The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-10

l3ttNGA illC ltAlLAB- VI any N'AlCi uOCS
not conform TO the first and second
points as stated, and which will not
z;ipulate TO concede TO this government |.
the precedence in the transmission of It's
official messages. and will not enter into
a satisfactory arrangement regarding its
charges.
NATCRALIZATION AND REPATRIATION.
Among the pressing ami important
subjects 70 which, in my opinion, the
attention of Congress should be directed, |
are those relating to fraudulent natural |
ization and expatriation. Tue United |
States, with great liberaiity. offers its |
citizenship to all who in good faith com |
ply with the requirements of law.
These requirements are as simple and !
rpou n favorable terms to the eInigrant |
a.. rhe high privilege to which he is ad- |
s.i ed can or should permit. | do not |
propose any additional requirements 10
those which the law now demands. but
thn very simplicity aud want of neces-
snrv furmaiity in our laws have made
fraudulent na. uralizltiOn not infrequent
90 the diScrcdit and injury of all hon
ct citizens, whether native or natural
;Z-d Cases of this character are con-
tinually being brought to the notice Of
the government by our representatives
abroad. also those of persons resident in
other countries Most frequently those
who. If they have remained in this
country long enough 10 entitle them to
b"come naturalizad, have generally not
uluch over passed that p"r.n3. and have
returned to the country of their origin,
whore they reside, avoiding all duties
10 the United States by their absence,
ard claiming tor be exempt from all du-
Ties TO the country Of their nativity and
| OF their residence by reason of their
| aleg, naturalization. Ii j. due to the
government itself and to the great mass
| of naturalized citizens who entirely,
| both in name and in fact, become citi-
| z-as of the United States, that the high
privilege OF citizenship of the United
| S aies should not be held by fraud or in
dsrogatinIr of the laws of the govern
| nIeni Il the name of every honest citi-
| IN. Ca many occasions it has been
| hr ,.silt t. the knowledge of the gov
| ,r.I;nsnt that certificates of naturaliZa-
| rioa are held and protection or interfer-
| ence claimed by parties who admit that
| no. only they were not within the
| United States at the time of the pre-
| tended naturalization, but thai they
| have never resided IL the United States.
| Ia others the certificate and record of
| the court show on their lace that the
! person claiming to be naturalized had
| not resided the required time in the
/ U.iitgd States. In others it is admitted,
upOn examination, that the require
mants of the law have not been com
| piled with. In some cases even such i
| certificates have been matters of pur-
| chase These are not isolated cases,
! arising at rare intervals, but of common
| occurrences, and which are reported
! from all quarters of the globe. Such
/ occurrences cannot and do not fail TO
! r-ii ct upon the government and injure
| all honest citizens. Such fraud being
! discovered, however, there is no practi-
cal means within the control of the gov
/ ernment by which the record of natu-
rnIizltiou can be vacated, and should
the certificate be taken up, as it usually
| is, by the diplomatic and consular rep
| resentarives of the government TO whom
| it may Eaya been presented, there il
nothing TO prevent the person claiming
| TO have been naturalized from obtaining
a new certificate in place of that which
has been taken from him. The evil has
| become SO great aud of such frequent
! occurrence tina: | cannot too strongly
| be adopted to proyide a proper remedy
and means for the vacating of any rec
| ord thus frau iulently made, aud of pun
isiiing the guilty parties to the transac-
ton.
la this connection | refer also to the
question of expAtriation and the cleo
tion of nationglity. The United States
was foremost In uphoiding the right of
81 uuH f.pfnnir.alltr I'm nStr
mental in overtllrowing the doctrine of
pefpati:aI allegiance. Congress las de-
cIared the right Gf expatriation to be the
natural inherent right of all people, but
while many other nations have laws pro-
viding what fo-lpality shall be necessary
10 make a change of allegiance, the
United States has enacted provisions
of laws and has in no respect marked
out how and when eSpstriat;on may be
accomplished by its citizens. Instances
are brought to the attention of the gov
eri.n.cnt where citizens of the United
States, naturaliled o. native born, have
become formally citizens or subjects of |
foreign powers, but who nt vertheleSs, |
in the absence Of any provisions of leg !
isIatiun on these questions. when IN |
vowed it difficulties Or when it seems to |
b. their interest, claim 10 be citizens of |
the United States and demand the inter |
VentiOH OF a government which they
have long since abandoned and to which |
for wears they have rendered no service |
no. i,aId themselves in any way aIDena- /
bIa.
la otle. cases natuTalized citizens, |
Immediately after naturalization, have
returned to their native couutry, have
COMO, a,,sra.,al in have
capted Offices or pursuit, inconsistent
with American citizenship, and evident
Is with 10 intent to return to the United
States until called upon to discharge I
some duty 10 tie country where they |
are residing, when at once they assert
their citizenship and call upon the rep
rceentatives of the government to aid
them in their unjust preteDsions. 1t is
bli Justice to all bona fide citizens that
10 doubt should exist on such questions,
and that Congress shOuid determine by
the enactment of law how expatriation
will he accomplished and change of citi-
zansnip be established. | also invite
your attention to the necessity OF regu
iHriGg 10y law the status of American
women who may marry foreigners, and
of defining more fully that of children
born ia q foreign country of American
parents, VINO may reside abroad, and
also of some further provision regulat
img or giving legal effect TO marriages of
American citizens contracted in foreign
countries The correspondence sub
mitted herewith shows few Of the con
Siunt!y occurring questions on these
poin-s presented 10 the consideration OF
the government. There aTe few sub
iscts to engage the attention of Congress
OF which more delicate relations are de-
pending.
IL tie month of July last the building
7r,otei for the Department of State was
taken possession Of aud occupied by that
Department am happy to say that
tIIa ur.liives aud valuable papers Of the
GoveTnusut ia the custody OF that De-
partlnput are now safely deposited and
properly cared for
TREASURER's REPORT.
The report OF the 5eci-fefE cf the
Tr-aSury shows the receipts from custom /
fer the fiscal year ending jane so, 1874,
to have been S1G2. 1913. s33 60 aui for
the fiscal year ending June jg.lS73, to
have been Slj7, 167. 7:}2 81, decrease for
5'ia last Il !cai year of -. 93i. III "a. Re-
ceipt- from. it aE4@l revenue for the year
ending on the 5JtlI OF June, 1871. We're
<i02 iG9. 7S4 90. and for the year ending
{. |