Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-06-22
PASSPORT REGULATIONS.
More Stringent Rules In Force-Results In
the Case Of O'Donovan Rosa.

WASHINGTON, June 2l.-The state de-
partment is coming into good many CON-
plants on account OF its adoption of more
stringent policy than heretofore in the mat
ter of issuing passports. passport ex-
pires after two years frcm the date of its
issue, but it has been customary to issue a
new passport in the shape of a renewal,
simply upon the surrender of the old one.
Secretary Gresham, however, places a
more serious construction upon passport
than scme of his predecessors. He thinks
ifit is worth issuing at all it is worthy of
being issued with some care, and he there
fore demands that fresh descriptive afli-
davit and application be made out when a
new passport is desired. This is very
simple and inexpensive formslity so that no
real hardship is worked by it,
though sometimes inconvenience is
caused by delay where an ap-
applicant at distance is not aware of the
change of practice, and loses some days in
correspondence on the very eve of setting
sail for the old world.
The incidentals to an application for a
passport also are more carefully scrutiniZed
than of old. 1t used to be the custom to
give hasty glance at the papers, and if
they appeared regular on their face to put
the passport through the mill without fur
ther ado. The result in the case of natural
lied foreigners returning to their own
countries, especially where they had been
concerned in insurgept movement before
leaving home, originally was to keep our
state department constantly embroiled
some where, or under fire from half-informed
newspapers anxious to make a point for
partisan purposes against the ruling admin
istration.
One of the sufferers by the strict en-
forcement of the rules is the redoubtable
O'Donovan Rosa, who applied for pass
port Just before sail ng for the Uni ed
Kingdom. He came to this country first in
1868, and went back almost Immediately,
came again in 1865, and once more went
back only to be captured by his British
foes and cast into prison, where he stayed
till 1871, obtaining his release then in con-
sideration Of promise to fail for America
without delay. He came to the United
States at once and was naturalized within
one month Of his arrival on the assertion of
five years residence. His plea was that
as his return to this country i, 1865 was
prevented tnly by his arrest, for which he
was not accountable, therefore he was con-
structively in tie United States.
But the hard-hesrted state department re-
fused to accept as valid certificate of
naturalization based upon anything short of
FIVE years of actual and bodily residence.
OF course, after his stay of Is years con-
tpuously, there would be no difficulty about
his getting out genuine naturalization
papers. That would have bsen too cont
monplace a course for revolutionist Of his
highly colored brand, and he preferred to
stand by his bogus certificate even at the
! cost of going abroad without any passport,
which he finally did.
As 1t is some time now since he has
been able to pose as martyr. 1t would
doubtless suit him very well to be arrested
abroad for incitipg insurrection, AMI then
bring out in brilliant eloquence the fat {
tlat the cowardly government Of the United
States had refused him its sheepskin SYM
Dol Of protection.