NATURALIZATION. STATUTES OF THE UNITED STATES RELATIVE TO NATURALIZATION. Aliens, How Naturalized. 1. SECTION 2165. An alien may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States in the following manner, and not otherwise: Declaration of Intention. First-He shall declare on oath, before a circuit or aistrict court of the United States, or a district or supreme court of the territories, or a court of record of any of the states having common-law jurisdiction, and a seal and clerk, two years, at least, prior to his admission, that it is bona fide his intention. te become a citizen of the United States, and to renounce forever all allegiance and idelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty; and, particularly, by rare, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of which the alien may be at the time a citizen or subject. 14 April, 1802, c. 28, ss. 1, 3, v. 2, 153, 155; 26 May, 1824, c. 186, s. 4, v. 4, 69; 1 Feb., 1876, c. 5, v. 19, 2. Oath to Support the Constitution of the United States. Second-He shall at the time of his application to be admitted, declare, on oath, before some one of the courts above specified, that he will support the constitution of the United States, and that he absolutely and entirely renounces and abjures all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty; and, particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of which he was before a citizen or subject; which proceedings shall be recorded by the clerk of the court. 14 April, 1802, c. 28, s. 1, v. 2, 153. Residence-Good Moral Character. Third-It shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the court admitting such alien that he has resided within the United States five years at least, and within the state or territory where such court is at the time held, one year at least; and that during that time he has behaved as a man of a good moral character, attached to the principles of the constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same; but the oath of the applicant shall in no case be allowed to prove his residence. Titles of Nobility to Be Renounced. Fourth-In case the alien applying to be admitted to citizenship has borne any hereditary title, or been of any of the orders of nobility in the kingdom or state from which he came, he shall, in addition to the above requisites, make an express renunciation of his title or order of nobility in the court to which his application is made, and his renunciation shall be recorded in the court. 22 Mar., 1816, c. 31, s. 2, v. 3, 259; 24 May 1828, c. 116, s. 2, v. 4, 310; 1 Feb., 1876, c. 5, v. 19, 2. Remainder of section obsolete. Aliens Honorably Discharged from Military Service. 2. SEC. 2166. Any alien, of the age of twenty-one years and upward, who has enlisted, or may enlist, in the armies of the United States, either the regular or the volunteer forces, and has been, or may be hereafter, honorably discharged, shall be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, upon his petition, without any previous declaration of his intention to become such; and he shall not be required to prove more than one year's residence within the United States previous to his application to become such citizen; and the court admitting such alien shall, in addition to such proof of residence and good moral character, as now provided by law, be satisfied by competent proof of such person's having been honorably discharged from the service of the United States. 17 July, 1862, c. 200, s. 21, v. 12, 597. Minor Residents. 3. SEC. 2167. Any alien, being under the age of twenty-one years, who has resided in the United States three years next preceding his arriving at that age, and who has continued to reside therein to the time he may make application to be admitted a citizen thereof, may, after he arrives at the age of twenty-one years, and after he has resided five years within the United States, including the three years of his minority, be admitted a citizen of the United States, without having made the declaration required in the first condition of section twenty-one hundred and sixty-five; but such alien shall make the declaration required. therein at the time of his admission; and shall further declare, on oath, and prove to the satisfaction of the court, that, for two years next preceding, it has been his bona fide-intention to become a citizen of the United States; and he shall in all other respects comply with the laws in regard to naturalization. 26 May, 1824, c. 186, s. 1, v. 4, 69. Widow and Children of Declarants. 4. SEc. 2168. When any alien, who has complied with the first condition specified in section twenty-one hundred and sixty-five, dies before he is actually naturalized, the widow and children of such alien shall be considered as citizens of the United States, and shall be entitled to all rights and privileges as such, upon taking the oaths prescribed by law. 26 Mar., 1804, c. 47, s. 2, v. 2, 293. Aliens of African Nativity and Descent. 