Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-12-29
OPINION CEJUDGHDEAN uNTHE ADMINS.
TiATiON or NATUEALIZATION LAWS.
NV YORK Srphtur Cnrrr-Dr~uts. Cn;,ry.

NV YORK SurkENE Couur-DucHES- C"v>rY
In tie Slater Of the .iDy'c,a'0a ~ .jo&n CE!r! "a h.
cJme n C&,:'D -, N" Iltlrt states.
The rrtilI"n"r, n nat!v" "i Scotland, applied t" "a
Clerk al thIs Court ton admissions L. II citizen. \ mum
Der "t ";!l"r aliens mad" II ii," application. Tn "lrri
WAS proceeding Ia administer the formal oath IL tho wit
iIrsSes -! HE Respective plilraG!s, - hen the subject va
brought tn my notice. and on enquiry ! learned tia
III" practice hni, iorluinv years, been for the clerk Il
receive au' pas upon NIL applications for Natu.a'Ma
ton. and grant certificates without cOnsHl;!n" III,
Court, aIi thar ;h" proof on wI.rh aliens w"re HutiIt
tel {" citizenship, did not ordinarily mot ANY Of IT,
requirements. "a. IA" statute. On hi, state ii facts
deemed 4; my daty 10 i"rhjd the clerk fl"m entertain
ing any applications III this nature, iirrriin. Ihlt al
should be made L" the Court. Til. application Wa
then made 10 the Court, and on examination ! founC
that neither Clark, "r any one 81 tie other cauLi
dhtes Tor citizenship, Gould furnish proof Of cnniini
aus Residence within the Iu;;si States. 20 exceed iwc
or three y"ars, and that each OF the applicants WI,
nnprcpaiyH with any proof u 10 his conduct ~ chnr
artcr during that brief PERIOD. A. ili> decision mus
change tho practice III Naturalization cil-cs ia tni,
Court, mud infect 1t III others, it Is due to the impo..
tance Of The subject TINT the reasons on which it j.
founded should be- given.
There arr probably no law. of q pubic character
30 lnpcrfcctly understood aui 81 bnllr administered
IL, those for the naturalization nf fur,iguer.. Anon.
the powers which were hy the States delegated Ia
Congress was HE one - establish Il uniform rule %,
naiuraliEn'ion.' Ills power was Exercised th. wear
aitcr The formation of the government. hv an net ap-
proved by Washington, March 20, 1870. Again, III
100 anu III los, III M net approved by President
Adams. Al these acts were repealed III 1852, during
The Presidency ct Jefferson, when Tho act was passed,
which, though il has been modified in uniInportant
particulars, and inn few instances material: changed.
Il the one now in force, AMI under which the courts
derive their jurisdiction II act in the premises. One
REASON why these luws are so Imprrfrctly understood
and 81 badly administered, j. tina. the statutes al the
United Stat.s have little application 10 tho affairs ~!
the States, and III" best lawyers of the several STATES
nc usually ignorant nj their provisions. Is" the laws
I" establish II uniform rule vt naturalization any
court III The STATE POSSESSING common law %inrisdic-
ton, Il seal AMI Il clerk, can exercise the power oi Gt-
uniting aliens To citizenship. The Judges of these
State Courts, ordinarily iumilHt only with the laws
ut then own State, have their Time occupied by at
tending TO what they regard ~ their judicial duties,
ana permit. it they do not order, applications for ma
turalizatinu Ia be made To the clerk, whose know
ledge al the law il derived from the printed blanks
WHICH ne Hills up AMI signs. on receiving his fees. by
tins practice which, on enquiry, | md Is general, II
not universal, certificates Of citizenship are issued
indiscrininatcly and Illegally, without Il compliance
on tho pnrt OF the alien with my Of the requirement:
Of the statutes, except takiu.S tho oath 81 allegiance.
Til" first section Of the net ii 1907, ta which | have
referred, contuins the following provision -
ANY alien. being t. free vim" pcr-on, many b" admitted
nn the following conditions. and no, Otherwise
Isl. Tint hr shall have dccIgccd, on oern OF HitrlnnrIoL'
hcioI" IN" supreme, superior, district or circuit court O!
."",, "i 'ne r,h'Ss or OF M trFi''ot."! district oi me I'm
~. . "n. VI " ~ , VIZ ~ ~ '',' ~ W "' Ok 81
''' 9't'" u. 'oh'' u''''' '' "'''h's Dr. ''i,' l! wa,
"""" -" MS 'h'rht1h It n'coi'i " t!i'E'h" i t1 ,Hlt'"'
to "ny torcism princc, po:cntatc. i, or ."y.rei T.nt Wv w VIM:
ever ma particularly, ny i"'"'' ti"' ITInc" po'"''tat",
,", .;, n 100 -! "'''' '""' '''" ''"l' 1T ''' '''''
aily, TIM h., hall f., the time Of b,- .nric,,lop 70 +.
admitted, declare. on onrl or affirmation, b,rorr sornc one
I'll the courts aforesaid mar h. WI support HE co"-tiu;'io"
Gi me United Statc-' AMI lhat III" dom absolutely and en-
tiTcly rcnouMce nud ubjur" all ALLEGIANCE Gmd rI"'ny 10
every ioT'lEn prince, pot"uthi', STATE, q! sovereignty what
""cr, nid particularly, by name. IA" pr!iic". I"'i"nt"'' -;h;''
OF n"''F'':"tT 'Er" IL, was "'irt' n 'I'i@'I al '"'p'''
Wh'ch Pr"c""u'hs' "'i"'' % recorder 10y '' '''iE d! III"
Siiv, Tint the cour, ndmiuin, suc, alien shall he ,nu..
