In the Slaughter House Cases (1872) 16 Wall. 71, 21 L. ed. 407, Mr. Justice Miller makes the following interesting observations concerning the history and purpose of the 15th Amendment: "A few years' experience satisfied the thoughtful men who had been the authors of the other two amendments that, notwithstanding the restraints of those. articles on the states, and the laws passed under the additional powers granted to Congress, these were inadequate for the protection of life, liberty, and property, without which freedom to the slave was no boon. They were in all those states denied the right of suffrage. The laws were administered by the white man alone. It was urged that a race of men distinctively marked, as was the negro, living in the midst of another and dominant race, could never be fully secured in their person and their property without the right of suffrage. The negro, having, by the 14th Amendment, been declared to be a citizen of the United States, is thus made a voter in every state of the Union. It is true that only the 15th Amendment, in terms, mentions the negro by speaking of his color and his slavery. But it is just as true that each of the other articles was addressed to the grievances of that race and designed to remedy them as the 15th." But the amendment is general in terms, and applies to all persons, whether formerly in slavery or not, and all persons are equally entitled to its protection.

NATURALIZATION LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

The laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization are printed below, followed by the Naturalization Regulations, made by the Department of Commerce and Labor, which supplement the statutes in respect to the proceedings to be taken by aliens who seek to become naturalized.

NATURALIZATION LAWS.

The laws of the United States on the subject of naturalization are to be found in several different enactments. Some of them are in the United States Revised Statutes, under the title "Naturalization," including §§ 2166, 2169, 2171, and 2174. Others are found in the United States Statutes at Large, Vol. 22, page 58, § 14, and Vol. 28, page 124. There is also an act to validate certain certificates of naturalization, passed June 29, 1906, found in Stat. 1905-6, part 1, page 630, and the general naturalization law, passed June 29, 1906, found in Stat. 1905-6, part 1, page 596.

[In regard to the acquisition of citizenship by other means than naturalization, see §§ 1992 to 1995, inclusive, of the United States Revised Statutes. See also § 2172 of the Revised Statutes.]

UNITED STATES REVISED STATUTES.

TITLE, "NATURALIZATION."

Honorably discharged soldiers exempt from certain formalities.

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.

Aliens of African nativity and descent.

Sec. 2169. (As amended, 1875.)-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.

Naturalization to alien enemies prohibited.

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

For a list of sections repealed see post, 194, sec. 26 of act of June 26, 1906.

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.

Alien seamen of merchant vessels.

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 citi

zen, be deemed such, after the filing of his declaration of intention to become such citizen.

TWENTY-SECOND STATUTES At Large, Page 58.

Naturalization of Chinese prohibited.

Sec. 14. That hereafter no state court or court of the United States shall admit Chinese to citizenship; and all laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

TWENTY-EIGHT Statutes at Large, Page 124.

Aliens honorably discharged from service in Navy or Marine Corps.

Any alien of the age of twenty-one years and upward who has enlisted or may enlist in the United States Navy or Marine Corps, and has served or may hereafter serve five consecutive years in the United States Navy or one enlistment in the United States Marine Corps, and has been or may hereafter be 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 the court admitting such alien shall, in addition to proof of good moral character, be satisfied by competent proof of such person's service in and honorable discharge from the United States Navy or Marine Corps.

AN ACT TO Validate Certain Certificates of NaTURALI

ZATION.

[Stat. 1905-6, Part I., p. 630.]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That naturalization certificates issued after the act approved March third, nineteen hundred and three,