The Virginia Legislature and Immigration.
The legislature of Virginia, in its very proper and commendable desire to promote immigration to the State, is discussing the enactment of some extraordinary legislation. A bill now before the senate provides for the appointment of a commissioner of immigration, who shall keep on file in his office a description of any lands submitted to him by any owner or real-estate agent, and shall receive a commission of not more than 5 per cent. upon the sale of any such lands in lieu of salary. Evidently, to the mind of the author of this bill, the benefits of an increase in the population of the State terminate with the sale of lands, and are confined to owners of such lands. The narrowness of a measure that would impose upon any one class of people the expense of an immigration department is manifest. The innumerable and widely ramifying benefits resulting from judicious immigration effort are shared by everybody, and the expense should be borne by everybody.
Aside from this inequity, there are many objections to the plan of giving the proposed commissioner an interest in the sale of lands. As an officer of the State he should be free from any possibility of bias as to any part of the State or any specific properties.
Let a commissioner of immigration be appointed by all means, and let an adequate fund be set apart for the expenses of his department, but let this come out of the receipts from taxes, and thus be equitably apportioned among all classes.