Speech #430097511

They therefore employed Mr. Durant to go over the work of the commissioners and eliminate everj change which the commissioners had made. but this change he failed to notice. and the committee have therefore deemed it their duty to bring it before Congress with a proposition to make the law precisely the same as it was before in reference to the Terqi. tories of Arizona and Utah. t There is one other matter immediately following this on the same page. I will read the paragravph: Section 2169 is amended by insertin" in the first line. afler the word "alien." the words "being free white persons. anito aliens." The original naturalization laws only extended to free "whi to" persons. That was the condition of the naturalization laws for a great many years. A very few years since. upon some bill. Mr. Snmner of Massachusetts. then in the Senate. moved to strike out the word "white" from the natralization laws. and it was objected to upon the ground that that would authorize the naturalization of this class of Asiatic immigrants that ore so plentiful upon the Pacific Coast. After considerable debate. instead of s6triking out the word "white." it was provided that the naturalization laws shotld extend to Africans and persons of African descent. Precisely what the view of the gentleman was who revised the naturalization laws. I am tnable to determine. He has left out the word" white" but has kept in the provision in relation to Africans and persos of African descent. The leaving out of the word "white" would seem to leave the naturalization to extend to every species of alien. but that evidently was not the idea of the gentleman who revised that chapter. because he kept in the provision in relation to Africans or persons of African descent. We have proposed by this amendment to restore the law to just the condition in which it was before the revision was made. The member of our committee who had this chapter on the naturalization laws to examine as a subcommittee failed to notice this change in the law or it would have been brought before the House when the revision was adopted.V With reference to either of these matters. if any gentleman thinks the committee have made a mistake. I will yield to him to move to strike out these provisions. I em not aware that any of the other provisions of the bill are of such interest that any gentleman desires to discuss them or to inquire concerning them. but I sbhl be very happy to answer any question in relation to any proposed auendmeunt which the committee have put forward in this bill.