, 1876-12-06

against Tic United ssatcs were referred 10
ti'c tt!mmt4s!nn. Of iicsc claims, ST. were tl4.
missed md tlt4alowctl, nlll IN 1t7 eusra awan1s
wcrG n,a'ic In favor 0f t!alt'untt ai1a(nkt ths
United States, amounting III tho aggregate tn
ai5.o40B4l. By. the terms of the Convention,
tl,e amount uf these awar!ls Is TO be deducted
from tho amount awarded In favor af our eftf-
zetss agnInst Aiexi anil the tlals,Ico only u bu
paid by Mexico to thL United btntcs, leaving tho
United States to t1lake provIsIon for their pro-
pDrton Ut tic awards I'll favor Of It's own citi-
l fnv'tc your attention To the lcgialatfon
which will tc necessary TO provide for the pay-
ment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
In this connection am pleased to bD able tn
c1prcss the Acknowledgements due TO elr Ed.
ward Thornton, the umpire of tho Cotnmtasian,
who has given to the confederation Of tlc large
number of claims submitted 10 him mttcl, Time
nnweartrti patience. aud that fairness and intel
llgcncn whEcl, nre well known to teiong to tho
accomplished Representative VI Great Britain.
and which are likewise tecoInlzetl by the repre-.
sentative III this country VI tho Republic of
Aexlc'. .
Monthly payments ut very sm11l mart OF
atnnltnt duo By the Government Of Venezuela to
citizens Of thu Untc1 btaes, III account of claims
to no masln Will, reasonable pnnctuality. That
Government llas proposed to change tho systcnl
which 1t llns !itl,erto prsct In tl'is respect BY
Issuing ho1s fur P1rt Of The AMOUNT Of tho
contl not, i Is supposed. pfoceriy be ntreptcd,
al least without tic to.seilt Gf The toitlGrs VI
the certificates III the indebtedness 1T vcncxucla.
These arc So much oppressed that It woul.! l,c
difficult, II not impossblc, to ascertain tller
disposition On tho subject.
NAruHAtlzATfoN, KTc. ,..... .
In former messages .IiaVe called the ntten.
ten o. Cogtess t9 tilc necessity Of egslatio,
GlIhfert 1f prnnf rtntfHn nHa1 h 1jprtiUn nf
nationality. Thensttnt,crs of persona Of foreign
bfstll secEing home III the United Btases. tic
ease aud facility with which tho honest entgrant
may, after ths lapsS, ot reasonable time, be-
ship Of tho United States, and tlle frequent Of
rasiona whEcl. int'uca such adopted citizens
to return to the country Of their birth.
ssst tho 'a sess which ..ps1aaee s
proyct1 necessary Tor thu projection Of the
honest naturalIzcd citizens Of paramount i'm
portaucc. The very simplicity n tue require
lncnts Of Inv ou tl!is question nlrord oppot.unl-
ty for fraud, atll tic want Of uniformity III tho
| proceedings and records Of the various courts
and In the forn,s Of tho certificates Of llatura-
zntfUn Issued afford cunatunt source OF diff
t Sn hcro tnsn to
existing, but invite the earnest attention Of
| Congress to the necessity anu wIsdu1n Of some
provisions regarding uniformity su tho rccorda
ana certificates, and providing against M tllo
and % for "'''tts tiu Yachting Of = rccurdi
of naturalization obtanctl III fraud. These pro-
visions arc needed III aid and for the protcetit'n
Of the honest citizen Of foreign birth, md for
Tie United States llas insisted upon tho right
Of cxPatriatfon, and has obtained atteF lung
struggle Nil ndmisaton 0f the principle conteAtl.
mauy foreign Powers, and by tho conclusion ot
treatics on that subject. It IL, however, but
justice, to the Government 10 which such
naturaltzcd citizens hare formerly owed n!lcsl'
tain fixed mud definite rules should be adoptcd
governing. .sttcl, tases, md prorldinE
now REPATRIATION NAT he ACCOMPANIED.
While ctnfgrnnts IN largo numbers beronc
persons, both natiye-born and naturalizcd, once
citizens Of the United States, either by fornil
nets or rs an effect Of series OF facts antl cr-
cumstanrcs, abandon tciF citizenship, anl CEASE
States, but continno on convenient occasions Il
assert claim to protection In the absence oil
provisions on these questions. And In this con
ncctlon again invite your attention to tho nc
eessity Of legislation concerning, thc marriages.
Of American citizens contracted abroad, ant
concerning tic sfatns of Amer can women who
,nay marry Foreigners, nuu Of children burr
Of American parents In a., foreign coun
try. TIC delicate and complicated question!
continually occurring With reference 10 nat!tralf
zctton, c1patriati0p aud the stAtus Of sucl per
sons as hayc aboyo referred to, induce mo t,
earnestly direct your attentton asan to thcs
In like uanncr repeat my recommendation
that sumo means bo provided Tor the llcarin!
and determination OF tho lust elatns OF nltcn
upon tho Government Of the United State
within reasonable limitation, and Ct anrh
inns Of law tho Court Of Clatins may bc In ccr
tain cases Ecsortcd to By, an allen claimant
the absence of auy general provisions governing