Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-06

II
| of all the privileges of citizens of the United
| States, and the frequent occasions which induce
such adopted citizens to return to the country OF
their birth, render the subject Of naturalization
| and the safeguards which experience has proved
necessary for the protection Of the honest natural
| lied citizen, of paramount Importance.
The very simplicity in the requirements of law
on this question afford opportunity for irand, 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 a
constant source of difficulty. suggest no add
tionsl requirements to the acquisition of citizen
| ship beyond those now existing, but invite the
earnest attention of Congress to the necessity and
| wisdom Of some proposition regarding uniformity
| in the records and certificates and providing
against the frauds which frequently take place for
the vacating of record Of naturalization obtained
| in fraud. These provisions needed in and for
| the protection of the honest citizen of foreign
| birth, and for the want Of which he is made to
| suffer not infrequently.
| The United States has insisted upon the right of
| expatriaon, and has obtained after long strug-
gle an admission Of the principle contended for by
acquiescence therein on the part OF many foreign
powers AZ by the conclusion of treaties on that
subject. 1t is, however, but justice to the govern
ment to which such naturalized citizens have for
| merly owed allegiance, as well Us to the United
States, that certain fixed and definite rules should
| be adopted, governing such cases and providing
| how expstriation may be accomplished. While
emlgrants IN large numbers become citizens Of the
United States, it is also true that persons both
tive born and naturazed, once citizens of the U.
s., either by formal acts as the effect of senes
of facts and circumstances, abandon their citizen
ship, and TO be entitled to the protection of
the United States, but continue on convenient &C.
cssions to assert a claim to protection.
In the absence Of provisions on the sequences in
this connection, again invite your attention to
the necessity of legislation concerning the mar
rages of American citizens contracted abroad, and
concerning the status of American women who
may marry foreign, Of children born of American
parents in foreign country. The delicate and
complicated questions continually occurring with
reference to naturalization, expatriation and the
status of such persons have above referred to
induce me 10 earnestly direct your attention to
these subjects. In like manner | repeat my rec
concentrations, that some means be provided for
the hearing and determination of the just and
subsisting 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 be i'll certain cases resorted to by
alien claimants, the absence of any general pro-
visions governing all such cases upon recognized
fixed and settled principles, either provides rem
edy IN many deserving cases, or compels consid-
GRAFTON of such claims by Congress the execu-
tive departments of the Government 1t is believed
that other Governments are in advance of the
| United States upon thi, question, and that the
| practice now adopted is ntirely unsatisfactory
ADMISSION OF COLORADO.
Congress, by an act approved the third day of
March, 1875, authorized the Inhabitants of the
| Territory of Colorado to form State government
with the name of the State of Colorado, and there
in provided for the admission of said State when
formed. into the Union upon equal footing with
| the original States. constitution having been
adopted and ratified by the people of that State,
and the acting governor having certified to me the
iacts as provided by said act, together with copy
of such constitution and ordinances provided for
in the said act, and the provisions Of the said act
| of Congress having been duly complied with, l
| issued a proclamation upon the LIST of Aug, 1876,
| a copy of which is hereto annexed.
| THE ARMY-RE- oRGANIz ATIoS.
| 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 Committee constituted
under the act of July p, 1885, to consider and re-
| port on the whole subject of reform and reorgan-
ization of the whole army in August last, has
| collected large mass Of statistics and opinions
| bearing on the subject before 1t.
| These are now under consideration. and their
report is progressing. l am advised though by
the president of the commission that it will be i'm
| practicable to comply with the clause of the act
to Congress the first day OF this session, as there
| has not yet been time for that mature deliberaon
which the importance of the subject demands
Therefore ask that the time of making the re-
In accordance with the resolution of August 18th
1876, the army regulations prepared under the act
OF March LIST 1876 have not been promulgated, but
are held until after the report of the above men,
TONED commission shall have been received and
acted on.
By the act Of Aug 18th, 1876, the cavalry force
of the army was increased by $500 men, with the
provision that they should be discharged on the
suspension of hostilities Under this author-
ty the cavalry regiments have been strengthened
and portion of them are now in the field pursu-
ing the remnants Of the Indians with whom they
have been engaged during the summer
The estimates of the War Department are made
upon the basis of the number Of men authorized
| by law, their requirements as shown by years OF
| experience, and also with the purpose on the part
of the bureau officers to provide for all contingent
cies that may arise during the time for which the
estimates are made. Exclusive of engineers esti
mates presented in accordance with acts of Con.
gress calling for surveys and estimates for i'm
pr0vcments at various localities, the estimates now
presented are about six millions in excess of the
appropriations for the years 1915 76. This in.
crease is asked in order to provide for the ncreas
| ed cavalry force should their services be neces.
sary, to prosecute economically work upon impor-
| tant public buildings, to provide for armament Of
Notifications, manufactures of small arms, and to
replensh the working lstock in the supply depart
mens. The appropriations for these last named
have for the past five years been so limited thai
the accumulation in store will be entirely OK
hausted during the present year, and it will be
| necessary to at once begin to replenish them.
invite your special attention to the following rec
concentrations of the Secretary of War:
First, that the claims under the act of July 4th
1874, for supplies taken by the army during the
war be removed from the offices Of the quarter
master and comnissary generals and transferred
to the Southern claims commission These claims
are of precisely similar nature to those now before
the Southern claims commission, and thelWar De.
| partment bureaus have not the clerical force fol-
their examination. nor proper machinery for in
vestigatlng the loyalty of claimants
Second, that Congress sanction the scheme Of
an annuity fund for the benefit of the families Of
deceased officers, and that it also provide for the
permanent organization of the signal SERVICE both
of which were recommended in my last anAua
| message
Third, That the manufacturing operations Of
the ordnance department be concentrated at three
arsenals and an armory, and that the remaining
arsensls be sold and the proceeds applied to THU
object by the Ordnance Department.
RIVER AND HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS
The appropriations for river and harbor improve
ments for the carrent year were $5,0l5,000. Will
my approval the Sec'y of War directed that o.
this amount 81, 900 900 should be expended and
no new work should be begun and none prosecuted