ney-general no occasions have arisen in which the Republic has acted, and therefore has practice.

6. Concerning naturalization and the acquisition of citizenship in Liberia, there are three statutory enactments, as follows:

(a) General statutes, Article IV, under the head "Pertaining to the apportionment and improvement of lands," reads as follows:

SECTION 3. That women not having husbands immigrating to this Republic with permission and attached to no family besides their own shall receive each a town lot or two acres of farm lands on their own account, and one acre on account of each of their children-and unmarried men of the age of twenty-one years arriving in the Republic from aboard, or attaining their majority while resident in the same, and having taken the oath of allegiance, shall be admitted to draw and hold a building lot or five acres of farm land on the same conditions as married men. In case of marriage afterwards, such a person is to draw on account of his family no additional lands, but shall be entitled to hold whatever his wife may have previously drawn in her own rights or inherited from a former husband or other person, provided she shall not have alienated such lands at the time of her marriage.

(b) General statutes, joint resolution regulating immigrants' ex

penses:

It is resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia in legislature assembled:

SECTION 1. That from and immediately after the passage of this joint resolution, any immigrant or immigrants coming into the Republic of Liberia must first take oath of allegiance to the Republic and abjuration of the sovereign or state whence he comes, after which he may receive aid from the Government as such. The immigrant agent or agents shall keep a true and correct account of all expenses incurred for the benefit of said immigrant or immigrants. He shall make a quarterly report in duplicate of all money or moneys, goods, wares, and merchandise received for and on account of said immigrant or immigrants, stating specifically what he received and paid out. The original report shall be forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury, and duplicate to the superintendent of the county, territory, or district where said immigrant or immigrants reside, which report shall be entered in a book provided for that purpose.

SECTION 2. It is further resolved that any immigrant or immigrants remaining in the Republic of Liberia for a period of five years from the time of his, her, or their arrival into said Republic, the benefit received from the Government by said iminigrant or immigrants so remaining shall be gratis; but should any of them declare their intention to permanently leave the Republic before the expiration of five years after arriving into said Republic, the value of the benefits received from the Government from said immigrant or immigrants shall be estimated and considered a debt due the Government by said immigrant or immigrants, which shall be recoverable before any tribunal having competent jurisdiction.

Any law to the contrary not withstanding.
Approved, January 25, 1906.

(c) General statutes, an act of naturalization admitting aliens to become citizens of the Republic of Liberia:

Whereas it is apparent and absolutely necessary from past experience in the political history of Liberia that some uniform system should be inaugurated which will facilitate the growth of our infant country; and whereas the necessity for the twelfth and thirteenth sections of article 5 of the constitution of Liberia.

It is enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia in legislature assembled:

SEC. 1. That after the first day of January, A. D. 1878, aliens may be admitted to become citizens of the Republic of Liberia in the following manner, and not otherwise. The applicant for citizenship shall declare on oath before any one of the clerks of the court of quarter sessions and common pleas of the respective counties of this Republic one year at least prior to his admission that it is bona

H. Doc. 326, 59-2-29

fide his intention to become a citizen of the Republic of Liberia, and to renounce forever his allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, State, or Sovereignty of which the alien may be at the time a citizen or subject, and for which service the applicant shall pay the clerk 50 cents.

SEC. 2. The alien shall at the time of his application to be admitted declare on oath before one of the clerks of court, as specified above, that he will support the constitution of the Republic of Liberia, and that he absolutely and entirely renounces and abjures all fealty to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty of which he was citizen or subject, which proceedings shall be recorded by the clerk of the court (in a suitable book provided by Government for said purpose), and it shall be the duty of the clerk before said alien shall have taken the oath of allegiance and abjuration to be fully satisfied that every such alien has resided in the Republic of Liberia at least three years prior to his application for citizenship; that during said time the applicant has behaved as a man of good moral character; that he is attached to the principles of the Republic of Liberia and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. Provided, nevertheless, the oath of the applicant shall in no case be allowed to prove his time of residence in the Republic.

