covered dangers to navigation, and changes in lights, buoys, and other day or night marks-which probably can be best undertaken by the adoption of some carefully considered international system. The alacrity with which the principal maritime states have responded, by concurrent legislation to the ascertained requirements of modern developments of commercial navigation, whether on the high seas or in their several jurisdictional waters open to foreign shipping, and their readiness to consider, and when feasible to adopt, practical suggestions in the direction of uniformity and certaintyof conveying intelligence at sea and for the benefit of sea-going vessels, whenever such have been proposed, leads the Government of the United States to anticipate that they will be now no less prompt and unanimous in agreeing to confer together for their mutual advantage, taking into consideration whatever measures may tend to secure additional safeguards to maritime inter course. By direction, therefore, of the President of the United States, you will tender to the Government to which you are accredited a cordial invitation to be represented by as many delegates as may seem to it convenient, at an international conference to meet in the City of Washington, on Wednesday, the 17th day of April, 1889, the purposes of such conference being to revise and amend the rules, regulations, and prac tice concerning vessels at sea, and navigation generally, and the "International Code of Flag and Night Signals; to adopt a uniform system of marine signals, or other means of plainly indicating the direction in which vessels are moving in fog, mist, falling snow, and thick weather, and at night; to compare and discuss the various systems employed for the saving of life and property from shipwreck, for reporting, marking, and removing dangerous wrecks or obstructions to navigation, for designating vessels, for conveying to mariners and persons interested in shipping, warnings of approaching storms, of dangers to navigation," of changes in lights, buoys, and other day and night marks, and other important information; and to formulate and submit for ratification to the governments of all maritime nations proper international regulations for the prevention of collisions and other avoidable marine disasters. It will be understood by all states taking part in this conference that no questions relating to the regulation of trade and commerce are within the scope of the discussion, and that in the disposition of any questions which may be presented to the conference, no state shall be entitled to more than one vote, whatever may be the number of delegates representing it. Government by You will make this invitation known to the reading this note to the minister for foreign affairs, and, if desired, you will leave a copy with him. Your own discretion will suggest to you the most effective manner of making known the great interest taken by the President in the benevolent purposes of the proposed conference, and his desire and confident expectation that, in the universal interest of sea-faring humanity, the Government of will receive and re spond to our invitation in the same spirit in which it is extended. I am, sir, your obedient servant, T. F. BAYARD. [Inclosure.] [PUBLIC-No. 167.] AN ACT providing for an international marine conference to secure greater safety for life and prop. erty at sea. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, authorized and requested to invite the government of each maritime nation to send delegates to a marine conference that shall assemble at such time and place as he may designate, and to appoint seven delegates, two of whom shall be officers of the United States Navy and one an official of the Life-Saving Service, two masters from the merchant marine (one from the sailing marine and one from the steam marine), and two citizens familiar with shipping and admiralty practice to represent the United States at said marine conference, and to fill vacancies in their number. SEC. 2. That it shall be the object of said marine conference to revise and amend the rules, regulations, and practice concerning vessels at sea, and navigation generally and the "International Code of Flag and Night Signals;" to adopt a uniform system of marine signals, or other means of plainly indicating the direction in which vessels are moving in fog, mist, falling snow, and thick weather, and at night; to compare and discuss the various systems employed for the saving of life and property from shipwreck, for reporting, marking, and removing dangerous wrecks or obstruction to navigation, for designating vessels, for conveying to mariners and persons interested in shipping warnings of approaching storms, of dangers to navigation, of changes in lights, buoys, and other day and night marks, and other important information; and to formulate and submit for ratification to the governinents of all maritime nations proper international regulations for the prevention of collisions and other avoidable marine disasters. SEC. 3. That the sum of twenty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as shall be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, for the necessary expenses of said marine conference, including the pay and allowances of the representatives of the United States therein, which shall be at the rate of five thousand dollars per annum, and actual necessary expenses, for such delegates as are not salaried officers of the United States, and the latter shall be allowed their actual necessary expenses. The Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to provide the conference with such facilities as may be deemed necessary. The powers and authority conferred by this act upon the persons appointed by the President by force thereof, shall terminate on the first day of January, anno Domini eighteen hundred and ninety, or sooner, at the discretion of the President. SEC. 4. