The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-12-17

4 work expatriation, or when a citizel
5 shall be deemed to have renounced o
/ lost his citizenship. The importanc
: of such definition is obvious. Th'
representatives. of the United States il
: foreign countries are continually call
ed upon to lend their aid and the pro
: lection of the United States to persons
concerning thegood faith or the reality
: of whose citizenship there is at least
:. great question.
4 In some cases the provisions of the
J treaties furnish some guide in Others
it seems left to the persons claiming
the benefit of citizenship, while living
in foreign country, contributing Ill
no manner to the duties of q citizen oil
the United States and without inten-
ton at any time to return and under
take those duties, to use the claims OF
citizenship of the United States simply
as shield from the performance OF
obligations elsewhere.
The status of the children born of
American parents residing in foreign
countries; of American women who
have married aliens; of American cit
izens residing abroad, where such
! question is not regulated by treaty, are
all sources of frequent difficulty and
discussion. Legislation on these and
similar questions, and particularly Ge-
| lining when and under what circunl-
stances exPatriation can be accom-
| p1ished, is especially needed.
In this connection I earnestly call
| the attention of Congress to the diff
4 culties arising from fraudulent natur-
tirliEation. The United States wisely,
i freely and hberaIly offers its citizen
ship tosan who may come in good faith
to reside: within their limits, upon their
complying with certain prescribed rea-
sOnabfe and simple formalities and
conditions. Among the highest du-
ties of the government is that to afford
firm, efficient and equal protection to
all its citizens, whether native born or
naturalized. Care should be taken
that a right, carrying with it such sup
be fraudulently obtained and should
be bestowed only upon full proof of a
compliance with the law. Frequent
instances have occurred of Illegal and
fraudulent naturalization, and of the
unauthorized use of certificates thus
improperly obtained. In some cases
the fraudulent character of the natu-
ralization has appeared upon the face
of the certificate. In other cases the
examination disclosed that the holder
had not complied with the law, and in
others certificates have been obtained
where the persons holding them not
only were not entitled to be naturaliz-
ed but had not even been within the
United States at the time of the fraud
ulent naturalization. Instances of each |
of these classes of fraud are discovered
at our legations where the certificates
of naturalization are presented, either
for the purpose of obtaining passports |
or in demanding the protection of the |
legation. When the fraud is apparent |
on the face of such certificates they are |
taken up by the represen tative of the |
Government and forwarded to the de- |
partment of state. But even the rec
ord. of the court in which the fraudu- |
lent naturalization occurred remains |
and duplicate certificates are readily |
obtained upon the resentation of those |
for the issue of passports, or demand /
ing protection of the Government, the |
fraud sometimes escapes notice, and |
such certificates are not unfrequently |
used in the transaction of business 10
the injury of other parties. Without I
obstacle IN the way of the ObtaiDin
ment of citizenship by the worthy and
well intenEioned foreigner who comes
in good faith, L earnestly recommend
further Legislation to punish fraudd-
lent llatural izariOn, and to secure the
ready callceIiaCiOn of the record of
every naturalization made in fraud.
Since my last Annual Message the
eXchauge has been Inade of the ratifi-
cation of Treaties of eXtradition with
Ecuador, Peru, and Salvador;
also OF a treaty of commerce and nav
igation with Peru, and one of COM
merce and Consular privileges with
all of which have been duly
proclaimed, as also a declaration with
Russia with reference To trade marks.
The Report OF the Secretary of the
Treasury, which by law is made di-
rectIy To Congress, and forms no part
Of this Message, will show the receipts ;
and expenditures of the Government
for the last fiscal year, the amount re-
,eived from each source of revenue,
and the anlOung paid out for each of the ;
of Government. 1t will
)e observed from this report that the
lm0unt of receipts over expenditures
las been but So, 81, ,8S2 80 for the fiscal .
rear ending June 80, 1874; and that !
or the current fiscal year the estimated 9
eceipts over expenditures will not /
nuch exceed nine millions of dollars I
n view of the large National debt ex- {
sting, and the obligations to add one ?
)er cent. per annum to the Sinking I
Fund-a sum Row amounting to $34. I
O0 900 per annum-I submit whether !
he revenues should not be increased, :
II expenditures diminished, to reach
his amount of surplus. Not to pro- |
ide for the Sinking Fund is partial {
allure to comply with the contracts .
nd obligations of the Government. {
At the last session of Congress q very t
reduction was made in
ates of taxation and in the number of t
rticIes submitted to taxation the ques- G
ion may we'll be asked whether or not, e
u SOME instances, unwisely. In con- 2
eetion with this subject, too, it is the 2
pinion that the means of collecting a
he revenue, especially from imports, t
ave been SO embarrassed by legisla- G
ion as 10 make it questionable wheth- Z
r or not large amounts are not lost by
allure to collect, to the loss of the q
'reasury and to the prejudice of the c
interest of honest importers and tax Il
ayers. go a
The Secretary of the Treasury, in Il
is report, favors legislation looking to Il
pecie payments, thus supporting the il
Jews previously expressed in this mes v
age. He also recommends economy o
j appropriations, and calls attention p
} the loss ofrevenue from repealingthe n
AK on tea and coffee, without benefit II
} the consumer; recommends an in- a
rease of ten cents a gallon on whisky; p
nd further, that no modification be II
lade in the Banking and Currency d
i'll proposed at the last session of Con- b
ress unless modification should be- a
Ome necessary by reason of the adop- W
OH of measures for returning to spe- p
e payments. In these recommenda- L
ons cordially join ti
L would suggest to Congress the pro- tc
riety of readjusting the tariff SO as to
lcrease the revenue and at the same C
me decrease the number of articles >
pom which dues are levied. Those .
rticies which enter into our Il
and are not produced at p'
ome it seems to me should be entered A
zee. OF those articles of manufacture III
hich we produce u Constituent part az
but do not produce the whole, that ct
lat part which we do not produce al
lou1d enter free also. Twill Instance IL
ne wool, dyes, &c. These articles Y,
.ust be imported to form part of the N
of the higher grades of Il
oolen goods. Chemicals used as dyes. Il