The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-15 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1868

ment can be expected to acquiesce. Nor, indeed,
has the American diplomatic doctrine been con-
sistent with itself at different periods. From
the time [of Mr. Wheaton, in 1840, down
to the year 1859, the American Government
distinctly disavowed any right to interpose in
favour of naturalised citizens who had returned
to the country of their origin. The language
of Mr. Wheaton on this point you have
already cited. It is sufficiently precise. Mr. Whea-
ton thus writes to a naturalised American citizen
who sought his protection :—" Having returned to
the country of your birth, your native domicile and
national character revert, and you are bound in all
respccts to obey the laws exactly as if you had
never emigrated." The same view of the reverter
of the national character upon return to the coun-
try of birth was consistently adopted by succes-
sive American Secretaries of State—by Mr.
Marcy, Mr. 'Webster, and Mr. Everett (vide
Senate Documents, already cited). As far as
I can make out, it was Secretary Cass, who, for
the first time, in 1859, set up ou behalf of
naturalised citizens of the United States an abso-
lute right of expatriation as against the State of
their birth. In a despatch to the Minister at Berlin
he writes The doctrine of perpetual allegiance
is a relic of barbarism repudiated by the United States
ever since the origin of our Government." [Query
—When and where?] " The moment a foreigner
becomes naturalised his allegiance to his native
country is severed for ever. He experiences a new
political birth. A broad and impassable line sepa-
rates him from his native country. He is no more
responsible for anything he may say or do, or omit
to do, than if he had been born in the United States.
Should he return to his native country, he returns
an American citizen, and in no other charac-
ter." &c.
Mr. Seward seems to have followed the lead of
Secretary Cam in this matter. I ueedly hardly say
that the Governments of Europe have declined to
acquiesce in this volte-face of American Foreign-
office. It may be (as I think it is) expedient that
the whole of this question should be reviewed in a
candid and friendly spirit, and that the principles
on which a transfer of citizenship is for the future
to be permitted and recognised should be regulated
by international negotiation ; but it is not toler-
able that a Government should, in the phrase
of Lord Castlereagh, " turn its back upon itself,"
as the American Government have done, and
assert as indubitable rights claims which their most
eminent jurists and statesmen have for a long series
of years admitted to be unfounded. We may be
willing to concede from policy more than can be
demanded of us as of right, bat we shall take as the
basis of negotiation the law as laid down by Mr.
Wheaton, and not that improvised for the occasion
by Secretary Cass. . . Attorney-General Cushing,
in the opinion I have before cited, says—" It may
happen that by the law of a given State a person
shall be a citizen thereof and still not a citizen of the
United States. Citizenship, whether acquired by
birth or naturalisation, is not a thing specifically de-
fined in its elements either by the Constitution or
by the laws of Union." Now, I venture to think
that, before extraordinary immunities are claimed
for American " citizens," foreign States should be
placed in possession of that which the American
Attorney-General admits himself unable to supply,
—viz., a definition of what constitutes American
citizenship.

CONGRESS.

SENATE.

The following general conclusions are those at
which Ilistoricus arrives. First, the right of expa-
triation generally should be admitted; secondly, that
right should be limited by certain conditions ;
thirdly, it belongs as much to the native State to
prescribe the conditions of severance as it does to
the State of adopting to prescribe the conditions of
naturalisation ; fourthly, it would be highly de.
sirable that the conditions on which one State con-
fers and the other severs the tie of citizenship
should be regulated by special Convention, as in the
case of extradition. This would be best accom-
plished by a general agreement ; but if this be im-
practicable, then it should be made the subject of
separate treaties.

forms and piteous appeals of Lo ! stayed the up-
lifted
club, and with full bellies and expressions of
gratitude the dusky raiders vanished, but ' The next
night, came again and showed a wondrous sight.'
Not the next exactly, as the poet has written, but
some months afterwards, bringing with them
napyas,' or pieces of quartz well filled with born
silver, and proposed to visit the locality where
heap napyas' was to be found. Accordingly in
June last Mr. Leathers followed his grateful guide
to where is now Pleasant Valley, and truly found
heap napyas.' A ledge was found cropping out
about four feet in width, and for a length of 300 or
400 feet, showing ore throughout, and in places the
ore was of extraordinary richness, containing masses
of horn silver so pure and soft that a finger nail
will make a bright streak upon it. The ledge was
located under the name of Hidden Treasure, and
the party returned, keeping for the time being
their discovery a secret. Well may Mr. Leathers
congratulate himself upon the successful s de of his
dinner, and his slight punishment of the famished
forest chieftain. Nothing has been publicly known
of the district until the present. Lately it has been
visited by Mr. Widney, who aided in forming a dis-
trict according to the custom of miners, passed laws
for its government, and elected A. J. Leathers re-
corder. A quantity of ore, choice, of course, was
taken to the Centenary Mill at Newark ; assays
were made, giving from $1,600 to $2,800 per ton.
Our informant tells us that a ton could be easily
gathered from the croppings that would be worth
over $l,OOO. The specimens brought to Austin
were very choice, and would assay several thousand
dollars per ton. Although the country rock is
limestone, the ledges appear to be fissure veins, and
are traceable by their croppings in a regular course,
but no sufficient developments have been made to
disclose the casings or walls of the veins. As a
singular feature of the formation, corals and other
marine fossils are found in the veins, and sur-
rounded by ore. Some scientists would deny this,
and others would say that it is evidence that they
are not fissure veins ; but whatever it may prove or
disprove, the fact is apparent that a vast quantity
of rich ore is upon the surface, and if it extends
several thousand feet in depth, it may be regarded
as nearly as good as if it were a true fissure vein,
notwithstanding the theory of the fossils. It is un-
doubtedly an important district, rich in minerals,
easy of access, well favoured with wood, water, and
a soil luxuriantly clothed in grass, and adds ano-
ther to the many which are filling up the ' unex-
plored regions' of Eastern Nevada."
It is said a letter was yesterday forwarded to the
Stock Exchange from the office of the St. John del
Rey Mining Company, confirming the news by the
Brazil mail of a fire having destroyed the works,
although Mr. Hoskin, the managing director, on
the 9th instant announced that no information had
been received by the company. The shares were
yesterday quoted al; £4O to £45, and were even done
at £39, having fallen from £57. The loss antici-
pated is in the stoppage of the works, more than in
any outlay required to repair them.

