"BRITISH CITIZENS."

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2937, 24 November 1916, Page 6

"BRITISH CITIZENS."

MADE BY A SCTR-ETCHING OF THE PEN. At yesterdav's sitting of the Conference of Chambers of Commerce, Mr. X G. Harkness (Wellington) moved: "That this conference is of opinion: "'(a) That in. the case of aliens from enemy countries. British citizenship or naturalisation should not be allowed until after twenty years' uninterrupted residence under police registration and supervision in the Dominion, but in the case of aliens from neutral countries, after five years. " '(b) That the Oath of Allegiance should be accompanied by an oath bf divestment of allegiance to the Power of which the person has hitherto been a subject, preceded by a certificate from the Government of his native country declaring that he is released from all obligations and .allegianco as a citizen thereof.'" Mr. Harkness said that our first Aliens Act was passed away back in the 'seventies, and tho last in 1892. When an alien desired to be naturalised he had to present a memorial to the Governor, which meant the Minister of Internal Affairs, stating various facts about his birth, age, and length of residence hero. In New Zealand the naturalisation process was exceedingly simple, was an official affair, and had been looked on as a matter of no importance. And the letters of naturalisation conferred rights of British citizenship on tho man's wife and children. British citizens were manufactured by a scratch of the pen. In the past we had been too lenient toward foreigners. TVe had no right to extend naturalisation to aliens as readily as we had done in the past. Mr. A. M'Nicol (Dannevirke) seconded the motion. We should, he said, sec that peoplo who bwjured the privileges of our ilag could noc abuso them. Mr. Geo. Fenwick (Dunedin) said the legislation should be such as would apply over all parts of tho Empire. There should be homogeneous legislation. A man shoud have tho same privileges in one part of the Empiro as in another, and in each should have to go through a similar process to become naturalised. TVe could not pass anythiiift' too strong respecting tho admission of aliens to British privileges for ; the future. Mr. F. W. Manton (Wellington) asserted that the nationalisation papers of some of our citizens were nothing but scraps of paper, and that the hearts of their holders were with Germany. Mr. Harkness's motion was carried unanimously.