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*d Session.

No. 6431.

EXPATRIATION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.

JANUARY 18, 1907.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. PERKINS, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 24122.]

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to which was referred a bill (H. R. 24122) in reference to the expatriation of citizens and their protection abroad, having carefully considered the same, respectfully reports it back to the House with amendments, and as amended recommends its adoption.

This bill follows in its general lines the recommendations of the Department of State. A commission appointed by the Secretary of State, consisting of Mr. Scott, the Solicitor of the Department; Doctor Hill, former Assistant Secretary of State and now minister to The Hague, and Mr. Hunt, Chief of the Bureau of Passports, have submitted a full and valuable report on the necessity of the legislation asked for by the Department of State, to which the committee would refer.

The bill authorizes the issuance of passports restricted to six months to those who have filed their first papers and resided three years in this country. As the law now stands, a passport can not be issued except to a citizen. It frequently occurs that young men who have filed their first papers are required by business to travel outside this country. They have renounced their allegiance to their own country and can obtain no protection from it, and if no passports can be obtained from our Government they are entirely without protection. While passports are not required in some countries, they are in many others. This section is not obligatory, but it authorizes the Department of State to issue a passport in such a case.

The statute also fixes the status of American women marrying foreigners and foreign women marrying Americans. There has been more or less conflict in the courts upon this question, and it is desirable that the matter should be regulated by statute. A provision is made by which an American woman can regain her citizenship upon

the termination of the marital relation, which was thought by the committee to be proper and desirable.

Perhaps the most important provision of the bill is desired by the State Department to guard against complications in which this country has often been involved. All desire that the flag of this country should protect an American citizen to the fullest extent. But none of us desire that some foreigner who does not intend to cast his lot permanently with us should endeavor to avail himself of the flag as a fraudulent protection. Many foreigners come here, become naturalized, and then return to their own countries or migrate to other parts of the world, without any intention of returning to this country. They have not become citizens in good faith, but they seek to avail themselves of the protection of our citizenship in avoiding responsibility to which they may be subjected in other parts of the world.

This is not right. The citizenship of the United States should not be sought or possessed for commercial or dishonest ends. To guard against this evil this bill provides that a naturalized citizen who leaves this country and dwells elsewhere continuously for five years shall be presumed to have abandoned his citizenship. This presumption can be overcome, but such a provision as this would be a great assistance to the Department of State, would avoid possibilities of international complications, and will prevent those who are not entitled to its protection from dishonestly hiding under the American flag.

The committee recommends the passage of the bill amended as follows:

Page 2, lines 8 and 9, strike out the words " or when he has become domiciled in a foreign state."

Page 2, line 11, after the word "years," insert the word "continuously.'

Page 2, lines 11 and 12, strike out the words "become domiciled therein and that he has."

Page 3, line 14, after the words "naturalization of," insert the words "or resumption of American citizenship by."

Page 3, line 15, after the word "naturalization," insert the words "or resumption."

Page 4, after line 5, insert the words:

SEC. 8. Duplicates of any evidence, registration, or other acts required by this bill shall be filed with the Department of State for record.

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CONGRESS

DAM ACROSS FLINT RIVER AT PORTER SHOALS.

JANUARY 18, 1907.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. ADAMSON, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 24275.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 24275) permitting the building of a dam across the Flint River at Porter Shoals, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass.

The bill has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the indorsements attached and which are made a part of this report.

[First indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, January 16, 1907.

Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. The accompanying bill (H. R. 24275, 59th Cong., 2d sess.), to authorize the construction of a dam across Flint River at Porter Shoals, appears to make ample provision for the protection of navigation interests, and I know of no objection to favorable consideration by Congress so far as those interests are concerned.

A. MACKENZIE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. 8. Army.

[Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 16, 1907.

Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, inviting attention to the foregoing report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

ROBERT SHAW OLIVER, Assistant Secretary of War.

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59TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( REPORT 2d Session. No. 6433.

UNITED STATES COURTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

JANUARY 18, 1907.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. HENRY, of Texas, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 22334.]

The Committee on the Judiciary, having had the bill (H. R. 22334) to amend an act to regulate the sitting of the United States courts within the district of South Carolina under consideration, report that at present only one session of the United States district and circuit court is held at Columbia, S. C., and that convenes on the fourth Tuesday in November, when at the same time the State court of common pleas and the State supreme court are in session. This arrangement makes it very inconvenient for the members of the bar. as is set forth in a letter of Hon. R. W. Shand, president of the Bar Association of Richland County, to the Hon. A. F. Lever, Member of this House. The letter in part says:

As now arranged the session of the United States court on the fourth Tuesday in November conflicts with the State circuit court and the State supreme court, then in session. As proposed in H. R. 22334, there will be no conflict.

An additional term of the court at Columbia is made necessary on account of the increased civil business in the Federal courts, and this is set out in the testimony before the committee.

Your committee suggests the bill be amended as follows:

Strike out the word" first," in line 9, and insert the word "third." Strike out the word "April," in line 10, and insert the word "March."

This amendment is suggested by Hon. C. J. Murphy, C. C. C., U. S., district of South Carolina, in a letter to Hon. A. F. Lever, in which he says:

I think this change should be made, and it meets with the approval of Judge Brawley.

The bill as thus amended meets with the approval of all concerned, and as amended it is recommended that the bill do pass.

RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH FORT WRIGHT MILITARY RESERVATION, WASH.

JANUARY 18, 1907.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. YOUNG, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the

following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 24048.]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was submitted the bill (H. R. 24048) authorizing and empowering the Secretary of War to locate a right of way for and granting the same, and a right to operate and maintain a line of railroad through the Fort Wright Military Reservation, in the State of Washington, to the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company, its successors and assigns, having fully considered the same, report it favorably without amendment and recommend its passage.

The bill has the full approval of the War Department, as appears from the following indorsements:

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE JUDGE-ADVOCATE-GENERAL,
Washington, D. C., January 15, 1907.

Respectfully returned to The Military Secretary. The inclosed bill vests authority in the Secretary of War to allow the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company to cross the Fort Wright Military Reservation if, in his judgment, it can be done in such a manner as not to interfere with the uses of said reservation for military purposes by the United States. The inclosed bill vests sufficient authority in the Department to fully protect public interests, including the power to locate the right of way, to fix the compensation therefor, and to prescribe such regulations as it may deem proper for the operation of said railroad within the limits of the military reservation. It is therefore recommended that the committee be advised that the Department favors the passage of the bill.

GEORGE B. DAVIS, Judge-Advocate-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 17, 1907. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives, inviting attention to the foregoing report of the JudgeAdvocate-General of the Army. As thus framed the Department has no objection to the passage of the bill.

WM. H. TAFT,
Secretary of War.

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