5. SEC. 2169. The provisions of this title shall apply to aliens [being free white persons, and to aliens] of African nativity and to persons of African descent. 14 July, 1870, c. 254, s. 7, v. 16, 256; 18 Feb., 1875, c. 80, v. 18, 318. Residence of Five Years in United States. 6. SEC. 2170. No alien shall be admitted to become a citizen who has not for the continued term of five years next preceding his admission resided within the United States. 3 Mar., 1813, c. 42, s. 12, v. 2, 811. Alien Enemies Not Admitted. 7. SEC. 2171. No alien who is a native citizen or subject, or a denizen of any country, state, or sovereignty with which the United States are at war, at the time of his application, shall be then admitted to become a citizen of the United States; but persons resident within the United States, or the territories thereof, on the eighteenth day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twelve, who had before that day made a declaration, according to law, of their intention to become citizens of the United States, or who were on that day entitled to become citizens without making such declaration, may be admitted to become citizens thereof, notwithstanding they were alien enemies at the time and in the manner prescribed by the laws heretofore passed on that subject; nor shall anything herein contained be taken or construed to interfere with or prevent the apprehension and removal, agreeably to law, of any alien enemy at any time previous to the actual naturalization of such alien. 14 April, 1802, c. 28, s. 1, v. 2, 153; 30 July, 1813, c. 36, v. 3, 53. Children of Persons Naturalized Under Certain Laws to Be Citizens. 8. SEC. 2172. The children of persons who have been duly naturalized under any law of the United States, or who, previous to the passing of any law on that subject, by the government of the United States, may have become citizens of any one of the States, under the laws thereof, being under the age of twenty-one years at the time of the naturalization of their parents, shall, if dwelling in the United States, be considered as citizens thereof; and the children of persons who now are, or have been, citizens of the United States, shall, though born out of the limits and jurisdiction of the United States, be considered as citizens thereof; but no person heretofore proscribed by any state, or who has been legally convicted of having joined the army of Great Britain during the revolutionary war, shall be admitted to become a citizen without the consent of the legislature of the state in which such person was proscribed. 14 April, 1802, c. 28, s. 4, v. 2, 155. 9. SEC. 2173. The police court of the District of Columbia shall have no power to naturalize foreigners. 17 June, 1870, c. 133, s. 5, v. 16, 154. Naturalization of Seamen. 10. SEC. 2174. Every seaman, being a foreigner, who declares his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States in any competent court, and shall have served three years on board of a merchant vessel of the United States subsequent to the date of such declaration, may, on his application to any competent court, and the production of his certificate of discharge and good conduct during that time, together with the certificate of his declaration of intention to become a citizen, be admitted a citizen of the United States; and every seaman being a foreigner, shall, after his declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States, and after he shall have served such three years, be deemed a citizen of the United States for the purpose of manning and serving on board any merchant vessel of the United States, anything to the contrary in any Act of Congress notwithstanding; but such seaman shall, for all purposes of protection as an American citizen, be deemed such, after the filing of his declaration of intention to become such citizen. Revised Statutes of the U. S., 1878, 368. 7 June, 1872, c. 322, s. 29, v. 17, 268. RECORDS. STATUTES OF THE UNITED STATES RELATIVE TO THE AUTHENTICATION OF RECORDS. Authentication of Legislative Acts and Proof of Judicial Proceedings of States, etc. 11. SECTION 905. The Acts of the legislature of any state or territory, or of any country subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, shall be authenticated by having the seals of such state, territory, or country affixed thereto. The records and judicial proceedings of the courts of any state or territory, or of any such country, shall be proved or admitted in any other court within the United States, by the attestation of the clerk, and the seal of the court annexed, if there be a seal, together with a certificate of the judge, chief justice, or presiding magistrate, that the said attestation is in due form. And the said records and judicial proceedings, so authenticated, shall have such faith and credit given to them in |
