# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/14th Congress/1st Session/Chapter 32

Chap. XXXII.—An Act relative to evidence in cases of naturalization.
Act relating to naturalization, March 26, 1790, ch. 3. January 29, 1795, vol. i. 414. Evidence to be exhibited by aliens to become citizens of the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the certificate of report and registry, required as evidence of the time of arrival in the ​United States, according to the second section of the act of the fourteenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and two, entitled “An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and to repeal the act heretofore passed on this subject;” and also a certificate from the proper clerk or prothonotary, of the declaration of intention, made before a court of record, and required as the first condition, according to the first section of said act, shall be exhibited by every alien on his application to be admitted a citizen of the United States, in pursuance of said act, who shall have arrived within the limits, and under the jurisdiction of the United States since the eighteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, and shall each be recited at full length, in record of the court, admitting such alien; otherwise he shall not be deemed to have complied with the conditions requisite for becoming a citizen of the United States, and any pretended admission of an alien, who shall have arrived within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States, since the said eighteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, to be a citizen after the promulgation of this act, without such recital of each certificate at full length, shall be of no validity or effect under the act aforesaid.
Rights of persons heretofore settled in the United States between the 18th June, 1798, and 14th April, 1802. Act of March 26, 1804, ch. 47.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to exclude from admission to citizenship, any free white person who was residing within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States at any time between the eighteenth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, and the fourteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and two, and who, having continued to reside therein without having made any declaration of intention before a court of record as aforesaid, may be entitled to become a citizen of the United States according to the act of the twenty-sixth of March, one thousand eight hundred and four, entitled “An act in addition to an act, entitled ‘An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and to repeal the act heretofore passed on that subject.’” Whenever any person without a certificate of such declaration of intention, as aforesaid, shall make application to be admitted a citizen of the United States, it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the court, that the applicant was residing within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States,Residence of the applicant to be naturalized. before the fourteenth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and two, and has continued to reside within the same, or he shall not be so admitted. And the residence of the applicant within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least five years immediately preceding the time of such application shall be proved by the oath or affirmation of citizens of the United States;Certificate of naturalization. which citizens shall be named in the record as witnesses. And such continued residence within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States, when satisfactorily proved, and the place or places where the applicant has resided for at least five years, as aforesaid, shall be stated and set forth, together with the names of such citizens in the record of the court admitting the applicant: otherwise the same shall not entitle him to be considered and deemed a citizen of the United States.
Approved, March 22, 1816.