I presume it will be safe to say that in 90 per cent of the cases there will be no opposition to granting the application and that the petitions will be granted within ninety days. Where. however. there has been reason to believe that opposition should be made by the Government of the United States to the granting of an application. on the ground that the applicant is not worthy for any reasonand it makes no difference what the particular objection may bethen it is no hardship to that individual if in that partic* ular case he has to wait fortyfive days until the Government has an opportunity to determine whether or not it desires to appeal. It is not only in the courts of Boston. which are six or eight hours from Washington. where naturalization under this bill will be carried on. but in the courts in California. in Hawaii. courts in all the Territories and in every State of the Union are authorized by this bill to grant naturalization. They have to communicate with the Department at Washington. the Department at Washington may. perhaps. in some extreme case be required to communicate with some foreign government. Ninety days is not too long to give the Government an opportunity to post itself as to the qualifications of the applicant. and it is no hardship to the applicant if he should wait the ninety days. I say to the gentlemanand I know he will agree with methat when an applicant is applying for what I believe the most priceless boon to be given to manAmerican citizenshipit is no hardship to him to have his qualifications examined by the Government. and that the Government should have ample opportunity to make that examination thorough in every respect. These various courts are permitted to naturalize aliens not for the benefit of the Government. but for the convenience of the applicants. I submit. therefore. that the time is none too long. and I hope that the amendment of the gentleman from Massachusetts will be voted down.
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