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Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous
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Historical SummaryThe papers relating to the mission to France, communicated to Congress April 3, 1798, were printed by order of the Senate April 9. The publication of the dispatches "solidified opposition to France, and gave both houses to Federalist control. Leading republican journalists were chiefly foreigners, and one of the first objects of the Federalists was to muzzle these aliens" (Johnston). The result of these efforts was the passage of the four acts following, known collectively as the alien and sedition acts. REFERENCES. — For the texts of the acts, and their legislative history, see under each act, following. For the proceedings in Congress, see House and Senate Journals, 5th Cong. 2d Sess.; for the debates, see the Annals, 5th Cong., or Benton’s>’s , II. The adverse report of a committee of the House, Feb. 21, 1799, on petitions for the repeal of the laws, is in , I., 181–184. APRIL 19, 1798, Coit of Connecticut introduced in the House a resolution for the appointment of a committee to consider the expediency of suspending or amending the existing law regarding naturalization. With the addition of a clause calling upon the committee "to consider and report upon the expediency of establishing by law regulations respecting aliens arriving or residing within the United States," the resolution was adopted. May 3 the committee reported three resolutions, the first of which favored a longer term of residence for aliens before naturalization. The first two resolutions were agreed to by the House, and referred to a committee, which on May 15 brought in a bill to amend the naturalization law. The bill was taken up on the 21st, discussed at length, and on the 22d passed, after an unsuccessful attempt to incorporate a provision suspending for a limited time the operation of the act. In the Senate the bill was referred to a committee of three, which reported an amended bill June 8. The bill as reported was agreed to on the 11th, and on the 12th, after further amendments, passed by a vote of 13 to 8. June 13 the House agreed to the Senate amendments; on the 18th the act was approved. REFERENCES. — Text in U. S. Stat. at Large, I., 566–569. The act was repealed by the act of April 14, 1802 (Stat. at Large, II., 153–155).
Alien and Sedition Acts
1798
No. 58.
Naturalization Act
June 18, 1798
An Act supplementary to and to amend the act, intituled "An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization; and to repeal the act heretofore passed on that subject.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted . . . , That no alien shall be admitted to become a citizen of the United States, or of any state, unless in the manner prescribed by the act, intituled "An act to establish an uniform rule of naturalization; and to repeal the act heretofore passed on that subject,"1 he shall have declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, five years, at least, before his admission, and shall, at the time of his application to be admitted, declare and prove, to the satisfaction of the court having jurisdiction in the case, that he has resided within the United States fourteen years, at least, and within the state or territory where, or for which such court is at the time held, five years, at least, besides conforming to the other declarations, renunciations and proofs, by the said act required, any thing therein to the contrary hereof notwithstanding: Provided, that any alien, who was residing within the limits, and under the jurisdiction of the United States, before . . . [January 29, 1795,] . . . may, within one year after the passing of this act — and any alien who shall have made the declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States, in conformity to the provisions of the act [of Jan. 29, 1795], may, within four years after having made the declaration aforesaid, be admitted to become a citizen, in the manner prescribed by the said act, upon his making proof that he has resided five years, at least, within the limits, and under the jurisdiction of the United States: And provided also, that no alien, who shall be a native, citizen, denizen or subject of any nation or state with whom the United States shall be at war, at the time of his application, shall be then admitted to become a citizen of the United States.
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SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all white persons, aliens, (accredited foreign ministers, consuls, or agents, their families and domestics, excepted) who, after the passing of this act, shall continue to reside, or who shall arrive, or come to reside in any port or place within the territory of the United States, shall be reported, if free, and of the age of twenty-one years, by themselves, or being under the age of twenty-one years, or holden in service, by their parent, guardian, master or mistress in whose care they shall be, to the clerk of the district court of the district, if living within ten miles of the port or place, in which their residence or arrival shall be, and otherwise, to the collector of such port or place, or some officer or other person there, or nearest thereto, who shall be authorized by the President of the United States, to register aliens: And report, as aforesaid, shall be made in all cases of residence, within six months from and after the passing of this act, and in all after cases, within forty-eight hours after the first arrival or coming into the territory of the United States, and shall ascertain the sex, place of birth, age, nation, place of allegiance or citizenship, condition or occupation, and place of actual or intended residence within the United States, of the alien or aliens reported, and by whom the report is made. . . . And the clerk of each district court shall, during one year from the passing of this act, make monthly returns to the department of State, of all aliens registered and returned, as aforesaid, in his office.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That every alien who shall continue to reside, or who shall arrive, as aforesaid, of whom a report is required as aforesaid, who shall refuse or neglect to make such report, and to receive a certificate thereof, shall forfeit and pay the sum of two dollars; and any justice of the peace, or other civil magistrate, who has authority to require surety of the peace, shall and may, on complaint to him made thereof, cause such alien to be brought before him, there to give surety of the peace and good behaviour during his residence within the United States, or for such term as the justice or other magistrate shall deem reasonable, and until a report and registry of such alien shall be made, and a certificate thereof, received as aforesaid; and in failure of such surety, such alien shall and may be committed to the common gaol, and shall be there held, until the order which the justice or magistrate shall and may reasonably make, in the premises, shall be performed. And every person, whether alien, or other, having the care of any alien or aliens, under the age of twenty-one years, or of any white alien holden in service, who shall refuse and neglect to make report thereof, as aforesaid, shall forfeit the sum of two dollars, for each and every such minor or servant, monthly, and every month, until a report and registry, and a certificate thereof, shall be had, as aforesaid.
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1 Act of Jan. 29, 1795 (Stat. at Large, I., 414, 415), repealing act of March 26, 1790 (Stat. at Large, I., 103, 104). — ED.
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Chicago: Benton’s>’s , II. the Adverse Report of a Committee of the House, Feb. 21, 1799, on Petitions for the Repeal of the Laws, Is in , I., 181–184, ed., "Naturalization Act," Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous in Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, ed. William MacDonald (1863-1938) (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916), 260–261. Original Sources, accessed April 11, 2025, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=YZP1GFYLUA7DPJ2.
MLA: . "Naturalization Act." Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous, edited by Benton’s>’s , II. the Adverse Report of a Committee of the House, Feb. 21, 1799, on Petitions for the Repeal of the Laws, Is in , I., 181–184, Vol. I, in Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, edited by William MacDonald (1863-1938), New York, The Macmillan Company, 1916, pp. 260–261. Original Sources. 11 Apr. 2025. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=YZP1GFYLUA7DPJ2.
Harvard: (ed.), 'Naturalization Act' in Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous. cited in 1916, Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, ed. , The Macmillan Company, New York, pp.260–261. Original Sources, retrieved 11 April 2025, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=YZP1GFYLUA7DPJ2.
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