The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-15


Of dues Of our citizens.
The dcplorable strife in Cuba continues
without any marked change in advantages
to contending forces, The insurrection
continues but Spain has gained no supcri.
ority. Six years Of strife give the insur.
rection significance which can't be deni-
ed Its detraction and tho tenacity of
its adherents, together with the absence
of manifested power Of suppression on the
part of Spain cannot be controverted and
it may make some positive slips on the
part Of other powers matter Of self ne
cessity. | had confidently hoped at this
time to be able to determine how far the
doctrine OF perpetual allegiance was ap.
plicable to the citizens Of the United
States. Congress, by the act of 9th Of
July, 1868, asserted an abstract right of
expatriation as a fundamental principle
of this government. Notwithstanding
such assertion and the necessity of frc.
quent application Of the principle, no leg.
islation has been had defining what acts
or formaities shall work expatriation, or
when a citizen shall be deemed to have
renounced or to have lost his citizenship.
The Importance Of such definition is OBJ.
vious. The representatives Of the United
States in foreign countries are continually
called upon to lend the aid and protection
OF the United States to persons, concern
ing the good faith or reality Of whose
citizenship there is at least great question.
In some cases the provisions of treaties
furnish guide to others. 1t seems left to
persons claiming the benefit of citizenship
while living in foreign country, contri-
buting in no manner to the performance
Of obligation to a citizen elsewhere. The
status of children born Of American pa.
rents in foreign countries, or American
women who have married aliens Of
American citizens residing aborad, were
such question is not regulated by the
treaty, are all sources Of frequent Difficult.
ty and discussion. Legislation on these
and similar questions, and particularly
defining when and under what circum.
stances expatriation can be accomplished
or to be presumed is especially needed.
In this connection | would call the at.
tention Of Congress to the difficulties aris-
ing from fraudulent naturalization.
The United States wisely, freely and
literally offers its citizenship to all who
may-~ome in good faith to reside within
its nints on their complying with certain
prescribed reasonable and simple formali.
ties and conditions. Among the highest
duties 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 such sup.
port from government, should not be
fraudulently obtained and should be stow
ed only upon full proof Of a compliance
with the law, and yet there are frequent
instances of illegal and fraudulent natural.
ization aud of the unauthorized use Of Ger.
tiicates, thus improperly obtained. In
some cases the fraudulent character OF
naturalization has appeared upon the face
of tho certificate ITSELF in others, exam.
instion discloses that the holder had not
complied with she law, and in Others, Ger.
tifcatcs lave been obtained where persons
holding them were not only were entitled
to be naturalized but had not even been
within the United States at the time Of
pretended naturalization. Instances oi
each OF these classes of fraud are discov.
cred at our legations where the certificates
Of naturalization are presented either fol-
the purpose Of obtaining passports or il
demanding protection of the legation
When the fraud is apparent on the face
of such certificates they are taken up by
representatives, of the government and for
warded to the department Of state.
But even then the record Of the cour
iu which the fraudulent naturalization oc
CURED remains and duplicate certificates
are already obtainable upon the presenta
tion Of these for the issue Of passports o.
demanding protection Of the government
the fraud sometimes escapes notice, an,
such certificates are not infrequently uset
in transactions Of business to the decep
tion and injury of innocent parties With
out placing any additional obstacles in lh
way Of the obtainmeni ofcilizenship by tn
worthy and well intentioned toregne
who comes in good faith to cast his 10
3 with US, earnestly recommend further
] legislation TO punish fraudulent uaturali
9 cation and TO secure the ready cancellato
I Of the record OF every naturalization mad
in fraud.
! The report Of secretary Of the treasur
which by law is made directly TO Congres
aud forms no part Of this message, wi
show receipts and expenditures Of tn
= government ior the last fiscal year. tn
e amount received from each source of rev
r euue, and the amount paid out for each {
e the departments Of government. 1t wi
. be observed from this report that tn
s amount of receipts over expenditures hl
d been but S2,344 $50 80 for the fiscal yea
d ending June 80, 1874, and that for th
h current fiscal year the estimated receip
u over expenditures will not much excee
l. S9000,000. 10 view Of the large u,
y tional debt existing, and the obligation
u add one per cent. per annum to the snl
It ing fund, sum amounting now to ov,
e $4,000, 900, per annum, submit whet Il
l. cr revenues should not be increased or c,
e penditures diminished to reach tn
% amount of surplus. Not to provide I,
+e the sinking fund is partial failure
IS comply with tho contracts and obligation
n Of the government. At the last sessit
&, of congress very considerable reductit
ID was made in rates of taxation and in Il
II number Of articles submitted to taxatio
1t In connection with this subject, ventu
the opinion that means Of collecting Il
ic revenue especially from imports, ha
he been SO embarrassed by legislation as
le make it questionable whether or not lar
ID amounts are not lost by failure to COLES
ne to the direct loss of the treasury aud
al the direct loss OF the treasury and to I
Q, prejudice OF interests Of honest importe
a. aud tax payers. The secretary of 4
M treasury in his rpnnrt ia ynrs leuisl III