ned hat he has resided wirni" i" United 5;"rr, i've years
~ ~ ~ ;" ,bs , Mi hci " ysar =, ,, a ~" i, ~ .n,II ,"r,n,r ~
near IN ,hrir sa,isn,c,i,n ,io, dn,i,,, ,l,r ,in,r L. L,- L,.
hsvrd ns II man OF good moral character. n,,acl.d 10 the
principles 0! the constitution oi the United S',;"., and wei!
disposed 10 tn" good order "ndn"pp.n"so uirho .am'. Pro
race Ih' thc 9"'h o. HE "fph'"i'i shall III Il" ''se' peal
""'"" p'''' III ''3'''"'''
Ii wall he seen that the tvuri, nid not tho clerk Of
the Court, Is 10 admit the alien. And TINT, as the
Court, before admitting him, IS to DO satisfied -! GER
tain facts, ii follow that the powers conferred upon
the Courts are judicial and mol ministerial or clerical,
and consequently that tlic-c power. cannot be- dclc.a.
ted TO the clerks, but must hc exercised Ly the Court
and requires m examination INTO cGch ease sufficient
Ia satisfy the Court Of the following facts
Five yeur. cou,i,aou- residence. Of In. ,rpIicsnr vjfi,.
in the United State. and ON. y,.r 81! ike rc-!I"ucu wi,lnn
the stat" or Territory whc:c tn" '"ur; 10 Which the np.
rh'"tl"n Is made l, h''H
nni u, nFpn'"n' gui Il In% ~" ears m'' '""''''
90 ya>' ~ ~ I; ,'n = .'". m.;.I a T., o,,. nJ, ,.n, =, nui well
d;.no..-i ,"..ritr. IL" :...,'."ho" ii rnr United st"t''.
The continuous residence would not perhaps
necessary from tha language OF the section | Ian,
quoted. but nm amendments, approved, March J, ISIS,
Gv President Madison, provides
.,y., - ,,bo sL,u n,,;r, IN ,Io I,,.sI -,.,or
,ro,, .rt air., ,Mn ,i,n, vh,, mi. me-, ,h.l ,.ka .,.rc,
-hnIi hc ainir,ci 20 become a c.,:1cn of III. UnircI Sfntca
vino thull not, for the continued term OF hv" ycnr- n"%t
preceding Ills hU'hI'eiHh NJ hi"ItrH'i h"'7 fe-Ihri "'L'h
The | hEr'i S'H'c-' WITHOUT penn M my '."' daring me
said I'VE yr":s out OF Tue '"r'or? d 'he 'h'''" 9"'-
This amendment l. n"w III t'rcc. except m" words
'""''h"nt '"Il., y! my time dunno ,'r Srri lFc v"trs
wi ~ Il ':''n,f VI az : "I'' '"t ~"
Wv "',', " a" y; - =, :, We -
sI''rch "" ""N' =, I""L.' n'r itN"' m ="
=: nu'h -. q :. I n"w' :, ~ n ~ -"
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~" :, w.. H., -, S: ,"
- -" ~ -, ,":i, ,'' "'i ~ -,
'n'" oG9'lc'S Z m,I,"l"S pef""L ~ ,lle ~
our 'r'i.t'rl, !" own W W. 80" i.,%t,
''"" NV '"' ~ 70" l'' w. ". ! ",': ~
W." ~, l., $3.50. ,LorIi n", ~ss,nr, 49,, ,r,,si,n
/, -, ra." w. ~, .m, r'or .r "'
. "nrH'm- u " !, ~, i ,r -" ~ ror =, s.r ma ! = =, .,nrrim,
~ ,LnIa. :. .L', :, mo ~ , =" '. 49," 49,
NY ""''' "''"" y '"' Il ma ~ -"
''I"t a., ,,.s -, ,h, l,r, t c,n.r ?,
,h,.h h,ri r.f.rr.J ,LirL ,i,cr. nm bc no
ImI h. : d., .,rra.,n.., os ,L' ,".it;,n L,,..
,,L., nu the suhicc, and ,l,ot the nrorticn nf
Wv t. !, ;.Inr;ar cor,;inn,os r ci,;,nr.hin
~. = :" urI" - 3D., c,,r, MI ~
49, 49,: "iF -. -. d. .I..L ,naJ, .,
PROOF VI S,'' IT, "a"', . ~ , ~, n NV. ,r,n,o H., :,
Dc corIr.Le'. ~ ""h NV 1,,r: - H"r, I ,,n,
'""''eu VI y, -. ~ ""," -. - ~ w. ,La,
PfiH""H nv """ '''' - =" I'"
thp.r VINO came over mere nncitlE "cSauS: i-"!,r'
was 700 i"i! 'r ui'lh-puL VIM iel'''cI mn "'HnnS
OF ice''iS lor 'me m"nnT'Ll,s ,nr! hHa 'G,, Hn'H",,
DetNu'r 'heE rI'',"'ieI nir i. ~ l"ii%t " TThrn
fcnrS, DC n''. :" 49, 80 a", b" m
intention WIZ: Nv Pet'ht '''"N" """ '"'''c MY I'm
abroad seeking " permanent hn,nc-wn", ny hFf
years 81 c,Ut'h""ns r,>"""''' "t'''''rs,tt ma '".c"
ti"''-hid ny Good orhh, '"r 'ur!i'" ",' '"'' 'I'''c, az"
nm attachment 10 rrPlpI'cah Prihrlp'r:-t "n' nI'
harinr and attachment 10 rcpibIican prtHclpI'" "I'cn