Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-05

StaruS which experience has proved neces-
Sary Tor the protection OF the honest natural
lied citizen of paramount Importance. The
rTy simplicity in the requir .ments of law
on ibis question. aliord opportunity for fraud
ard the want Of uniformity in the proceed
| ings and records OF the various courts, and
| in the forms Of the certificates Of naturaliza-
ton issued, afford a constant source of diff
Guilty.
i suggest no additional requirements to the
| acquisition of citizenship beyond those now
| existing. but invite the earnest attention of
Congress to the necessity and wisdom of
some provisions regarding uniformity in tho
| records and certificates, and providing against
| the frauds which frequently take place and
for the vacating of q record of naturalization
| obtained in fraud.
These provisions are needed i'm aid and for
the protection of the honest citizen of foreign
| birth, and for the want of which he is made
| to suffer not infrcqueutly. The United States
has insisted upon the right of repatriation
and has obtained after a long struggle an ad-
| III ssiOn of the principle cOntended for by ac-
quescence therein on the part of many for
eien powers and by the conclusion of treaties
| on that subj Ct. IL is. however, but justice
| TO the government 10 which such naturaliZel
| citizens have formerly owed allegiance, as
| well as to- the United States, that certain
| fixed and definite rules should be adopted
governing such cases and providing how eX-
| patTiatiOn may he accomplished. While
cmigrauts i'm large numbers become
citizens OF The United States, il 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 a series Of facts and circumstances.
abandon their citizenship and cease to be
entitled TO the protection of the United States,
but continue on convenient occasions to as
sert 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 citizens contracted
abroad and concerning the status of Ameri-
can women who may marry foreigners, and
of children born OF American parents in a
foreign country.
The delicate ard complicated questions
COZ tinually occurring, with reference To
raturliZation, equalization and the status of
such persons as have above referred To in
duce me To earnestly direct your attentiOl
again to these subjects.
In like manner l repeat my recommended
ton that some means be provided for the
hearing and determination of the just and
suhsisting claims of aliens upon the govern
ment of the United States within a reason
able 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 governing all such
cases. and the want of a tribunal skilled in
the disposition of such cases upon recognized,
fixed and settled principles, either provides
10 remedy in many deserving cases or COM
pels q consideration of such claims by Co -
greSs or the executive departments of the
government.
II is believed that other governments are
in advance of the United States upon this
question, and that the practice now adopted
Congress by an act approved the 81 day Of
March, 1875, authorized the inhabitants of
the territory of Colorado TO form a state gov
eminent, with the name OF the state of CO.
dorado, and therein provided for the admis-
sion OF said state, when formed into the
Union, upon an equal footing with the origi-
nal states.
constitution having been adopted and
ratified by the people of that state, and the
acting governor having certified to me the
facts as provided by aid act. together with a
Snch and ~
provided for in the said act, and the prOvis-
ions OF the said act of Congress having been
duly complied with, issued a proclamation
upon the Isl OF August, 1876, a copy OF which
is hereto annexed.
The report OF the Secretary of War shows
that the army has been actively employed
during the year in subduing, at the request OF
the Indian bureau, certain wild bands of the
Sioux Indian nation and in preserving the
peace at the south during the election The
"a, 1885, TO consider and report on the twhole
subject OF the reform and reorganization of
the army" met In August last, and has col
lected a large mass of statistics and opinions
bearing on the subject before it. These are
now under consideration and their report is
progressing: I am advised, though, by the
impracticable to comply with the clause of
the act requiring the report TO be presented,
through me, TO Congress on the first day Of
that mature deliberation which the import
ance of the subject demands. Therefore ask
that the time OF making the report be extended
to the 18th day of January, 1877.
In accordance with the resolution of Au-
gust Is, 1876, the army regulations prepared
under the act of March !, 1876, have not been
promulgated, but are held until after the re-
port of the aforementioned commission
shall have been received and acted upon.
By the act of August Is, 1876. the cavalry
force of the army was increased by 500 men.
with the proviso that they should be dis
charged on the expiration of hostilities. I'm
der this authority, the cavalry regiments
have been strengthened and a portion Of
them are now In the field pursuing the rem
nants of the Indians with whom they have
been engaged during the Summer.
The estimates of the War Department arc
made up on the basis of the number of men
authorized by law and their requirements a
shown by years experience; and also with the
purpose, on the part OF the bureau officers, to
provide for all contingencies that may arise
during the time for which the estimates are
made. Exclusive OF engineer estimates (pre-
sented In accordance with acts of Congress
pTOvements at various localities) the esti-
mates now presented are about six millions
ne excess Of the appropriations for the years
in order to provide for the increased cavalry
force Should their services be necessary to
prosecute economically work upon impOr-
tant pubic buildings, to provide for arDa-
ment OF Notifications, and manufacture of
small arms, and TO replenish the working
stock in the supply departments. The APP
preparations for these last named have, for
the past few years, been so limited that the
denominations in store will be entirely ex-
hausted during the present year. and IL will
be necessary 10 at once begin 10 replenish
them.
invite your special attention to the fol-
lowing Recommendation of the Secretary of
War
First-That the claims under the act OF
July 4, 1864, for supplies taken by the army
during the war, be removed from the Offices
of the quartermaster and commissary gener-
ais and transferred to the southern claims
commission. These claims are Of precisely
similar nature to those now before the
southern claims commission, and the War
department bureaus have not the clerical
force for their examination nor proper ma
chinery for investigating the loyalty of the
claimants.
Second-That Congress sanction the
scheme OF an annuity fund for the benefit of
the families OF deceased officers, and that il
also provide for the permanent Organization
OF the signal service; both of which were re-
commended In my last annual message.
Third-That the manufacturing operations
OF the ordnance department be concentrated
at three arsenals and an armory, and that the
remaining arsenals be sold and the proceeds
applied to this object by the ordnance de-
partment
The appropriations for river and harbor i'm
provements for the current year were e5,-
0l5 600. With my approval the Secretary o.
war directed that Of this amount 50, 900 ,O0)
should be expended, and no new work should
be begun and none prosecuted which were
not OF national importance. Subsequently
this amount was increased to s2,2g COO, and