Speech #500135399

The act of June 26. 1884. and the acts amendatory thereof. in relation to tonnage duties. have given rise to extended correspondence with foreign nations with whom we have existing treaties of navigation and commerce. and have caused wide and regrettable divergence of opinion in relation to the imposition of the duties referred to. These questions are important. and I shall make them the subject of a special and more detailed communication at the present session. With the rapid increase of immigration to our shores and the facilities of modern travel. abuses of the generous privileges afforded by our naturalization laws call for their careful revision. The easy and unguarded manner in which certificates of American citizenship can now be obtained has induced a class. unfortunately large. to avail themselves of the opportunity to become absolved from allegiance to their native land and yet by a foreign residence to escape any just duty and contribution of service to the country of their proposed adoption. Thus while evading the duties of citizenship to the United States they may make prompt claim for its national protection and demand its intervention in their behalf. International complica-. tions of a serious nature arise. and the correspondence of the State Department discloses the great number and complexity of the questions which have been raised. Our laws regulating the issue of passports should be carefully revised. and the institution of a central bureau of registration at the capital is again strongly recommended. By this means full particalars of each case of naturalization in the United States would be sevuaed and properly indexed and- recorded. and thus many cases of spurious citizenship would be detected and unjust responsibilities would be avoided. The reorganization of the consular service is a matter of serious importance to our national interests. The number of existing principal consular offices is believed to be greater than is at all necessary for the conduct of the public business.