Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-03-11
VOLUME al---NO. 80.
FW lie EHINU'
MATTE IyATJoN rayyc

Iva lOhaLILAI lON LA -.
We have heard much clamor OF late about The
defects OF The Naturalization laws OF The United
States. Most of the noise proceeds from men
utterly ignorant OF The provisions Of these laws
These have the proud consolation TO know. that
the worst that can be said Of them IS that they are
ignoran. babblers. There are others little less
noisy, but better informed who pervert and abuse
these laws, instead OF administering them accord
irg 10 their plain, obvious, and true intent and
meaning. II may not he predca,ed OF these
laws, any more than OF any other OF mans
enactnS, that they are perfect but, with The en-
cepon, that State Courts are entrusted with the.
administration, there are perhaps no laws among
The Statutes of the United States better adapted H.
secure the desired en- than these much decric,!
aturaliZalion laws. They were enacted when
naturalization was no party queston-when 10
one lhoushtol making party question Of their
1 pohcy-~hen no one saw, or could see, the alarm
| ins evils which certain class Of politicians would
/ tam believe are threatening our Institutions
| from The facility with which foreigners are ad-
| mitled 10 the rights Of citizens These sasacious
patriots see the eYils-lhey cry aloud agains, llr
| laws, and propose 10 remedy those evils BY eX-
tending the tenn oiprobalion 10 lwenty-one years;
thus quacrupling the temptation to I've natnralized
before the expiration Of The probationary tenn.
1 by an evasion OF The provisions Of The laws
The truth IS, The only ground OF complaint IS
not in The laws, but in some of the tribunals en-
1 trusted with their administration II the admin
isiIation Of these laws, like other acts d. Con-
| Sre>S were confined 10 the United States Courts,
We should hear no more of the cries OF corIup-
! ton and abuses which have been rung through
the land Tor the last half year.
II would be an endless task 10 10 into the many
and ilasrant abuses Of the Naturalization laws
/ byso Of the State Courts many OF whose MA
| Slstraes are ignorant OF their provisions. Let
Two recent cases Of State Court Construction Of
| the l2lh Section OF the Act OF 1913 suffice The
law is in these words
4 "Sec. H. That 10 person who shall arrive in
| the United States, from and after the time when
this act shall take effect shall be admitted TO be-
come citizen of the United States, who shall
not, Tor the continued term otiive years next pre-
ceiling his admission as aforesaid, have resided
within the United States, without being al any
time, during The said five years, out OF the terri
tory OF the United States"
The cases in question: occurred in This vicinity
last year-one was the case OF an Enslishman.
naturazed by County Court, on the 9TH Of
March, 1914. He had been rejected by The Fetie-
raj Court in November, 1913, on the ground. that
he was IN England the year beforc--ihe other
was the case OF Frenchman, who had been in
France within five years. He was rejected by
the Federal Court in October and, in few DAYS
thereafter, nanralized by Stale Judge. To n
man of common sense, il would appear quite
plain thar in these eases The Federal Judges were
right But The mischief is done.
You cannot 20 behind the decision of these
State Judges" Party will sustain the decisions,
when law cannot These are only two OF hun
dreds OF abuses OF the Naturalization laws 10
which would direc, the attention Of those whose
duty il is 10 apply the remedy. CLERICUS.
Richmond, 18th March, lS45.