Dec. 17.—Mr. Howard, from the Committee on
the Pacific Railroad, reported the House joint re-
solution, managing the time for the election of
directors of the Union Pacific Railroad, with an
amendment, that, after the election, in March next,
the term of office of all now claiming to act as
directors shall cease. The amendment was agreed
to, and the bill passed. Mr. Sherman, from the
Committee on Finance, reported a bill for funding
the national debt, and for conversion of the notes
of the United States. He proposed to call up the
bill after the holidays. The 'committee were una-
nimous in their objects, although there was a diffe-
rence as to details. He would move to print 5,000
extra copies of the report accompanying the bill. He
also reported the House Bill to suspend further con-
traction of the currency, with an amendment, sus-
pending the power of the Secretary of the Trea-
sury to retire or cancel four millions a month until
otherwise provided by Congress. Mr. Henderson
offered a resolution calling on the President for a
statement of all instructions to officers of the
United States in carrying out the details of the act
of July Ist, 1862, to suppress rebellion, and punish
treason and insurrection, the amount of moheys
received from this source, the names of all persons
whose property was sold, and the names of persons
purchasing the same.—Adopted. A resolution
was offered by Mr. Fessenden, calling on the Pre-
sident for a statement of the aggregate expenses of
the Freedmen's Bureau and relief accorded to
freedmen June 13, 1865, excluding the expenses of
coloured soldiers. The bill exempting untnanufac-
tured cotton from tax was then taken up, and led
to a discussion; in which Megiis. Conklin, Pome-
roy, Morton, Corbett, Davis and Stewart, took
part with Mr. Yates and Mr. Terry.
Dec. 18.—Mr. Trumbull, from the Committee on
the Judiciary, asked to be discharged from further
consideration of the resolutions inquiring whether
West Virginia is really a State in the Union,
whether the Civil Rights Bill is constitutional, and
whether the 13th amendment to the Constitution
was legally adopted, on the ground that these
questions had already been settled. The motion
to discharge the committee was agreed to. Mr.
Howard called up the resolution requesting the
President to transmit any correspondence between
Great Britain and the United States relative to the
joint occupation of the island of San Juan in
Puget's Sound, by the two Governments, with
copies of the agreement on the subject. In answer
to Mr. Williams, who affirmed the communication
had already been communicated, he said he had not
seen it, and asked why Great Britain was per-
mitted to occupy American territory, having no
right to an inch of that island. After further dis-
cussion the resolution was passed. On Mr.
Conklin's motion to postpone until the third Mon-
day in February the Cotton Tax Exemption Bill,
Mr. Doolittle and Mr. Wilson argued in favour of
the bill, and Mr. Chandler in favour of postpone-
ment; and the Senate again adjourned without
coming to any conclusion.

Dec. 19.—The house bill amending the supple-
mentary reconstruction acts was received, read
twice, and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Sherman presented a memorial of citizens of
Cincinnati, including members of the City Council,
asking the adoption of measures to secure the rights
of American citizens abroad from for.ehign aggres-
sions, and also asking some explicit definition of Ame-
rican citizenship. Particular mention is called to
the treatment of American citizens by the British
authorities in connection with the late Fenian diffi-
culties. Mr. Conness said the President was invested
with ample power in the premises, and if it were not
exercised it was the neglect of the Executive.
Mr. Sherman said the memorial which he had pre-
sented related to three different aspects of this sub-
ject, and it had better be referred to the Committee
on Foreign Relations. We could not submit to
foreign Governments assuming to punish our citi-
zens for offences committed here, and not punish-
able by our laws ; but of course if American citizens
went into foreign countries and committed offences
within their jurisdiction they were liable to punish-
ment. The memorial was then referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations. Mr. Morrill, of
Maine, reported from the Committee on Ap-
propriations, the Deficiency Appropriation Bill,
with amendments, appropriating for deficiency,
in extra pay of clerks of Senate commit-
tees, pages, &c., $33,801, which was agreed to.
A discussion followed, and amendments proposed
by Messrs. Buckalew, Ramsay, Fessenden,
were disagreed to. An amendment of the committee
appropriating $8,640 for additional messengers was
agreed to ; also striking out an appropriation of
$1,600 for extra clerical labour in preparing the
History of United States Land Grants, and $5OO
for fueling. The bill having been considerul in
committee of the whole was then reported to the
&nate, when Mr. Ramsey renewed his amendment,
that no allowance shall be made for stationery or
newspapers, when it was agreed to by a vote of 21
to 20. A discussion followed on the appropria-
tion for newspapers of $12,500, and Mr. Ramsey's
motion to strike out this item was disagreed to.
Mr. Edmunds offered an amendment that no money
WWI be paid,'.by any officer of either House for