Washington sentinel., 1854-02-04

than usual jealous Of their rights paraker Of this feel
ing myself may be permitted TO say that cannot but OBJ
1t becomes necessary, however, for direct your at
ton, and which may demand serious consideration
1t has been presented in letter from Simon Tonsg
copy Of which IL herewith forwarded.
win perceived from perusai that letter that
writer represents himself as being American Citizen
and having been furnished with passport from your
department at Washington and yet seem unless
he has erred with reference to the date Of his going 10
America that he had remained sufficient time the
country TO become citizen in accordance with law
have addressed note to the minister Of foreign af
Of the case to his notice and expressing the hope
that this individual may be permitted to leave the Aus
fed In this hops and that the case may present no further
difficulty more than probable however, at the pre-
tive upon matter toueSinr the Of one Who was
formerly Austrian subject, acquired under natu
laws and that It wiz insist upon retaining pos
FORE they hereafter be developed confirm the state
ment OF Ionsig simple and unpretendng as these facts
are serious question may arise for consideration and set
/ uement
lam, respectfully, your obedient servant, .,,,o
! Mr.. Tonsig addressed letter 10 Mr. Jackson,
! dated Prague, November 23 1883 setting forth that
| in the year 1S49 he went with a passport TO the
United States and settled himself at Mesuchen,
Middlesex county, New York, and became citi
| zen Of the United States. In 1853 he obtained a
passport from the State Department, and went
| back 10 Austria 10 conduct a helpless family-a
| widow and five small chidren-to their relatives in
Prague The police got possession Of his pass
port and refused to return il to him that he might
! come home, and they said TO him /" You an
| unlawful emigrant, and ought TO be punished for
that, or must be, and secondly, you cannot become
| a citizen of any country before you get leave OF
your sovereign" He states what serious troubles
he has had in endeavoring TO obtain his passport,
and invokes the good Offices Of our charge d'af
| faires in the premises.
| Mr. Jackson addressed letter 10 Count Bua
Schawenstein, dated November 49, 1853, re-
| peating the statement Of Mr.. Tonsg, concluding
| with the remark With this statement of the
circumstances of the case, of the humane motives
which brought this individual into his imperial
majesty's dominions, Of the fact that he was re-
ceived under passport from the American gov
eminent, and that it is important for him 10 leave
Prague at very early day, venture TO express
the confident hope that your excelency will direct
the authorities in Prague not to object to his
\ speedy departure
Mr. Jackson, on the Sd of December, 1s53 again
| writes to Mr.. Marcy stating that the Austrian
minister said that Tonsig was an Austrian SUBJ
| ject; that he had left Austria some six months ago
with passport simply for Europe that some
how or other" he had found his way to the Uni
| ted States but that he was not the less an Aus
trian subject, and that his American passport did
not make him an American citizen. From some
| expressions which he employed in the course of
| his remarks, Mr.. Jackson drew the inference that
in the view of the Austrian government, Tonsig
| had rendered himself criminally amenable to the
| laws of Austria, and would be dealt with accord
ingy. II appears, Mr.. Jackson says, "that, while
the minister is wrong as TO the time when Tonsig
left Austria, he is right TO the character Of the
passport which authorized him 10 leave, and right
in his assumption that Tonsg is not as yet natu-
| ralized citizen Of the United States. The law of.
| Austria is express that no Austrian subject can
transfer his allegiance without the assent of his
sovereign first obtained and it would seem to fol-
low, as legitimate consequence, that if Austrian
| law is to control the decision of this question
| Tonsig is still Austrian subject, and his ini-
| tiative character Of American citizen absolutely
| void. To interfere further, therefore, would be
to attack the law of Austria regulating the nature
| and obligations of allegiance"
| Mr.. Marcy writes a letter to Mr.. Jackson, jan
uary 10, 1854 in which he says he has carefully
examined the dispatches Of the ast-named, relai-
| ing to the case OF Hiram Tonsg, and regrets TO
find that 1t is one which will not authorize more
| effective interference than that which Mr.. Jackson
! had already made in his behalf II is true, Tonsig
| left this country with passport issued from the
State Department; butt as he was neither native
born nor naturalized citizen, he was not entitled
to it. 1t is onlyto citizens that passports are issued
AS Mr.. Tonsig had one, it was proper to ascertain
| the means by which he procured il. On examining
the records of the department, the Secretary finds
that II was obtained by perjury, or at least by
gross fraud. An affidavit, purportng 10 have been
made by Simon Tonsg the Goth day of Sep
tember last in which he declares on oath before a
notary in the city of New York that he was born in
Iowa. and ''that he is native citizen of the United
L
lst Of October thereafter, and upon this evidence
| corroboraated by the oath Of another person. ed
gar Donnelly,l passport was given to him.
In conclusion, Mr. Marcy says, / do not dis
cover any principle in virtue Of which this govern
ment can claim, as matter Of right the release Of
| Tonsig. He has voluntarily placed himself within
the jurisdiction of the laws of Austria ana is suf
ferng, as appears by the you presentit for
the acts he has done in violation of those laws
while he was an Austrian subject Though you
are not instructed TO demand his release as a mat
ter ofright, you will extend to him such assistance
as can properly be given TO shorten the period Of
his confinement, and enable him to return if he is
so disposed, 10 the United States.n
The message and accompanying documents were
laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS.
The SPEAKER also laid before the House
communication from the Treasury Department
relative to public deposits and disbursements
which was laid on the table, and ordered TO be
printed.
Also, communication from the Department of
the INTERIOR enclosing estimates from the acting
Commissioner of Indian Affairs and asking an adj
dtional appropriation Of $4,000 for incidental ex-
penses in the Territory of New Mexico for the
current fiscal year Referred to the Committee
of Ways and Means, and ordered'to be printed.
Also, communication from the Navy Depart
ment enclosing a statement from the Fourth Audi
tor ofthe Treasury Department, showing the pay
and allowances of the several officers Of the navy
and marine corps for the year ending June 80,
1885, prepared in compliance with a resolution
passed during the Both Congress. Referred 10 the
Committee on Naval Affairs.
PRIVATE CALENDAR.
On motion Of Mr.. EDGERTON, the House re.
solved itself into Committee of the Whole and
proceeded 10 the consideration Of private bills.
This what is called " objection day !" for
the that single objection to any bill, when
it was announced from the desk, caused il TO g go
over under the rules.
The merits Of the several bills to which no OBJ
lection was made were explained by the reading
of the reports from committees accompanying
them.
After two hours and half thus spent The COM
mittee rose, and twenty-sx private bills were
passed.
The House adjourned until Monday.
Supreme Court of the United States.
FRIDAY, February 3, 1854.
Andrew ]. Cutler, esq, of New York, was
od tod aAt ...l IL n u.