Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-12-17

! taken advantage OF as another reason 10 delay
+ the payment OF the dues Of our citizens.
CUBA AND SPAIN.
The deplOraOle strife in Cuba continues with
/ out any marked change in the relative ad-
I vantages of the Contending forces. The insur-
4 rection continues. but Spain has gained no
superiority. Six years Of strife give the insur-
/ recton significance which cannot be ignored.
/ Its duration and the tenaclty OF Its adherentS,
/ together with the absence of manifested
power of suppression on the part OF Spain.
/ cannot be controyerted and may make some
/ positive steps on the part of other powers mat
/ ter of self-neCessiIy.
| 1 had confidently hoped at this time TO be
/ able to announce an arrangement of some of
! the important questions between this Govern
ment and that of Spain. but the negotiations
4 have been prOtraCted. The unhappy intestine
1 dissensiOns of Spain command our profound
/ sympathy, and must be accepted IS, perhaps.
cause Tor some delay. An early settlement, in
! part al least, OF the questions between the Gov
| ernments is hoped for. In the meantime, await
/ ing the results OF Notwithstanding negotIa-
/ lions, defer further and fuller communication
on the subject of the relations of this country
and Spain
! REPATRIATION AND GENERALIZATION.
| / have again 10 call the attention of Congress
! to the unsatisfactory condition Of the existing
laws with reference to eXpatriatiOn and the cleo
! ton OF nationality. Formerly, amid conflicting
opinions and decisions ii difficult TO exactly
! determine now tar the doctrine of perpetual al
! legiance was applicable TO the United States.
! Congress, by the ACT of the 27th of July. 1863,
! asserted the abstract right of expatriatiOn as
! fundamental principle of this Government. Not
/ HlInSIauulng SuCl assertion ana the necessity
! OF the frequent application or the principle no
/ legislation has been had defining what acts or
/ formalities shall work expatriatIon, or when
! citizen shall be deemed TO have removed or 10
! have lost his citizenship. the importance
! of such 4 definition i obvious. The representa-
! tives OF the United States in foreign countries
are continually calIea upon to lend their aid and
! the protection OF the United States to persons
concerning the good faith the reality of whose
! citizenship there is at least great question. In
| some cases the provisions OF the treaties fur
| nlsh some guide; in others 1t seems left to the
| persons claiming the benefit of citizenship
while living in foreign country, contributing in
| no manner to the performance of the duties of
citizen of the United States, and without the in
! tention al any time TO return and undertake
| those duties to use the claim OF citizenship
| OF the United States simply as a shield from the
! performance of the obligations of a citizen
| elsewhere.
! The status of children born of American par
! ents residing in foreign country, Of American
women who have married aliens or American
| citizens residing abroad where such question is
| not regulated by treaty. are all sources of re
| quent difficulty and discussion. Legislation On
| these and similar questions, and particularly de-
| filming when and under what circumstance eXpa-
! triatiOn can be accomplished or is to be pre-
| sumed, is especially needed.
In this connection l earnestly call the atten-
| ton of Congress to the difficulties arising from
| fraudulent naturalization. The United States
wisely, freely and literally offers its citizenship
| to all who may come in good faith to reside
within its limits, on their complying with
certain prescribed reasonable and simple formal
! tiles and conditions. Among the high
est duties of the Government is that to
afford firm, efficient and etfectual protection to
all it's citizens. whether native born or natural
! lied Care should be taken that right, carry
| ing with It such support from the Government,
| should not be fraudulently obtained, and should
| be bestowed only upon iuI proof OF
! compliance with the law, as frequent IN
| stances of illegal and fraudulent naturaliza-
| ton and of unauthorized use OF certificates
! thus improperly obtained come to light.
