Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-06
OPINION OVJrDGE DEAN on THE ADMINS,
TKATInN OF NNTCRA!IIATION LAWS.

TRATIoN OF NATURALGZATION LAWS.
Nrw YORK SrrHT"E C"rRr-DcciirNs COUNTY
Inn. It.!s, othr tnr'n'r.Soa ot joi"t Ei1rk 10 be-
rome Il CHi:r4 cftdc Tg,i,i .$ta'"s.
The petitioner, naiiv. =" Scotland, applied TO the
Clerk ot this Court :nr admission aS citizen mum
her of other aliens lm.ic ike application The clerk
was proceeding 10 onii."rth" formal oath {" the wiz
.. .t- nf The RESPECTIVE applicants. whcn The subject
va, brought - my ro:!c", and on enquiry learned
that the practice hail. ;or many years, been Tor tn"
clerk - receive an! pas ui" nli alHra''''l' ,,F
in. III" Court, and That the proof on which aliens
we're n.lm,teI To- citizenship. did not ordinarily mc"
amy of the requirements "a: the statute On ;his state
mf facts deemed il my duty 10 forbid the clerk from
entertaining any arp,ra;irrs ut ;S nature, directing
that all should Lc nrs /" The Court. The Gppli"a.
ton was then !nn!c 10 the Court, and on examination
fogud that neither Clark, or ANY ~" of tho u,hor
candidates iar citizenship, cUuid furnish proof ul con-
nunus residence wirhin in" United States, 20 exceed
two or three yrrrs, and TINT each the applicants
WAS ur1rrrrrcG with any proc; ~ 10 !S c0ndIc; nr
character during that brief period AR this decision
must change the practice ia Naturalization cases III
tbs Cur!: nnd affect II in Others, i IL d"n - :hc
Importance OF III" sui cct :ha; IN" reasons on when
is founded sllva,l he given.
There probably no laws "i Il public character
mpcr:t.;Iy understood and Sn haL!y administered
A. those for the naturalization of foreigners. Anon:
the powers ,rGI were By the States delegated to
Congress III" ono 10 "r-iUOsh uniform rule "i
naturalization" This power wH, exercised tie year
~ Ill" formation al the government. by M net mp
proved hv Washington. March ~, lea. Again, III
l7.j AID in lI.iS, in m a.: approved bv President
Adams a.! thcs. acts rprn!cd in !S'r!, during
tho Presidency O Jefferson. when Tho act wNs passed,
w!a! though il has been modified i'll unlupof;nnt
particulars. md III few distances materially changed.
is e ~" now in force, and under which the courts
derive their ri-c,lon tu act in 'hr prc!n-c' One
reason w!I,' l.rsc laws mpeririIr understood
aud 80 badly nlminS;'rr Is tint III" statutes o the
Un"d States have little application ~ ths affairs "i
the Sarr. and the best lawyers q! The iryrrh States
arc usually ignorant nf their provisions BY the laws
10 establish ur::n"ln rule OF naturalization any coart
in the State possessing common wluTi>dict1nn sra
and clerk, cycrcsc III" power" admitting Aliens
10 citizenship. The iudG"s ~ 'a"s. State Courts,
ordinarily familiar only with The laws OF Their own
Statc have ,Lcir time occupied By attending 10 what
thcY regard MS their judicial dufes, nnl permit, ii
,hrv do not order applications tor naturalization to he
made 10 tho clerk whose kn"""!S" "i IN" law Ia DE-.
rived from the priuIr! blanks winch he nils up and
,i.,us on receiving hi. fees. BY this practice which
an .rcuirv find is GENERAL il pot universal ccrtiti
Gates q: citizenship ar is.icd ind-crHinnrey aud
illegally, without a complinncr ~ the part O: the
alien with ugv ui the requirements .! the statutes,
-xcrr, mixing the oath "f allegiance.
The frs; section Of the net Of l'rl 10 which have
rcferrcI con,nI- the following provision:
ANY alien. being irc" white person may be ad.
ri.tcl - become citizen q: ~" United Stat'~; "r
my az them. the following conditions, and NOT
..Is,. Tim: he shall have declared, ou oath air.
matnn before the supreme, SUPERIOR district ar cir
rr ror of of the States or Of :hc territorial
districts "i thr IhteG Hta'eS, ~ circuit ~; S'r'''
court OF In" ln!'d S';ir' iree Eears az :hs' De-
fnrc his adtn>'i"i that II was "'"G fhr ms in'"i-
i"n I" h"rnrn" ctfzeh ni IN" hca ?tatc'' ana I'D
'rnphhc" forever all hie"lal'' "'ii h,.en! " "ny II"
'c,Gn prince, rHentntc stat" sovereignty Whatever
ana particularly ny hi"'' INC PIInce' p"''n'"ie'
hir' OF '"'ercG"F "ntFr"' T"c" "'en may at 'i'
me- 6e H. citizen or T"ll'%'. ~ g ct:, ,,;oo.;,,,
,~".;, ~" ~ 'i'''' " " .,,.,Ii,,,;,, ho |
:" be admitted declare "n o,a' 'r a'T'"n' , m @ On
ore som" ono "i ihr courts "''es"t''' .'n' nv % WI
support wv '"'S'""',"" "t "'| -, ~ , J |
Int he doth absolutely ana "nt'ro.y reh"l.ncr anu
lhiur" MI a!iGc'Hhc" ana "''c!'lf |" rtt,f w
Irincr potcna'"' sat- "F ',' ""n
hy name III" PFhcp Po'en1e, 'tn'e,
orerrCntV whereof hr Wh5 De''rc 'i',L'n VI SUI
rci whhrh proceedings 'h''i D" rc'r'eh"E "' ''e'A
Il the c"mr'. r,u
"'iiv. iha IN" court nh'htlins su'" ni:" I"u.a W.
n:irhcd thn n" h"' resided "nnh t.ir i'.Tu -
~" yrnfs al least, ah" "i,!"' ','e SUI w
rhcr" s,'rn conrt Is al ''f l' n.'' ": ~ &
ma II s',' iu''nt' HPi'n i y, 'i'o m nn, -, ,,nJ
i"rinS 'i'h' t''c "c .aS ~ -, -. - ;,oIas ~ ,La
moral cn"r"cr,r' "Ie, r S,.,s ~ r,d ,iIl d;snosnd
ohslhul"' W wv ha,;,as, - rho some. b,oy,.
" me So"o "'''r, "'nt rIsnt hall in mn casa
,f'. .', m' ~. ~ ., "a,,' - h;s 80. os;iia,ca
'e '. Iii ,ho, ,h ,',,rt mead ro, the cl.rI, of
- +" '.' -" Ij:, H. ,h ,lar ,rd th,. nc ,b.
~ ."T''; y " ;:,,; L;, &c - n. .o,isGnJ of c.r.
nnri, before admitting h!t' Is u DC s'''-, " yer
an facts, II follows max ,hc powers "'i'cIIe' upo,
he Courts are 'hc'a ana n"t 'a'h'''ria ct rlercai'
,ard 20 tn" clerks b; m>' ne exercised by the cohrt