicit contributions and endowments of money from corporations, manufacturers, merchants and all persons who are immediately and directly benefited by the flow of immigration; which money so contributed shall also be under control of and expended by the board for the intents and purposes in the preceding section stated. SEC. 10. The fund so created shall be called "Immigration Fund," and all money accruing under the preceding section shall be deposited in a bank to be designated by the board, subject to the order of the same. The drafts to be signed by the president and countersigned by the treasurer. SEC. 11. In case of a vacancy occurring in the board by death, removal, resignation or otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the board. SEC. 12. It shall be the duty of said board to co-operate with the Bureau of Immigration at Washington City, and to make regular reports of their labors and proceedings to the General Assembly of the State, accompanied by references, suggestions and statistics, as may furnish good and reliable data and a proper basis for future legislation on the subject of immigration. Approved March 6, 1866. REPORT. In compliance with the requirements of the foregoing acts, the Board of Immigration submits its first biennial report, rendering an account of its operations, of the receipts and expenditures under the law establishing it, and of the results attained since its establishment. The duties devolving upon this board are: First, to encourage and promote immigration; and, second, to advise and aid immigrants. The manner in which we have tried to perform these duties, with the very limited means at our command, the means we have applied for this purpose and the difficulties we had to contend with, will more fully appear from the annexed report of the secretary. From the abstract statement of the treasurers of this board, it will be perceived that the amount of State aid received during these two years was only... The voluntary contributions obtained from corporations and individuals amounted to... $6,000 00 4,493 90 Total receipts.. $10,496 90 salary of $3173 08 The expenses for the office at St. Louis, including rent, furniture, fuel, postage, stationery, contingent expenses and clerk (now at $900 per annum), amount to. For publications and their distribution, for printing and advertising. 3354 80 For agents' traveling expenses and for collection fees.. 1934 67 ing, etc..... 585 00 Total expenses. $9047 55 $1449 35 Leaving balance in hands of treasurer. There is no indebtedness. But it will be seen that the amount now provided by law for the great and important work this board has to perform is utterly insufficient, and must necessarily impair the efficiency of its action. The act creating this board contemplates that it shall publish or cause to be published pamphlets, essays and articles on Missouri. We have aided in the publication of various books and pamphlets on the subject; we have ourselves published Muench's Handbook for German Emigrants, and one circular, "Free Missouri" (in the English language), in ten thousand of copies; also, other pamphlets and numberless articles in the press of this and other countries. But for the material aid of others, the zeal of our German correspondent, Hon. F. Muench, our general agent, Rev. M. W. Willis, of Professor S. Waterhouse, and of our secretary, Mr. Isidor Bush, with all of whom this has been a labor of love-asking of us no pecuniary reward-we would not have been able to do this. Our means are also too limited to afford to the arriving immigrants that protection and aid which they so much require. We had to restrict ourselves, in this respect, to co-operation, as far as we could, with those charitable institutions which had been established by our citizens in a spirit of philanthrophy deserving the highest praise. By electing the President of the German Emigrant Aid Society as our secretary, our co-operation with that society has been most advantageous for both, and has greatly benefited the foreigners who came to or through Missouri for a new home. We succeeded in obtaining from the managers of some of our Missouri railroads a reduction of fare for the transportation of immigrants, their families and household goods. Thousands of dollars were thus saved to those coming to settle among us. In pursuance of the provisions of the law, we have solicited contributions of money for an "immigration fund," and about forty-five hundred dollars ($4500) have been received. Small as this amount is, it has materially aided this board in its efforts, and the donors deserve our best thanks. We refer also to the correspondence with the United States Bureau of Immigration at Washington, the Commissioner of Immigration at New York, and others, the more interesting portion of which is appended to this report. It is evident that the example of Missouri in encouraging immigration receives the applause of, and is followed by, various of our sister States. The wisdom of establishing a State Board of Immigration has been fully vindicated by the results. The attention of emigrants has been attracted to Missouri; and she has received, during the year just closed, a larger share of the continually increasing tide of immigration than ever before. In consequence of this, the value of our lands, as well as the amount of our productions, has rapidly increased, and has repaid to our citizens a hundred fold the small outlay made to bring about those results. The increase of immigration to our State since the organization of this board has been so great, its benign influence on the wealth and productions of Missouri and the development of her resources is so marked, that we cannot but feel a justifiable pride in having been permitted to be the means of promoting, fostering, inviting, aiding and attracting immigration. Without asking or expecting from you any acknowledgment of our services, we may be pardoned for saying that the result we have attained is such as we can refer to with much gratification. We do ask, however, in view of these results, and in view of the fact that the importance of immigration to this State is beginning to be sensibly felt, that you appropriate for this purpose an amount in proportion to the magnitude and importance of this noble cause. As immigration increases so rapidly, some further legislation may be necessary to extend and perfect our sphere of usefulness; and we shall be happy to carry out such measures as your wisdom will suggest. Respectfully, THOS. C. FLETCHER, F. MUENCH. |