The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-10-26
THE Pacific
Commercial Advertiser.

Ihr .%IilIu.u 20 1900 .sr
ality IL uhc father. vaer..,r They may Chance g.,
have i--cn h,u Tee u.r.rf 'ay lv an alan,
but that d.-- ult ln.,t ,t, citizenship g thr ,h,l.
dr,u. Ir,,ilrI t. trh.f- night b. uuimlatr~i
\u Nui,u-tu, vl. mafia- rs ,hiur-, Hui r~iir-
Boo thinHhl. children Nr American ,tiD'I.-, %
h- .wn aIl--iau,, CD De- native c.uI.tN b. perfect
Ia thi- kingdom. OBJ. i~ar,l-i.r c,u legally ungrS
"a native woman vitivut hrt taking thr cath ui
alirsihncc. AMI -L,,,miug . Hawaiian -uhr~t
Consequently hi- children arr HairanaH. mot
Aucrican. English or French ami np l,W ul ti,~r
countries can change tLc status IT such children
un!c-- they migrate AMI hy naturalization clauSc
their allegiance.
The hr,t law passed hy Congress an lsni de-
timing the citizenship Of American children born
abroad was very limited. ltIcads
E. The children % persons who nov arc, or have
lsvu, citizens 81 the United States. shall. though born
cut Of the limits and jurisdiction ii the United States,
hc considered a. citizens II the United States, pro
Nilci that the rights at citizenship shall not descend
e. persons whose fathers have never resided within
the United States
Ii will bc seen that this clause applies only t.
the children Of persons who Than tr,Te (lSOi) or
had bcsn citizens consequently the benefits of the
provision narrowed rapidly after the then living
gcncr'tion to which it applied had passed away.
To- meet the ease u new law was enacted in 1850,
which covers tine whole ground. This will prob
ably remain the law of the land for centuries, asd
il of ~ much importance as to deserve insertion
in full:
An Act To- secure the Right Of Citizenship to Children
Of Citizens Of the United States born out Of the
limits ,hcrc"L-IApproNel February 10Th, ls55.l
BE IL enacted 10y the Senate and House of Repre-
~scutItiV,s Cf the United States ia Congress assembled (:
That persons heretofore born, or hereafter To be born,
out Of the limits and jurisdiction of the United States,
whose fathers were, or shall be ut the time of their
birth. citizens Of the United States, shall be deemed
and considered. aud are hereby declared to lie citi-
zens Of thc United States provided, however. that
the rights Of citizenship shall not descend 10 persons
whose fathers never resided in the United States.
This law may be found ON page 87S Appendix to
Congressional Giobe, vol. 81, ~ session, XXXIIId.
Congress.
We refer to this subject, as it is frequently a
topic of discussion. With the facts before us, it
becomes narrowed down 10 this-Me Joreign-Jora
children If any american citi-cn iaheTn all Tie
national rights Of tie father. 1t makes no differ
cncc how long he may have resided away. he it
one err fifty years. or whether his wife be Chinese,
Polyncsian, French, English, or Spanish-the
children inherit ;hc nationality and citizenship of
the father.
We suppose the same rule applies, under sim
liar circumstances. and with the same exceptions,
TO English, French and other European subjects.
The whole hing Is embodied in the old saying
- once an EnSlislman, always an Englishman, -
meaning, of course, that no change of domicil can
affect his rishts-that once an Engli>hman' he re-
mains such, wherever me lnay live, till death the
only exception being n voluntary change of allie
glance.
An Englishmnn may reside in America any
length of time. ar an American in England (as
George Peabody for instanee) al his life, and re-
tain his native allegiance. The children of the
American born in England. are entitled to the
rights of American citizenship-ti,e accident of
birth ON n foreign soil not depriving them of in
hcritcd rights. At the same time those children
owe n certain allegiance to the British Sovereign.
How il would be in ease of war between the two
whether they could he compelled to take
up arms and fight for the British flag against the
American flag, is not 50 clear, nor do we remcm-
Der amy instance where thi- point has been decided.