The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-12-14
NO. 20.

ty-seven cases awards were made in favor
OF the claimants against the United States,
amounting to s150,49S, Al By the terms
OF the convention the amount of these
awards is to be deducted from the amount
awarded In favor Of cur citizens against
Mexico, and the balance only to be paid by
Mexico to the United States, leaving the
United States to make provision for this
proportion of the awards in favor of its own
citizens. invite your attention to the le-
glsation which will be necessary to provide
for the payment. In this connection am
| pleased to be able to express the acknow-
Judgements due to Sir Edward Thornton,
the umpire of the commission, who has
given to the consideration Of the large nuni-
Der of claims submitted to him much time,
unwearied patience, and that fairness and
Intelligence which are well known to belong
to the accomplished representative Of Great
| Britain, and which are likewise recognized
| by the representative in this conntry of the
Republic of Mexico. Monthly payments
! ofa very small part of the amount due by
the Government of Venezuela to citizens of
| the United States Of claims Of the latter
| against that Government continue to be
made with reasonable punctuality That
| Government has proposed to change the
system which it has hitherto pursued in
! this respect, by issuing bonds ofthe amount
of the several claims. The proposition,
| however, could not, it is supposed, properly
! be accepted, at least without the consent os
the holders Of certificates Of the indebted
ness of Venezuela. These are 50 much dis
persed that it would be difficult, if not i'm
possible. TO ascertain their disposition ON
the subject.
STANDARDIZATION AND ELECTION oF
NATIONALITY.
In former Messages | have called the
attention of Congress to the necessity of
| legislation with regard to fsauaulent
naturalization, and to the subject Of
! expatration and the election of nationality.
| The numbers Of persons Of foreign birth
seeking a home in the United States the
ease and facility with which the honest
emigrant may, after the lapse of reason
| able time, become possessed Of all the privi-
leges Of citizenship Of the United States,
and the frequent occasions which induce
such adopted citizens to return to she coun-
! try Of their birth render the subject Of
experience has proved necessary for the
protection Of the honest naturaiized citizen
Of paramount Importance. The very
| simplicity in the requirements of the law
OH this question afford opportunity for
| fraud, and the want of uniformity in the
| proceedings and records of the various
courts, and In the forms of the certificates
of naturalization issued, afford constant
source Of difficulty. l suggest no addi-
tional requirements to the acquisition Of
! citizenship beyoud those now existing, but
| invite the earnest attention OF Congress
| TO the necessity and wisdom Of some pro-
visions regarding uniformity III the records
and certificates, and providing against the
frauds which frequently take place, and for
| the vacating of record Of naturalization,
obtained by fraud These provisions are
needed in aid and for the protection Of the
honest citizen of foreign birth, and fer the
want of which he is made to suffer not
intrequently. The United States has in
sisted upon the right of eEpatrition, and
has obtained, after long struggle, an
admission of the principle contended for,
by acquiesence therein on the part of
many foreign powers, and by the conclusion
| OF treaties on that subject. It is however,
bot justice to the Government to which
such naturalized citizens have formerly
owed allegiance, as we'll as to the United
States that certain fixed and definite rules
should be adopted governing such cases and
providing how expatriation may be accom-
plished. While emigrants in large num-
bers become citizens Of United States. it is
also true that persons, both native-bOrn and
naturalIzed, once citizens of the United
States either By formal acts or as the effect
of series of facts and circumstances,
abandon their citiz nship and cease to be
entitled to the protection of the United
States, but continue, on convenient oc-
casions, to assert a claim to protection in
the absence of provisions on these questions
And in this connection | again invite your
attention to the necessity oF legislation
concerning the marriages of American citi-
zens contracted abroad, and concerning the
status Of American women who may marry
foreigners, and of children born of Ameri-
can parents in foreign country The
delicate and complicated questions con-
tinually occurring with reference to natur-
alization, expatriation, and the status of
such persons as | have above referred TO,
induce me to earnestly direct your atten-
tion again TO these subjects. In like man
ner repeat my recommendation that some
means be provided for the hearing and
determination of the just and suhsisting
claims of aliens upon the Government of
the United States within reasonable
limitation, and of such as may hereafter
arise. While, by existing provisions of law,
the Court of Claims may, in certain cases,
be resorted to by an alien claimant, the
absence OF any general provisions govern
ing all such cases, and the want of
tribunal skilled in the dispoition of such
cases upon recognized, fixed, and settled
principles, either provides no remedy in
many aeSeryinoS cises Or cnmrnls n q N