Year: 1874

| abroad, where sucn questlOn Is noC regulate'
by treaty, are all sources of frequent difficult.
and discussion. Legislation on these ant
similar questions, and particularly defining
when and under what circumstances expatrla
ton can be accomplished or is to be presumed
is especially needed. In this connection
earnestly call the attention of Congress to th'
difficulties arising from fraudulent naturaliza
tion.


The United States wisely, freely and liber
ally offers its citizenship to all who may come
in good faith to reside within its limits or
their complying with certain prescribed rea
sonable and simple formalities and conditions
Among the highest duties of the government
is that to afford firm, efficient, and equal pro
lection to all its citisens, whether native born
or naturalized. Care should be taken that 6
right carrying with it such support from the
governments should not be fraudulently obtain
ed, and should be bestowed only upon full
proofs of compliance with the law, and yet fire
auent instances are brought to the attention Of
the government of illegal and fraudulent nat
uralization and of the unauthorized use of Ger
ti6cates, thus improperly obtained. In some
cases the fraudulent characters of the natural
ization has appeared upon the face of the
certificate itself; in others, examination dis
closes that the holder had not complied with
the law, and in others certificates have been
obtained where the persons holding them, moi
only we're not entitled to be naturalized, bu
had not even been within the United States
at the time of the pretended naturalization
Instances of each of these classes of fraud are
discovered at our legations, where the Ger
tiicates of naturalization are presented, eth
er for the purpose of obtaining passports, OF
in demanding the protection of the legation
When the fraud is apparent on the face OF
such certificates, they are taken up by the
representatives of the government and for
warded to the department Estate. But even
then the record of the court in which the fraud
ulent naturalization occurred remains, and
duplicate certificates are readily obtainable
Upon the presentation of these for the issue
of passports, or in demanding protection Of
the government, the fraud sometimes escapes
notice, and such certificates are not untre
queDtly used in the transaction of business, to
the deception and injury of innocent parties
Without any additional obstacles in the way
of the obtainment of citizenship by the
worthy and we'll intentioned foreigner who
comes in good faith to cast his lot with ours
1 earnestly recommend further legislation to
punish fraudulent naturalization, and to Sc
cure the ready cancellation Of the record OF
every naturalization made in fraud since my
last annual message


The exchange has been made of the rati6
cation of treaties extradition with Belgium
Ecuador, Peru and Salvador also, of treaty
of commerce and navigation with Peru, and
one of commerce and consular privileges with
Salvador, all of which have been duly pro-
claimed as has also declaration with Russia
with reference to trade marks. The report
of the secretary of the treasury, which by law
is made directly to Congress, and is no part Of
this message, will show the receipts and ex-
penditures of the government for the last fis
cal year-the amount received from each
source of revenue, and the amount paid out
for each of the departments of government
1t will be observed from this report that the
amount of receipts over expenditures has been
but 50 344 $3.50 for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1874, and that for the current fiscal
year the estimated receipts over expenditures
will not much exceed 100000, in view
of the large national debt existing, and OBJ
legation to add one per cent. per annum to the
sinking fund, sum amounting now to over
$34,000,000 per annum. l submit whether
revenues should not he increased or expendl
ture diminished to reach this amount ofsurplus
Not to provide for the sinking fund is par
tial failure to comply with the contracts and
obligations of the government


At the last session of Congress a very con
siderable reduction was made in the rates o
taxation and in the number of articles sub
mitted to taxation. The question may be ask
ed whether or not in some instances unwlsely
In connection with this subject, too, l venture
the opinion, that the means of collecting the
revenues, especially from imports, have been
so embarrassed by legislation as to make
it questionable whether or not large amounts
are not lost by failure to collect, to the direct
loss of the treasury, and to the prejudice OF
the interests of honest importers and taxpay
erS.


The Secretary of the Treasury, in his report
favors legislation looking to an early return
to specie payments, thus supporting the views
previously expressed in this message. he
also recommends economy in appropriations
calls attention to the loss of revenue from re
pealing the tax on tea and coffee without
benefit to the consumer, and recommends
an increase of ten cents a gallon on whisky
and further, that no modification be made II
the banking and currency bill passed at the
last session of Congress, unless modification
should become necessary by reason of the
adoption of.measures for returning to specie
payments. In these recommendations l cor
daily join. l would suggest to Congress thf
propriety of readjusting the tariffso as to in
crease the revenue and at the same time de
crease the number of articles upon which du
ties are levied. Those articles which entel
into our manufactures and are not produced a
home, it seems to me- should be entered free
Those articles of manufacture which we pro
duce constituent part of, but do not pro
duce the whole; that which we do no
produce should enter free also. / will instance
fine wool, dyes, &c. These articles must bf
imported to form part of the manufacture
of higher grades of woolen goods Chemicals
used as dyes, compounded in medicines, anc
in various ways in manufactures, come under
this class. The introduction, free of duty
of such woods as we do not produce, woule
stimulate the manufacture of goods requiring
the use of those we do produce and therefore
would be benefit to home production.


There are many articles entering into home
manufactures, which we do not produce our
selves, the tariffupon which increases the cos
of producing the manufactured article. AL
corrections in this regard are in the direction
of bringing labor and capital in harmony with
each other and of supplying one of the ele
ments prosperity so much needed.


The report of the Secretary of War here
with attached, and forming part of this mes
sage, gives all the information concerning the