Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-06

laws, hut the person drnHin. III" repcnling ciHu-"
mad. il general n~E,a; nf ~ exception in tlirc f.""
Whether CUnsrc-s should r"t rrsrocc tA- Prov. ~"
lnnnI M p;iuu IL favor %: hc H."A @!.l l!ie
-nldicr it II net for me o say, a. am rnIring
only what the iaw iS tina, i, NAY '. administered cor
rccy
f. n lie rarts Of the Inws OF Congrs.. to which
nave referred, think there BE- doubt q! tlIc
correctness Of the position i'5 taken "n In" sub
icct, aud that the practice oi the clerks in issuing
certificates Of citizenship without any application 10
the Court and on proc! oi residence only. abuse
which needs tn be corrected. II never attended
hy ,o-c who enacted ti: act inr the naturalization u!
aliens. that persons who had been transported for
rriInc-that tho-f who came over here merely 5r-
caii-r Europe WAS too ul Tor thembu- vino rra:rcd
their LOYALTY ri feeling for the mnnar'ics they hal
Left should becGu-e they rclnincd here for the period
of five Tcars. be entitled Ia admission {" cit2rn.hip
The intention WAS IN permit those vino came here
from abroad seeking II permanent h"mc-wh", ny
i've wears OF continuous rt:sl,l"nr" manifested that IA
;enon-;lrd BY Good behavior durInG all 'hat lime
an! an attachment 10 republican pr!ncipIes-a good
behavior and attachment Ia rcpwb!Iran principles
which could he proved 10 the satisfaction a.; Court
hni shown themselves worthy recipients of the brn"-
fits to be derived from ctizcnship-ant safe Gcpo-i-
tories Of the powers il conCrs Ia be admitted t. thcsc
rights and ,Lr exercise Oi these powers, by An order
entered IN open Court after examination into the
facts OF rgciI cGs"-ani judicial decision upon the
application examination which should De c"niuc-
ted with the sarc care, AMI tccsi"n :" men Sh"ld
be nnic with the same dciibcrainm and s"!elnhty
rs that which should accompany every other ludiria
net. Those Courts which, instead az administering
this law, have, bv their negligence and nniicntlnn
practically repealed il, admitting thousands I" me
rights "f citizenship who want MI the requisites 7"
cntit!c them TO Snr!. admission, have been guu;y {"
gross violation nj duty and have made the law Itsci
uGiUus ia the pa5c estimation. u! the wisdom or
prnpcctv of present. or of any naturalization laws
il is business nj this tim ~ speak; my duty
now is Ia nilinis rthe laws II. t"y are mn com
pciiud. for the resOus have .at' 20 deny 'hc pray
rr nf i applicant, and also 70 forbid Tho clerk ic;:
in any manner exercising tho power conferred hr
Congress upon the Courts.
This il n TIA, In necessary Tor inc :" say III d'''i-
Jug lh- case now before III" Court. but there ar"
other provisions OF tn. naturalization !nws which ar"
loosely interpreted OF wholly misunderstood. By the
net of May :G ISL the period between the dcclhra-
lion oi intention ANA granting III" cerH'a:" oi cifi-
zenship is reduced from three {" tw" years. but this
in manner affects the requirement ni tire Years
previous continuous residence.
The first section OF the same act presr.Ibcs GiitcT.
rule for the naturalization nt mems VII" arrived
in tto country PRIOR 10 attaining the a%o %; eighteen
II Is
uner the age Of ,wemty-om" wears. VIII" shall have
resided in the United States three ycars next prerri-
ins hs arriving at the Age ot twenty-onc years aud
who shall have continued Ia reside therein Il" the time
he NAV make application "a bc admitted u citizen
thereof NAV, after he arrives nj the age "t twenty
one vrur- and after he shall hav" resided hvo Years
in the Unod SLntrs, uciadug the three y"nra "t b''
minority be admitted citizen of the United States
without having made tho declaration required IN ~,
first section ot the net 10 which this j. M addition
three wears previous to his admissions Provided sucl
| aIien shall make the declaration r"quIret therein II
the tmo of his or her adm ssiun; ANA snail !rrer DC
c,arc, oath, AMI prOre I" the sa;i'tnc"A 81 lh'
r,ur, tha, io- three preceding II has bccI
Il houa fd, intention ot such alien t" bec"mn c:iiLeI
nf the United States aud shall i'll all ";.cr rcsp"c
/ comply with the laws III rrgal't 10 naiuraiiL"tl"n.
I'll. practical construction al th- provision, ar
! iu'nrnec IA for the clerks Ia admit aliens who vii
max. oath iint they arrived during their minority
I ~: ,rout NJ three years residence. The true CON
structiou IT, that il merely does away with the nec"-
stv nj previous declaration of intention 10 brc"m,
citizen, nn the pas, Of rlo>. WHO arrive III the conn
try prior To- attaining the ngr of eighteen wears, but
rc,,uir,4 instead of such previous declaration, 'hr
oniA q; the party, and also proof ihat Tor three year
next preceding il has been the intention 81 the hei
10 become II citizen; bu. III al o". respects the ac
q; lS2 and III amendments nrc 10 he complied witt
bv the person who applies under ihis sec;I"il
The act ot lSb2 provided ;!ia; nu person srrrin:
nfar he pa>s.g. oi !nn act should b"c"@.r citizen
utc.s c had hl- name, birth piar" age nation, &c.
registered in the clerks o:ticc where he arrived, hnI
a-o the place of his intended settlement; nnd requr
ci that the clerk should record this III his Office
grant certificates In 1910, M ac; still more grincu
in il. requirements 10 the evidence III cases Of nat
urazntinl wis passed and remained III tore" 'nti
! lS2S, when these provisions wtro wholly rr""ed.-
There are several other stsul~ relating. ~ the SUP
ect nf naturalization, which pot fornai!y repeal
ed. but which have become Obsolete tor wnn; o per
/ sons TO whom they cnn he applied. III" mar wht
would collect md c.aioiv IN Z single act the opera
tive portions "f the various statutes on this suhcc'
with such amendments III experience has shown ARK
necessary 20 their due and faithful execution. w"uIc
be public b-ucicior. While they as now, scat
tered through the laws Of Congress from $50! Ia SiS
it cannot be expected that the Judges o tho v.rois
Courts will undertake the task of ascctanns exactly
which section ani line or word i, in force, and which
is repealed, consequently tho administration o thes.
laws r:l be- lvos. and defective, until such al act Is
passed. And when that is DONE and the laws are al
nnstered in their purity. will be appnrcnt that The
faus have been far more ii the administration thnl
in hn thnrnanlves.