Speech #500010497

Mr. Speaker. we come to the legal question. and if there is anything settled by the court which has the right to settle the law absolutely and finally. it is settled that the thing which this man did constituted him a citizen. Let it he borne in mind. this man says that when he went before the court with his witnesses and made the requisite oaths. he got his certificate of naturalization. There are hundreds in this room who know the steps taken on such an occasion. and they know that the rule is unifbrm that the certificate of naturalization is given when the proofs are made and the oaths taken. Some one has suggested here. as a reason why we should unseat the contestee. that there is no definite proof of the form of the certificate which he received. I see no force in this objection. I have seen hundreds. I think I might say truthfully thousands. of those certificates of naturalization issued and I have had reason to examine some of them. but if I were asked. especially if the question were sprung upon me suddenly. I could not answer specifically. nor could I. after time to reflect. give the very terms or words of them. How many here could give the precise form of their title deeds? They could readily answer that they had a deed in the usual form. just as thue contestee has sworn that he received a certificate in the usual form. but beyond that they could not go. Had the contestee been more particular and positive in his statement as to the very form of his certificate lie would only have cast a doubt on his veracity and have given ground to suspect that he was drawing on his imagination for his facts. We all know that the certificates issued on such occasions are essentially alike. and no one here has doubted. nordoes it admit of doubt. but that such a certificate issued to the person naturalized afterhe has. on his part. complied with the statute. is all that is required to confer on him and prove citizenship. The contestee has sworn positively that he did. as is the usual if not the uniform rule in such cases. receive such a certificate. and that it is lost. The case of Campbell n. Gordon (6 Crunch. 176) as has been stated by the gentleman from Illinois is. therefore. on all fours with this. The facts in that case are as follows: A citizen of Virginia died intestate. without issue. leaving a landed estate in Virginia. His brother. who. like this contestee. was a native of Scotland. having removed to this country. and became. as lie alleged. naturalized. died. leaving a daughter. she claimed the land by descent from her uncle.