SEC. 3. It is further enacted that the secretary of state shall furnish each clerk of court with a proper form of application and oath, and the applicant shall be required to sign a copy of said form of application, and said copy shall be transmitted to the secretary of state to be duly filed in his office. And it shall be the duty of the clerk of court to strictly conform to the forms of application and oath as shall be furnished them by the secretary of state.

SEC. 4. It is further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the clerks of courts to transmit forthwith to the secretary of state an authenticated copy from the records of his office of the nature of the oath and abjuration of the applicant for citizenship.

SEC. 5. It is further enacted, that the provisions of this act shall not take effect until after the first Monday in January, A. D. 1878.

Approved January 27, 1876.

It being impossible to secure a copy of the statutes, it has been necessary to make these transcripts for the Department.

I have the honor, etc.,

ERNEST LYON,
Minister Resident.

MEXICO.

[Enclosures in despatch from Mr. Thompson, ambassador to Mexico, November 24, 1906.]

CONSTITUTION.

[Translation.]

TITLE I. SECTION II.-Mexicans.

ART. 30. The following are Mexicans:

I. All those born, within or without the Republic, of Mexican parents.

II. Foreigners who are naturalized in conformity with the laws of the federation.

III. Foreigners who acquire real estate in the Republic, or have Mexican children, provided they do not declare their intention to retain their nationality.

ART. 31. It is the duty of every Mexican

I. To defend the independence, the territory, the honor, the rights, and the interests of his country.

II. To contribute, in the proportional and equitable manner provided by law, toward the public expenses of the federation, and of the State, and the municipality in which he resides.

ART. 32. Mexicans shall, under equal circumstances, be preferred to foreigners for all public positions, offices, or commissions, in which citizenship is not an essential prerequisite. Laws shall be enacted to improve the condition of industrious Mexicans by rewarding those who distinguish themselves in any science or art, encouraging labor, and founding colleges and practical schools of arts and trades.

SECTION III.-Foreigners.

ART. 33. Those who do not possess the qualifications set forth in article 30 are foreigners. They are entitled to the guaranties established by Section I, title 1, of the present constitution, except that in all cases the Government has the right to expel pernicious foreigners. They are under obligation to contribute to the public expenses in the manner which the laws may provide, and to obey and respect the institutions, laws, and authorities of the country, submitting to the decisions of the courts, and being allowed no other remedy than such as are granted by the laws to Mexican citizens.

SECTION IV.-Mexican citizens.

ART. 34. All persons are citizens of the Republic who are Mexicans, and—

I. Have completed the age of eighteen years if they are married, or of twenty-one if not married.

II. Have an honest means of livelihood.

ART. 35. The following are prerogatives of the citizen:

I. To vote at popular elections.

II. To be eligible for any office or position of popular election, and for appointment to any other position or commission when possessing the qualifications required by law.

III. To associate with others to discuss the political affairs of the country.

IV. To enlist in the army or in the national guard for the defense of the Republic and its institutions.

V. To exercise the right of petition in matters of all kinds.

ART. 36. It shall be the duty of every citizen of the Republic:

I. To register in the list of the inhabitants of the municipality in which he lives, stating the property which he owns, if any, or the industry, profession, or labor by which he subsists.

II. To enlist in the national guard.

III. To vote at popular elections in the district to which he belongs. IV. To fill the federal offices to which he may be elected, and which in no case shall be gratuitous.

ART. 37. The character of citizen is lost:

I. By naturalization in a foreign country.

II. By officially serving the government of another country or accepting its decorations, titles, or employment without previous permission from the Federal Congress, excepting literary, scientific, and humanitarian titles, which may be accepted freely.

ART. 38. The law shall determine the cases and the form in which the rights of citizenship may be lost or suspended, and the manner in which they may be regained.

LAW CONCERNING ALIENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION, OF MAY 28, 1886.

[Translation.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND OF FOREIGN RELATIONS,

CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE.

The President of the Republic has been pleased to transmit to me the following decree:

Porfirio Diaz, President of the United States of Mexico, to its inhabitants, know ye, that the Congress of the Union has decreed as follows:

The Congress of the United States of Mexico decrees the following law concerning aliens and naturalization:

CHAPTER I.-Mexicans and aliens.

