Speech #590131737

Speaker. I think we are running off into side issues somewhat and discussing questions that do not and can not arise under this bill should it become a law. The trouble urged against it is that the immigrant to this country did not come here possessed of knowledge as to the precise terms of a section of an immigration bill that related to naturalization. I make a guess that ninetenths of the Members of this House. some of whom participated in the passage of that bill. do not remember the terms of that section. I understand that many of the State courts. in all of the States of the Union. forgot or ignored it for a time at least. and today we are discussing the question as to whether we shall apply a severe rule to these immigrants because they were not able to advise their attorneys. if they had attorneys. and to advise the courts that they appealed to to grant them naturalization as to what the law of the land was.-andthey proceeded. under all the solemnity of the old law. and succeeded in getting naturalization certificates that are substantially. if not precisely. in accord with the naturalization certificates issued in the United States for more than one hundred years prior to 1903. And yet we hesitate to say whether persons who have been thus unfortunate shall be in a situation where they can make valid. or where the courts can make valid. their certificates. We hesitate to say that their children. whose naturalization may depend upon this. shall become naturalized. because we imagine that somehow or other these ignorant immigrants could not instruct the State courts and lawyers of this country just how to prepare a certificate that was not in exact accordance with a section. not of a naturalization law. but of an immigration law. There is where we are. I think that is sufficient to be said. There is no attempt by this bill to validate fraudulent naturalization papers. for it is carefully drawn on that subject. It only undertakes to make valid the certificates which are not in form according to sectiofi 39 of the Immigration law.