NATIONAL ORIGINS PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW 139
House Committee on Immigration in 1927; and it is not the state-
ment of anybody before that committee, except it is quoting some
man who had written it about a hundred years ago; and in the
same reference will be found this additional information, that in
any one of two or three years the Irish who came to Pennsylvania
were about the same number. If this was around 1740 and 1750—
one year, tor example, 12,000 Irish came—it seems natural to feel,
if in the 1790 census they were only accredited with about 8,000, the
uncertainty of the 1790 census as the determination of our origins,
particularly when it is one of the main grounds of determining the
origins of our nationals.
The Cmamzmax. Can you tell me, Congressman, what authority
it was that made that statement ?
Representative McCormack. Yes; I think I can.
The CARMAN. Do you know?
Senator Reep. I never heard it before. Of course, there was no
immigration of any consequence from south Ireland, from what is
the Irish Free State?
Representative McCormack. No; that is true. From all of Ire-
land. There was no Irish Free State then.
Senator Reep. And the northern Irish immigration was all
Scotch and English descent.
Representative McCormack. Of course, that includes 9 counties
‘n England and 36 counties in the Irish Free State.
The Cuamrman. I understood that, but I was curious to know the
authority, that was all, in order that we might have it before us in
considering final action.
Representative McCormack. That will be found on page 40 of the
hearing before the Committee on Immigration of the House of Rep-
resentatives in 1927. There is no document number here, but that
was in 1927.
Senator Rerp. Who made the statement?
Representative McCormack. Robert Proud, in his history of
Pennsylvania, written between 1776 and 1780. Volume II, page 273.
Do you want me to quote it?
Senator Remp. Yes.
Representative McCormack (reading) :
Besides the great numbers of the first and early colonists, as well as since,
trom Great Britain, and the large importations of people from Ireland into this
Province, both in early and latter times, those from Germany have been so
great that it is supposed near one-third, at least, of the inhabitants, at this time,
consists of the last and their descendants; the counties of Lancaster, York,
Berks, and Northampton being principally settled by them, and they are very
numerous, even in the city and county of Philadelphia, as well as in the others.
In the summer of the year 1749, 25 sail of large ships arrived with German
passengers alone; which brought about 12,000 souls, some of the ships about
600 each; and in several other years near the same number of these people
arrived annually; and in some years nearly as many aunually from Ireland.
By an exact account of all the ships and passengers annually, which have
arrived at Philadelphia, with Germans alone, nearly from the first settlement
of the Province, till about the year 1776, when their importation ceased, the
number of the latter appears to be ahont 89.000: and their infernal increases
has been very great.
Senator Reep. You are reading from Captain Trevor’s testimony,
are you not?
Representative McCormack. Yes. The thing in Captain Trevor's
testimony that impressed me was this—of course. I disassociated