ARTICLE 1. The following are Mexicans:

I. Those born in the national territory of a father who is a Mexican by birth or by naturalization.

II. Those born in the national territory of a Mexican mother and of a father who is not legally known under the laws of the Republic. Those born of unknown parents, or of parents of unknown nationality, shall be classed under this head.

IÏÍ. Those born outside of the Republic, of a Mexican father who has not lost his nationality. If he has lost his nationality the children shall be considered aliens, but may, nevertheless, elect to be Mexicans within one year from the day on which they attain the age of 21 years, provided they make a declaration to that effect before the diplomatic or consular agents of the Republic, if they reside abroad, or before the department of [foreign] relations, if they reside in the national territory.

If the children to whom this section relates reside in the national territory, and on attaining their majority have accepted any public office, or have served in the army, navy, or national guard, they shall be regarded in consequence of such acts as Mexicans, without the necessity of any further formalities.

IV. Those born outside the Republic, of a Mexican mother, if the father is unknown and if the mother has not lost her nationality under the provisions of this law. If the mother has been naturalized in a foreign country her children will be aliens, but they shall have the right to elect to be Mexicans on the same terms and conditions as those provided by the foregoing section.

V. Mexicans who having lost their national character under the provisions of this law recover it by fulfilling the conditions fixed by this law, according to the various cases which may arise.

VI. Foreign women who have married Mexicans, they retaining their Mexican nationality even during widowhood.

VII. Those born outside of the Republic, but who, having been residents therein in 1821, took the oath to the act of independence, have continued their residence in the national territory and have not changed their nationality.

VIII. Mexicans who, residing in the territories ceded to the United States by the treaties of February 2, 1848, and November 30, 1853, fulfilled the conditions required by those treaties for the preservation

of their Mexican nationality. Under this head shall be classed Mexicans who continue to reside in territory belonging to Guatemala, and citizens of Guatemala remaining in territory belonging to Mexico under the treaty of September 27, 1882, provided such citizens comply with the requirements stipulated in article 5 of that treaty.

IX. Aliens who are naturalized in accordance with the present law. X. Aliens acquiring real estate in the Republic, provided they do not declare their intention of retaining their nationality. At the time of making the acquisition the alien shall declare to the officiating notary or judge whether he does or does not wish to acquire Mexican nationality as granted him by Section III of article 30 of the constitution, and the alien's decision on this point shall appear in the document.

If he chooses Mexican citizenship, or if he omits making any declaration on the subject, he may, within one year, apply to the department of [foreign] relations, in order to comply with the requirements of article 19, and be deemed a Mexican.

XI. Aliens having children born in Mexico, provided they do not prefer to retain their alien character. At the time of registering the birth, the father shall declare his decision on this point before the judge of civil registration, and such decision shall appear in the document itself; and if he elects to acquire Mexican citizenship, or if he omits making any declaration on the subject, he may, within one year, apply to the department of [foreign] relations in order to comply with the requirements of article 19, and be deemed a Mexican.

XII. Aliens serving the Mexican Government in an official capacity, or accepting from it titles or public offices, provided that within one year after accepting the titles or public offices conferred upon them, or after beginning to serve the Mexican Government in an official capacity, they apply to the department of [foreign] relations in order to comply with the requirements of article 19, and be deemed Mexicans.

ART. 2. The following are aliens:

I. Those born outside of the national territory who are subjects of foreign governments and who have not been naturalized in Mexico. II. The children of an alien father, or of an alien mother and unknown father, born in the national territory, until they reach the age at which, according to the law of the nationality of the father or of the mother, as the case may be, they become of age. At the expiration of the year following that age they shall be regarded as Mexicans, unless they declare before the civil authorities of the place where they reside that they follow the citizenship of their parents.

III. Those absent from the Republic without permission or commission from the Government, excepting in order to prosecute their studies, or in the interests of the public, or for the establishment of trade or industry, or in the practice of a profession, who allow ten years to elapse without asking permission to prolong their absence. Such permission shall not exceed five years for each request, and after the first is granted good and valid reasons shall be required in order to obtain another permission.

IV. Mexican women who have married aliens, they retaining their alien character even during widowhood. If the marriage is dissolved, the Mexican woman may recover her citizenship, provided