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to transmit to Congress a detailed statement of the expenditures which may have been incurred under the provisions of this act. Approved July 9, 1888. No. 1132. To the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States. [Circular.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 20, 1888. GENTLEMEN: I transmit herewith copies of a new edition (July, 1888) of the forms of application for passports and of the general instructions in regard thereto, which are to be used, in accordance with the standing instructions of the Department, in the place of those heretofore transmitted. I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, T. F. BAYARD. I, 88: a native and loyal citizen of the United States, do hereby apply to the Department of State at Washington for a passport for myself and wife, and my minor children as follows: 18-, and born at on the " day ofIn support of the above application, I do solemnly swear that I was born at in the State of on or about the- day of 18-; that my father is a citizen of the United States; that I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being at in the State of where I follow the occupation of -; that I am about to go abroad temporarily; and that I intend to return to the United States with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein. Oath of allegiance.-Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me God. Sworn to before me this day of 18-. Notary Public. Description of applicant.-Age, forehead, ; eyes, plexion, ; face, Identification. years; stature, feet inches, English; -; com ; nose, ; mouth, ; chin, -; hair, 18-. I hereby certify that I know the above-named personally, and I know him to be a native-born citizen of the United States, and that the facts stated in his affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. County of I, 88: a naturalized and loyal citizen of the United States, do hereby apply to the Department of State at Washington for a passport for myself and wife, and my minor children, as follows: -, born at -, on the day of In support of the above application I do solemnly swear that I was born at in, on or about the day of, 18-; that I emigrated to the United States, sailing on board the day of 18-; that I resided years uninterruptedly in the United States, from at ; that I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States, before the court of at, on the · day of, 18-, as shown by the accompanying certificate of naturalization; that I am the identical person described in said certificate; that I am domiciled in the United States, my permanent residence being where I follow the occupation of at , in the State of -; that I am about to go aboad temporarily, and that I intend to return to the United States with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein. Oath of allegiance.-Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me God. Description of applicant.-Age, forehead, ; eyes, ion, -; face, Identification.— years; stature, feet inches, English; ; nose, ; mouth, -; chin, -; hair, -; complex18-, I hereby certify that I know the above-named personally, and know him to be the identical person referred to in the within-described certificate of naturalization, and that the facts stated in his affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. [Address of witness.] Applicant desires passport to be sent to following address: [Inclosure 3.] General instructions in regard to passports-1888. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Citizens of the United States visiting foreign countries are liable to serious inconvenience if unprovided with authentic proof of their national character. The best safeguard is a passport from this Department, certifying the bearer to be a citizen of the United States. Passports are issued only to citizens of the United States upon application, supported by proof of citizenship. Citizenship is acquired by nativity, by naturalization, and by annexation of territory. An alien woman who marries a citizen of the United States thereby becomes a citizen. Minor children resident in the United States become citizens by the naturalization of their father. When the applicant is a native citizen of the United States he must transmit his own affidavit of this fact, stating his age and place of birth, with the certificate of one other citizen of the United States to whom he is personally known, stating that the declaration made by the applicant is true. The affidavit must be attested by a notary public, under his signature and seal of office. When there is no notary in the place the affidavit may be made before a justice of the peace, or other officer authorized to administer oaths; but if he has no seal, his official act must be authenticated by certificate of a court of record. A person born abroad, who claims that his father was a native citizen of the United States, must state in his affidavit that his father was born in the United States, has resided therein, and was a citizen of the same at the time of the applicant's