AN ACT

To amend the naturalization laws and to punish crimes against the same, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That in all cases where any oath, affirmation, or affidavit shall be made or taken under or by virtue of any act or law relating to the naturalization of aliens, or in any proceedings under such acts or laws, and any person or persons taking or making such oath, affirmation, or affidavit, shall knowingly swear or affirm falsely, the same shall be deemed and taken to be perjury, and the person or persons guilty thereof, shall upon conviction. thereof, be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and not less than one year, and to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any person applying to be admitted a citizen, or appearing as a witness for any such person, shall knowingly personate any other person than himself, or falsely appear in the name of a deceased person, or in an assumed or fictitious name, or if any person shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit any oath, affirmation, notice, affidavit, certificate, order, record, signature, or other instrument, paper or proceeding required or authorized by any law or act relating to or providing for the naturalization of aliens; or shall utter, sell, dispose of, or use as true or genuine, or for any unlawful purpose, any false, forged, antedated, or counterfeit oath, affirmation, notice, certificate, order, record, signature, instrument, paper, or proceeding as aforesaid; or sell, or dispose of to any person other than the person for whom it was originally issued, any certificate of citizenship, or certificate showing any person to be admitted a citizen, or if any person shall in any manner use for the purpose of registering as a voter, or as evidence of a right to vote, or otherwise unlawfully, any order, certificate of citizenship, or certificate, judgment, or exemplification, showing such person to be admitted to be a citizen, whether heretofore or hereafter issued or made, knowing that such order or certificate, judgment, or exemplification has been unlawfully issued or made; or if any person shall unlawfully use, or attemp to use, any such order or certificate, issued to or in the name of any other person, or in a fictitious name, or the name of a deceased person; or use, or attempt to use, or aid, or assist, or participate in the use of any certificate of citizenship, knowing the same to be forged, or counterfeit, or antedated, or knowing the same to have been procured by fraud, or otherwise unlawfully obtained; or if any person, and without lawful excuse, shall knowingly have or be possessed of any false, forged, antedated, or counterfeit certificate of citizenship, purporting to have been issued under the provisions of any law of the United States relating to naturalization, knowing such certificate to be false, forged, antedated, or counterfeit, with intent unlawfully to use the same; or if any person shall obtain, accept, or receive any certificate of citizenship known to such person to have been procured by fraud

or by the use of any false name, or by means of any false statement made with intent to procure, or to aid in procuring, the issue of such certificate, or known to such person to be fraudulently altered, or antedated; or if any person who has been or may be admitted to be a citizen shall, on oath or affirmation, or by affidavit, knowingly deny that he has been so admitted, with intent to evade or avoid any duty or liability imposed or required by law, every person so offending shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and, on conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to be imprisoned and kept at hard labor for a period not less than one year nor more than five years, or be fined in a sum not less than three hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or both such punishments may be imposed, in the discretion of the court. And every person who shall knowingly and intentionally aid or abet any person in the commission of any such felony, or attempt to do any act hereby made felony, or counsel, advice, or procure, or attempt to procure the commission thereof, shall be liable to indictment and punishment in the same manner and to the same extent as the principal party guilty of such felony, and such person may be tried and convicted thereof, without the previous conviction of such principal.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any person who shall knowingly use any certificate of naturalization heretofore granted by any court, or which shall hereafter be granted, which has been or shall be procured through fraud or by false evidence, or has been or shall be issued by the Clerk, or any other officer of the court without any appearance and hearing of the applicant in court, and without lawful authority; and any person who shall falsely represent himself to be a citizen of the United States, without having been duly admitted to citizenship, for any fraudulent purpose whatever, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, in due course of law, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not exceeding one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned not exceeding two years, either or both, in the discretion of the court taking cognizance of the same.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the provisions of this act shall apply to all proceedings had or taken, or attempted to be had or taken, before any court in which any proceeding for naturalization shall be commenced, had, or taken, or attempted to be commenced, and the courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of all offenses under the provisions of this act, in or before whatsoever court or tribunal the same shall have been committed.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That in any city having upwards of twenty thousand inhabitants, it shall be the duty of the Judge of the Circuit Court of the United States for the circuit wherein said city shall be, upon the application of two citizens, to appoint in writing for each election district or voting precinct in said city, and to change or renew said appointment as occasion may require, from time to time, two citizens resident of the district or precinct, one from each political party, who, when so designated, shall be, and are hereby, authorized to

