The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-03-07
NAruRA11zAT1oY.-Mr. TAYLOR Of Tennessee,


3 NAruRAL1zATIoa-M Mr.. Taylorof Tennessee
has offered bill in the house Of representative
Il to amend and modify the naturalization laws
Its leading features are thus analysed by TIL
Mobile Register:
: Itrequires a residence of 90 years in th'
Ell United States before any declaration OF lnten
ton to become a citizen can be made, and 2
years before the applicant can be admitted 4
the rights of citizenship: In addition to tn
I remuneration Of allegiance required BY the ex
: listing laws, it requires further, that .'he shall
$ declare, on oath, that he does not admit or be
5 lieve in the competency, authority or right
any civil or other power to release or absolv'
him from his said oath Of allegiance-he shal
swear, also, that since his residence IN thu
! United States, he has not been found guilty o
, any crime Of the grade Of felony-shall state
), the time Of his first arrlvalin the country, place
. of his nativity, the last place Of his residence
his calling or occupation before emigration t.
the United States, the name Of the vessel II
which he came, (if by water) and all the places
| Of his residence since his arrival. In addition
to these facts verified BY the applicants afida
Wit, it must be satisfactorily proven by witness
es to the court, before it admits him, that he
has been a resident Of the United States or its
territories for at least 81 years, that he is 9
person of good character, and understands the
English language. The declaration Of the ap-
plicant, and the testimony of the witnesses to
the facts above stated, must be made in writing
signed by the applicant and the witnesses, q
minute thereof must be entered by the clerk Of
the court, and the original papers carefully la
belled and preserved
The bill prohibits all owners, captains, agents
and masters Of vessels, American or foreign,
under penalty of $500 for each ofense from
bringing into the ports, or landing on any terri
tory Of the United States, any person OF foreign
birth unless such person shall have first pro-
duced and exhibited certificate from the United
States consul at the port of embarkation, GER
lifying that such person has adduced before him
satisfactory evidence, by 1reliable witnesses, /"
that he is Of good character, and has not been
within three years next proceeding, an inmate
Of any jail, penitentiary or other institution for
criminals paupers, or insane persons.
/ It is made the duty of the consuls and com
mercial agents Of the United States, to make
dligent enquiry whether any efforts are made
| by authority of the country or port, where they
and criminals of such country or port, and to
|
the state department..
1t is made the duty of the collectors Of the
several ports Of the United States to cause to
be sent back to the place from whence they came
all immigrants to the United States over the
age Of 18 who shall fail TO exhibitto the proper
collector the certificate Of the consul above re-
quired. The expense Of deportation is declared
to constitute a lien against the vessel violating
the law. Willful and false swearing on the
part of any applicantor witness, touching any
of the above matters requiring affidavit and
proof, shall be punished as in other cases of
perjury committed under the laws of the United
States.
Finally the bill prohibits any other than the
district and circuit courts of the United States
from taking cognzance of any application for
the rights of citizenship-but provides that
these courts shall always be open for such
applications.
GEN. CAss WON'T OBEY OR REs1es.-In the
United States senate, a joint resolution from
the legislature of Michigan was presented I'll
instructed its senators and representatives to
vote against the introduction OF, slavery into
any of the territories, and particularly into
those of Kansas and Nebraska, and also to use
their efforts to obtain the repeal of the fugitive
slave law of 1850.
Gen. Cass spoke against this resolution. He
is one of the senators from Michigan. He said
that he would neither obey the instructions nor
resign, and for very substantial reasons-brief- |
ly, because next year the Legislature may repu-
diate what it has done the present year. He
said:
When, some years ago, the legislature Of
Michigan instructed her delegation in congress
to vote for the Wilmot proyiso, he said he
should resign when called upon to act The
legislature, however, repealed those instruc-
tons and therefore he did nor resign. He
should now neither follow these instructions nor
resign, and he proceeded at some length to
state his reasons.
He said the democratic party has lost its as
cendancy in Michigan. These resolutions result
from the action of the new party there. [ am
now instructed to vote to deprive American
citizens in the territories of the power to regus
late their relations between master and servant
and to vote for the repeal Of the fugitive slave
act which was passed to give effect to solemn
guarantee of the constitution. I shall neither
obey these Instructions nor resign nv seat. IT,
a political party whenever and BY whatever
combinations it attains power, can compel its
opponents holding legislative trusts to violate
their consciences and consistency or resign their
positions, it would radically effect the organiza-
ton of the senate, and be incompatible with its
office as the representative branch of the SOW
ereIgnty OF the states The senate would lose
every characteristic Of permanency, as the
power was transferred from one party to
another. This would operate against the de-
mocratic party, for their opponents do not re-
the right to instruct
FATE OF THE ENGLISH IN THE CR1MEA.-The
worst enemy Of England could scarcely take t
pleasure in the following picture of the condi- i
t,on Of her army in the Crimea, presented in
the London Times of the 25th ut.
we may read the future there as plainly as ,
the crew of the Prince when the single chain
that held them from the preeipice frowning
over their heads snapped atlast, and they knew c
hey were at the mercy of the storm The $
remnant Of the British army might be about '
fifteen or seventeen thousand bayonets at the t
asst date. "A hOnt a hundrad dow 1rara