birth. This affidavit must be supported by that of one other citizen acquainted with the facts. If the applicant be a naturalized citizen, his certificate of naturalization must be transmitted for inspection (it will be returned with the passport), and he must state in his affidavit that he is the identical person described in the certificate presented. Passports can not be issued to aliens who have only declared their intention to become citizens. Military service does not of itself confer citizenship. A person of alien birth who has been honorably discharged from military service in the United States, but who has not been naturalized, should not transmit his discharge paper in application for a passport, but should apply to the proper court for admission to citizenship, and transmit a certified copy of the record of such admission. In issuing passports to naturalized citizens the Department will be guided by the naturalization certificate; and the signature to the application and oath of allegiance should conform in orthography to the applicant's name as written in the naturalization paper. Every applicant is required to state his occupation and the place of his permanent legal residence, and to declare that he goes abroad for temporary sojourn and intends to return to the United States with the purpose of residing and performing the du ties of citizenship therein. The wife or widow of a naturalized citizen must transmit the naturalization certificate of the husband, stating in her affidavit that she is the wife or widow of the person described therein. The children of a naturalized citizen, claiming citizenship through the father, must transmit the certificate of naturalization of the father, stating in their affidavits that they are children of the person described therein, and were minors at the time of such naturalization. The oath of allegiance to the United States will be required in all cases. The application should be accompanied by a description of the person, stating the following particulars, viz: Age, years; stature, eyes, feet inches (English measure); forehead, -; nose, -; mouth, ; chin, -; hair,· -; complexion, ; face, If the applicant is to be accompanied by his wife, minor children, or servants, it will be sufficient to state the names and ages of such persons and their relationship to the applicant, when a single passport for the whole will suffice. For any other person in the party a separate passport will be required. A woman's passport may include her minor children and servants. By act of Congress approved March 23, 1888, a fee of $1 is required to be collected for every citizen's passport. That amount in currency, postal money-order, or postal note should accompany each application. Orders should be payable to the disbursing clerk of the Department of State. A passport is good for two years from its date and no longer. A new one may be obtained by stating the date and number of the old one, paying the fee of $1 and furnishing satisfactory evidence that the applicant is at the time within the United States. The oath of allegiance must also be transmitted when the former passport was issued prior to 1861. Citizens of the United States desiring to obtain passports while in a foreign country must apply to the chief diplomatic representative of the United States in that country, or in the absence of a diplomatic representative then to the consul-general, if there be one, or, in the absence of both the officers last named, to a consul. Passports can not be lawfully issued by State authorities or by judicial or municipal functionaries of the United States. (Revised Statutes, section 4075.) To persons wishing to obtain passports for themselves blank forms of application will be furnished by this Department on request, stating whether the applicant be a native or a naturalized citizen. Forms are not furnished, except as samples, to those who make a business of procuring passports. Communications should be addressed to the Department of State, indorsed "Passport Division," and each communication should give the post-office address of the person to whom the answer is to be directed. Professional titles will not be inserted in passports. No. 1133. To the consular officers of the United States having extraterritorial jurisdiction. [Circular.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, GENTLEMEN: The Secretary of the Navy on the 13th instant called the attention of this Department to the fact that the circular of August 19, 1887, in relation to the status of naval seamen after conviction in consular courts of offenses subjecting them to imprisonment, contravenes, by reason of the generality of its terms, the regulation of November 2, 1875, providing for the concurrent jurisdiction of the naval and consular authorities as to minor offenses of naval seamen. The circular of August 19, 1887, is therefore amended so as to read as follows: A seaman of the Navy who is convicted in a consular court of a felonious offense (as distinguished from cases of overstaying leave, disorderly conduct, drunkenness, and other comparatively minor offenses, of which, under the regulation of November 2, 1875, the naval and consular authorities have concurrent jurisdiction) ceases, from the date of such conviction, to be in the naval service of the United States, and should be dealt with thenceforth as a private individual. Therefore you should promptly notify the commanding officer of the vessel on which the man served, or the H. Ex. 1, pt. 1--105 |