Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-08

bic terms to the emigrant as the bigl
privilege to which he Is admitted can o
should permit I do not propose an,
J additional requirements to these whicl
the law demands, but the very sim
plicity and want Of necessary formslit,
In our law have made fraudulent nat
uralizatiOn not infrequent, to the dis
credit and injury OF all honest citizens
whether native or naturaliZed. Cases o
this character are continually beinf
brought to the notice OF the govern
ment by our reI resentatives abroad, anC
also those Of persons resident In otheI
countries. Most frequently those who
IL they have remained IN this country
long enough to entitle them to become
naturalized, have generally not much
over passed that period, and have
returned to the country Of their origin
where they reside, avoiding all duties to
the United States by their absence,
claiming to be exempt from sll duties II
the country of their nationality and OF
| their residence, by reason of their al.
legged nsturaliz alton. It is due TO this
| government itself, and to the great mass
| nf naturaliZed citizens who sincerely,
both in name and fact, become citizens
! OF the United States, that the high priv
| ItRS vi Cil bi lut Oulbeu tdk c5
should not be held by fraud, or in dero-
| G ton OF laws ard of the good name OF
every honest citizen. On many Occs-
zi0Ds IL has been brought to the knOwl-
edge Of toe government that certificates
Of naturalization are held, and protec.
ton or interference claimed by parties
who admit that not only they were not
within the United Stases at the time Of
the pretended naturalization, but that
thsy have never resided in the United
S ates. In others the certificate and re.
cord OF the court show on their face that
the persons claiming to be naturaliZsd
had not resided the required time in the
United States. Ia others it is admitted
Upon examination thst the require
ments of the law have not
been complied with. In come cases
eve1 such certifi Gates have been matters
of purchase. These are not isolated
cases, arising at rare intervals, but of
common occurrence, and which are re-
ported from all quarters OF the globe.
Such occurrences cannot and do not fail
t. reflect upon the government, ana ln-
juTe all honest cilIZens. Such fraud
peiDg discovered, however, there Is no
practicable means within the control of
the government by which the record OF
naturalization can be vacated, and
should the certificate be taken up, as it
usually is by the diplomatic and consul
lar representatives OF the government,
to whom it may have been presented,
there is nothing to prevent the person
claiming to have been Daturalized nom
obtaining a new certificate from the
court, in place of that which has been
taken from him. The evil has become
80 great, and of such frequent occur
renee, that cannot too strongly TeeOm-
mend that some eff ctual measure be
sd opted to provide proper remedy fer
tue vacatipg of any fraudulent records,
and of Furnishing the guilty parties to
the transaction.
REPATRIATION.
In this connection 1 refer also to the
question OF expatristing and the cleo.
uon to the nationality of the United
States. In the foramc ST, holding that the
right of eXpatriatiOn was principally
instrumental in CverthrowiDg the doc
trine of perpetual allegiance. Congress
has declared the right Of expa tristiOn to
be rational inherent right of all peo-
pie, but while many other nations have
laws providing what formalities shall be
necessary to work a change Of allegiance,
the United States has enacted no pre-
visions of law, and has in no respect
marked out how and when expatriation
may be accom- lished by its citizeI 8.
Instances are brought to the attention Of
the government where citizens OF the
Uaited States were n9tuTaliZed, or na-
tive-b }rn, have formally become citizsLs
or subjects OF foreign powers, but who
nevertheless, in the absence OF any pro-
Visions of legislation on these questions,
when involved in difficulties, or when it
seems to be for their inter-
est, claim to be citizens Of the
United States, which they have
long since abandoned, and to which for
years they / ad rendered no service, nor
laid Themselves in any way smens-
bic. In other cases natursljZed citizens,
Immediately after naturalization, have
returned to their native country, have
become engaged in business, have &C.
Cepted office or pursuits incOnsis tent
with American citizenship, and evince
no intent TO return to the United States
until called upon to discharge some duty
to the country where they are residing,
when they at once assert their citizen
ship and call upon the representatives Of
the vernment 10 aid them il their IN
ju-, etensions. 1t is but justice to bona
fde ctZeus that no doubt should exist
on such questions, and that congress
should determine by the enactment of
q law how expatriation will be accom-
plisned and change OF citizenship be
established.
WITH FOREIGN SUB
JECTs.
] also invite your attention to the ne
ces-ity of regulating, by law, the status
OF American women who marry foreign
ers, and of defining more fully that of
children born in foreign country Of
American parents who may reside
abroad, and also of some further pro-
visions, regulating or giving legal effect
to tue marriages of American citizens
contracted in foreign countries. The
submitted herewith
show q few OF the constantly occurring
que ,tions on these points, presented to
the consideration of the government.
There are few subjects to engage the at
teDtion OF congress on which more deli
cate relations are depending.
THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF STATE
BUILDING.
In the month of July last the building
tJl Luc Vi SIabJ was
taken possession OF, and occupied by
that department. 1 en- happy to say
that toe archives and valuable papers of
the government in the custody Of that
department are now safely deposited and
cared for.
THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF |
. THE TREASURY
shows the receipts from customs for the |
fiscal year ending June 80, 1874, to have |
been Sl63, 103 ,S33 SO, and for the fiscal |
year ending June 80, 1875, to have been |
Sl57, l67, 722 SIS, a decrease for the last |
fiscal year of $5,936,ll1 "a /; receipts |
from internal revenue for the year end |
ing June 80, 1874, were SOS, 4O9 7S4 80, |
and for the year ending June go 1875, |
were SIG, COZ, 493 SIS; increase, $3.50, 77O = |
S58. Ihe report also shows complete
history Of the workings of the depart
ment for the last year, and contains re- |
for reforms and for leg |
islatiOn which 1 concur in, but cannot |
on so fully as 1 should like to |
do if space would permit, but will con- |
fine myself to few suggestions, which |
/ look upon as vital to the best interests |
Of the whole people-coming within |
the purvieW Of the tIeasury-I mean
SPECIE RESUMPTION.
Too muS4 stress cannot b5 laid upon |
this question, and 1 hope congress may |
he induced at the earliest day practical |
l l. -, - ~.