Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-23
CAPITOL TOPICS
The Oates Naturalization Bin Favorabiy
Acted Upon by the House Committee.

ACtcO UPON W NHc nour< Nothhttt<r. 1
The Oates naturalization bill was today finally
acted upon by the House Judiciary committee
and Mr. Oates (Ala), who has in the last two
Congresses urged the adoption OF q measure TO
make changes which il is generally adj
mitted need TO be made in existing
naturalization laws was authorized 10 report
the bill favorably TO the House. The bill makes
some radical changes in the existing law. The
most radical Of these are an abolition Of a
declaration of intention and re-
quirement that naturalization proceedings
shan take the form of q court trial in wkich /
nSe years residence, ability 20 read the Consii-
tunon and absence Of certain moral disqualif-
carons 70 citizenship must be proved.
Inc OH provides that no alien who has ever !
been convicted OF a felony or other infamous
crime or misde meanog, including moral turpi- |
indoor who is an anarchist or poycamist or I'M |
migrated to the United States in violation OF
any OF our laws, or who cannot read the Con- /
stitution OF the United States, shall be natural
lied Five years continuous residence in the |
United States and one year within the state in |
which application is made are established as |
prerequisites TO naturalization A form of
petition praying naturalization is prescribed |
Applicants arc required TO make affidavit |
that the statements made in the petition ar, |
true. The petition, after proper notice TO the |
legal representatives OF the United States. is to
be tried by the court in preference TO other
cases. Before granting the petition the
court must be satisfied that all
the allegations of the petition are
proven; that the petitioner is OF good moral
character and fit person, according to Law. to
become a citizen Of the United States. The
courts of the United States whom the right
| of naturalization is conferred are the district
| and circuit courts of the territories and the
state courts OF the highest original common
| law Jurisdiction; whether called supreme court.
circuit court, district or common pleas court
The declaration of intention at present re-
| CURED is abolished, except as to those persons
| not here five years who may desire TO take up
| an entry on the public lands.
FOR Mr.. HERBS RELIEF.
During the war of the rebellion the Union
army occupied Herr's Island, near Harpers
Ferry. The Secretary of War allowed the es-
tate Of A. II. Herr the sum of eli. 2Ss So for
the use Of the island and today the senate
passed bill appropriating that amount
AN ADVERSE REPORT.
The Senate committee on finance today
dered an adverse report to be made upon
Senator'S Coke's bill to amend the laws
| In regard to national banking associa-
tons. Only three members of the commit
| tee-Messrs. Vance, Harris and Noor-
| hees-were favorably inclined toward the
bill. 1t will be placed upon the calendar in or
| der to allow Senator Coke TO make a speech
| upon the matter. The measure proposes TO
| wipe out the national bank circulation, replac-
ing II with treasury notes, and also permits the
| banks 20 lend money upon real estate security.
the interest not 10 exceed s per centln any case
| and in the absence of stipulation to be liked at
| 6 per cent. There was some discussion in an
informal way of the subject Of taxation Of
state bank circulation, but no action was taken.
and at the request Of Senator Voorhees, the sub
1ect went over for future consideration.
| SPECIAL RATES TO THE FAIR.
A proposition which If adopted will no doubt
Il s~Ar n "A.
| at the worlds fair is put forward in
a bill in the House today by Representa-
tive Powers Of Vermont. IL makes it law
| ful Tor any railroad or transportation
company in the United States to make special
rates for the transportation of military organ
| izations with their equipages to the fair, not
withstanding anything in the interstate COM
merce act to the contrary.
RECORDS OF THE REBELLION
Senator Morrill, today introduced a bill to
provide for the permanent preservation and
| custody OF the records of the volunteer armies.
| The bill authorizes the President TO select an
officer Of the army whom he may consider TO
be especially qualified to be chief OF the bureau
| to be created. A bill similar in purport was
passed by the last Congress. but was vetoed by
the President and the present bill is so framed
| a. to meet the objections then made.
| THE APPROPRIATION BILLS.
The appropriations committee has its work
well in hand, and in a comparatively short
time could get all the bills now committed
to it on the calendar of the House
if there were any occasion therefor. The
| District Of Columbia appropriation bill is
nearly completed by the subcommittee and
| will, perhaps, be reported to the full committee
| this week. The pension bill is brief. and has
been gone over sufficiently to afford basis
which il can be finally drafted at almost
any time. The largest of the regular annual
appropriation bills and one usually giving the
most trouble, that providing for ''sundry
civil expenses of the government, is in
fair shape. the subcommittee, Of
which Mr. Savers of Texas is chairman. has
| examined large number of government off,
| GERS with reference to the estimates Of expendi-
| lures for branches Of the service embraced in
this bill IL is generally expected that the
| sundry civil bill will show larger reductions
| the other annual appropriation bills. To a
considerable extent the appropriations
carried by this bill are discretionary
with Congress. The preparation OF the
three remaining bills in charge Of
the appropriations committee has not
vet begun. These are the Notifications. legis-
latiye and deficiency bills The naval commit
tee has the naval appropriation bill in such
| shape that two weeks hence the
| bill should be almost if not quite
| statement is true of the army appropriation
bill, in charge Of the military committee.
| Very little has yet been done on the diplo-
| matte. the post Office or the agricultural APP
preparation bills by the respective committees
| to which they intrusted the anti-options
| hearing having taken up all the time OF Mr..
| Hstch's former committee.
TO REPEAL THE LOYALTY PROVISION.
The House Judiciary committee today author
ICED Mr.. Oates of Alabama to report favorably
his bill to repeal the provision of the Revised
Statutes making loyalty during the late war a
prerequisite to securing pension on the part of
persons otherwise entitled to be peusioned.
No back pay, however, is to be received by
| these persons. The act also is not to apply to
persons under the disabilities OF the fourteenth
| amendment to the federal constitution.
PEcULIARrTIEs OF STEEL RAILS.
There was today laid before the House a re-
port from MAORI. N. Reilly, ordnance bureau,
U. s. A., of tests of materials for industrial
and other purposes made at the Watertown,
Mass, arsenal during the fiscal year
1891. A large number of tests haze
been made, the report says, upon
a series of steel rails in the class Of railroad
material An important feature was shown in
the tests of certain rails which had been in
service. 1t was found that remarkable diff
ference in toughness was displayed according
| to whether the rail was bent in q
downward direction, the base being then under