The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-08

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Third all lines should be bound to give
precedence in the transmission ol the
official messages of the government oil the
two countries, between which II may be
laid. Fourth, power should be re-
served 10 the two governments, either
conformity or to each rs regards the mes
sagcS dispatched from Its shores, to Tx II
limit to the charge to be maintained Tor
the TRANSMISSION Of messages. l present
this subject to the earnest consideration
of Congress, and in the meantime, and
unless Congress otherwise directs, | shall
not oppose tho landing Of any
Geographic cable which complies With
and as.cnts to the points above
enumerated, but will feel 1t my
duty to prevent the landing Of any
line which does not conform to the first
and second provisions stated, and which
will not stipulatc TO concedc to this Gov
crnmcut the precedence in the transms-
sion of lis official messages, and will not
enter into satisfactory arrangement IN
regard to charges.
Fraudulent naturalization and tx
patriaiiOn.
Among the pressing and important
subjects to which, in my opinion, the at
lention of Congress should be directed,
are those in relation to fraudulent nat
urulzation and cXpatriation. The United
States with great libcrality offers its citi.
zrnship to all who in good faith comply
with the requirements of the law. These
requirements are rs simple and upon as
favorable terms to the emigrant as the
high privilege to which he Is admitted
can or should permit. l do not propose
any additional requirements to those
which the law now demand, but the very
simplicity and want of the necessary for
mallty in our law have made traudu-
lent naturalization not infrequent, to dis
credit and injury of all honest citizens,
whether native or naturaliZcd. Cases
of this character are continually being
brought to tho notice of the government
and our representative abroad.
OF persons resident in other countries,
most frequently those who, if they have
remained in this country long enough to
cntjllc them TO become naturaIlZed, have
generally not gone over or passed that
period and have returned 10 the country
of their origin, where they reside, avoid
ing all duties to the United States by
absence, and claiming to be exempt from
all duties to the country of their nativity,
aud of their residence BY reason of their
alleged naturalization. It. is due To this
government itself, and to the great
mass of the naturalizcl citizens,
who entirely, both in name and IN TACT,
become citizens Of the United States,
that the high privilege of citizens of the
United States should not be held by
fraud or in derogation of the laws and of
the good name of every honest citizen.
On many occasions it has been brought
To- the knowledge of the Government
that certificates of naturalization are
held. and protection or interference
claimed by parties who admit that not
only were they not within the United
States at the time of the pretended
naturalization, but that they have
never resided in the United States.
In other instances. the certif-
Gates and record of the Court
show on their face that the person claim
Inr to b. naturaliZed had not resided the
required time in the United States, and
in Others it is admitted upon cXamina-
ton that the requirements OF the law
have been complied with in some cases,
and even such certificates have been
matters OF purchase. These are not iso-
lated cases arising ut rare intervals, but
of common occurrence and which are re-
ported from AL quarters Of the globe.
Such occurrences cannot and do not fail
to reflect upon the Government and IN
lure all honc.: citizens. However, there
- no prucurable means within the con-
troll Of the government by which the
record Of naturalization can be vacated,
and should the certificates be backed up
q, they usually arc, by the dIpio-
matte and consular representatives,
of the Government, to whom 1t may have
been presented, there Is nothing to
prevent the person claiming to have been
natura!izcd from obtaining II new GER
tihcalc from the court i'll place of that
which has been taken from him. The
evil has become SO great and of such fire.
quent occurrence that 1t cannot be too
strongly recommended that some cilcc-
tive measures he adopted to provide n
proper remedy and means for the vaca-
ting of any record thus fraudulently
made and of Furnishing the guilty parties
to the transaction.
In this connection | refer to the qucs-
ton of repatriation ard
The Election Of Nationality.
The United States WAS the foremost in
unfolding the right of eXpatriation, and
a so principally instrumental in over
throwing the doctrine of perpetual ale
rjunce. Congress has declared the right
of expatriatiOn To DC n natural inherent
right of all people; but while many 9TH
or nations have laws providing what
formalitics shall be necessary to work II
change of allegiance, the United States
has enacted the provisions of no law,and
has in no respect marked out how and
when expatriation may be accomplished
hv lis citizens. Instances are brought
to the attention of the government
where citizens of the United States, here
naturaljzed or native born, have form
ally become citizens or subjects OF
foreign powers, but who, new
erthc,ess, in the absence OF
any provisions Of the legislation on these
questions, when involved in difficulties,
or when it seems to be their interest to
claim to be citizens of the United States,
have demanded the intervention OF gov
eminent which they have lons since
abandoned and to which for years they
have rendered no service nor held them
selves in any way amenablc.
In other cases naturallzcd citizens I'M
mcdiately after naturalization, have re-
turned to their native country, nave