attend at all times and places fixed for the registration of voters; who, being registered, would be entitled to vote for Representative in Congress, and at all times and places for holding elections of Representatives in Congress, and for counting the votes cast at said elections, and to challenge any name proposed to be registered, and any vote offered, and to be present and witness throughout the counting of all votes, and to remain where the ballot boxes are kept at all times after the polls are open until the votes are finally counted; and said persons, and either of them shall have the right to affix their signature, or his signature to said register for purposes of identification, and to attach thereto, or to the certificate of the number of votes cast, and statement touching the truth or fairness thereof, which they or he may ask to attach; and any one who shall prevent any person so designated from doing any of the acts authorized as aforesaid, or who shall hinder or molest any such person in doing any of the said acts, or shall aid or abet in preventing, hindering, or molesting any such person in respect of any such acts, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment not less than one year.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That in any city having upwards of twenty thousand inhabitants, it shall be lawful for the Marshal of the United States for the district wherein said city shall be, to appoint as many special deputies as may be necessary to preserve order at any election at which Representatives in Congress are to be chosen; and said deputies are hereby authorized to preserve order at such elections, and to arrest for any offense or breach of the peace committed in their view.

Szc. 7. And be it further enacted, That the naturalization laws are hereby extended to aliens of African nativity, and to persons of African descent. Approved July 14, 1870.

AUTHENTICATION OF RECORDS.

AN ACT

To prescribe the mode in which the Public Acts, Records, and Judicial Proceedings in each State, shall be authenticated, so as to take effect in every other State.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the acts of the Legislatures of the several States shall be authenticated by having the seal of their respective States affixed thereto; that the records and judicial proceedings of the courts of any State 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, as the case may be, that the said attestation is in due form. And the said records and judicial proceedings, authenticated as aforesaid, shall have such faith and credit given to them in every court within the United States, as they have by law or usage in the courts of the State from whence the said records are or shall be taken.

Approved May 26, 1790.

AN ACT

Supplementary to an act entitled "An Act to prescribe the mode in which the Public Acts, Records, and Judicial Proceedings in each State shall be authenticated, so as to take effect in every other State.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, all records and exemplifications of office books, which are or may be kept in any public office of any State, not appertaining to a court, shall be proved or admitted in any other court or office in any other State, by the attestation of the keeper of the said records or books, and the seal of his office thereto annexed, if there be a seal, together with a certificate of the presiding Justice of the court of the county or district, as the case may be, in which such office is or may be kept; or of the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Chancellor, or the Keeper of the Great Seal of the State, that said attestation is in due form, and by the proper officer; and the said certificate, if given by the presiding Justice of a court, shall be further authenticated by the Clerk or Prothonotary of the said court, who shall certify under his hand, and the seal of his office, that the said presiding Justice is duly commissioned and qualified; or if the said certificate be given by the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal, it shall be under the great seal of the State in which the said certificate is made.

And said records and exemplifications authenticated as aforesaid shall have such faith and credit given to them in every court and office within the United States, as they have by law, or usage in the courts or offices of the State from whence the same are or shall be taken.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That all the provisions of this act, and the act to which this is a supplement shall apply as well to the public acts, records, office books, judicial proceedings, courts and offices of the respective territories and countries subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as to the public acts, records, office books, judicial proceedings, courts and offices of the several States.

Approved March 27, 1804.

AN ACT

For Authenticating Certain Records.

(SECTION 1.) Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That it may and shall be lawful for the keepers or persons having the custody of laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents of any foreign government or its agents, relating to the title to lands claimed by or under the United States, on the application of the head of any one of the departments, the Solicitor of the Treasury, or the Commissioner of the General Land Office, to authenticate the same under his hand and seal, and certify the same to be correct and true copies of such laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents, and when the same shall be certified by such Minister, Consul or Judge, mentioned in the first section of this act, under his hand and seal of office, to be true copies of the originals, the same. shall be sealed up by him and returned to the Solicitor of the Treasury, who shall file the same in his office, and cause it to be recorded in a book to be kept for that purpose. A copy of said laws, judgments, orders, decrees, journals, correspondence, or other public documents so filed, or of the same so recorded in the said book, may be read in evidence in all courts where the title to land, claimed by or under the United States, may come into question equally with the originals thereof.

(SEC. 2.) And be it further enacted, That the Solicitor of the Treasury shall cause a seal to be made and provided for his office, with such device as the President of the United States shall approve, and copies of any public documents, records, books or papers belonging to or on the files of the said office, under the signature of the said Solicitor, or, when the office shall be vacant, under the signature of such officer as may be officiating for the time being, accompanied by an impress of the said seal, shall be competent evidence in all cases equal with the original records, documents, books or papers.

(SEC. 3.) And be it further enacted, That all books, papers, documents and records in the War, Navy, Treasury, and Postoffice Departments, and the Attorney General's office, may be copied and certified under seal in the same manner as those of the State Department may now by law be, and with the same force and effect; and the said Attorney General shall cause a seal to be made and provided for his office, with such device as the President of the United States shall approve.

Approved February 22, 1849.