NATURALISATION LAWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1328, 24 November 1914, Page 4

NATURALISATION LAWS.

A step towards removing a serious anomaly in British subjeclhood, has been taken by the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, which was passed by the Imperial Parliament some weeks ago, and which will come into operation on January ist next year. At present an alien who has been naturalised in a selfgoverning Dominion, and perhaps lived there as a British subject during the greater part of his life, finds himself in England an alien. It is possible for such a naturalised British subject to have become a Judge or a Minister of the Crown in one of the Dominions, and yet in England to be treated as an alien. The new Imperial Act, however, makes it possible to have naturalisation uniform throughout the Empire. As the Colonial Secretary said in the House of Commons, a British subject anywhere can now become a British subject everywhere. The new Act consolidates the existing British legislation on the subject of nationality and aliens, and in part II- provides for a quite simple method ot naturalisation. Clause 9 is of particular interest to the Dominions because it gives the Dominions powers to adopt part 11. The result will be that when the New Zealand Parliament, for example, has done so, an alien who becomes naturalised is New Zealand will, on going to England.

still be a British subject, and vice versa, an alien naturalised in the British Isles will not have again to go through the prot v -s of naturalisation in New Zealand.