In some cases the fraudulent character of the
| naturalization has appeared upon the face OF the
certificate ITSELF in others examination discloses
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 naturaIiZed, but had not even
been within the United States at the time OF
the pretended naturalization. Instances OF
these classes of fraud are discovered at
our legations, where the certificates of naturaliZa
| ton are presented either for the purpose of OBJ
tanning passports demanding the protection
of the legation. When the fraud is obvious on
the face of such certificates they are taken up by
the representatives of the Government and for
warded to the Department of State. But
even the record of the court in which
| the fraudulent naturalization occurred
remains, and duplicate certificates readily
obtainable. Upon the presentation of these for
| the issue of passports or demanding protection
| of the Government the fraud sometimes
escapes notice, and such certificates are
not infrequenty used in transactions of
| business, to the deception and injury of
| innocent parties. Without placing any ad
ditional obstacle in the way of the obtainment of
| citizenship by the worthy and well-intentiOned
]
| with US, l earnestly recommend further leglsla-
| ton to punish fraudulent naturalization and to
| secure the ready cancellation of the record of
| every naturalization made in fraud.
/ TREATIES OF EXTRACTION.
| Since my last annual message the exchange
| has been made of the ratification of treaties of
| extradition with Belgium, Ecuador, Peru and
Salvador; also of a treaty of commerce and nayi-
| CATION with Peru, and one of commerce and con-
sular privileges with Salvador; all of which have
| been duly proclaimed, as has also a declaration
I Wit RngGia vi ROT tn 10 arlys
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
| 1he report of the Secretary of the Treasury,
| which by law is made directly to Congress and
| forms no part of this message, will show the re
! Ceipts and expenditures of the Government
| for the last fiscal year, the amount re
| ceiyed from each source of revenue, and
| the amount paid out for each of the
| departments of the Government. 1t will be OBJ
| served from this report that the amount of re-
| Ceipts over expenditures has been but S2,344,-
IS 80 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, and
| that for the current fiscal year the estimated
| ceipts over expenditures will not much exceed
S9,O00000. In view of the large national debt
listing, and the obligation to add per cent. per
annum to the sinking fund, sum amounting now
| to over $34,0O0,0O0 per annum, | submit whether
! the revenues should not be increased or the
| expenditures diminished. To reach this amount
| of surplus and not to provide for the sinking
und is partial failure to comply with the cont
| tracts and obligations Of the Government. A
| the last session of Congress a very considerable
| reduction made in the rates of taxation and
| the number of articles subjected to taXatiOn-the
| question may well be asked whether or not in
| some instances unwiselY.
| In connection with this subject too,
/ venture the opinion that the means
! of collecting the revenue, especially from i'm
| ports, have been embarrassed by legislation
as to make it questionable whether or not large
amounts are not lost by a failure to collect, TO
the direct loss of the Treasury and to the preju
dice of the interests of honest importers and tax
payers.
The Secretary of the Treasury in his report
favors legislation looking to specie payments,
thus supporting the views previously expressed
in this message. He also recommends economy
in appropriations; calls attention to the loss of
revenue from repeating the tax on tea ana coffee
without benefit to the consumer; recommends
an increase of ten cents gallon on whisky, and,
further, that no modification be made in the
Banking and Currency bill passed at the last
session of Congress, unless modification should
become necessary by reason of the adoption OF
measures for returning to specie payments. In
these recommendations l cordially join.
THE TARIFF.
I would suggest to Congress the propriety of
readjustirT the tariff so to increase the reve
nue. and at the same time decrease the number
of articles upon which duties are levied. Those
articles which enter into manufactures and
are not produced at home, il seems TO me, should
be entered free. Those articles of manufacture
which we produce constituent part OF, but do
not produce the whole, that part which we do
not produce should enter free also. | Will IN
stance fine wool, dyes, etc. These articles must
be imported to form part Of the manufacture
of the higher grades OfwOOlen goods. Chemicals
used as dves Compounded in medicines and used
in various ways in manufactures come under this
class. The Introduction, free of duties, OF such
wOO1s as we do not produce should stimulate