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233 F. 175

In re Titone

New York Eastern District Court

Decided June 2, 1916.)

New York Eastern District Court · decided 1916-06-02

<p>Aliens <3=»68 — Naturalization—Compliance with Law.</p> <p>Naturalization Act June 29, 1906, c. 3592, § 1, 34 Stat. 596 (Comp. St. 1913. § 963), declares that it shall be the duty of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization to canse a registration of each alien arriving in the United States, and that it shall be the duty of the Commissioner to cause to be granted to each alien a certificate of such registration. Section 31 declared that this section should go into effect at once, while section 4, subd. 2 (Comp. St. 1913, § 4352), declares that at the time of filing his petition of naturalization there shall be filed with the clerk of the court a certificate giving the date, place, and manner of arrival of the alien, and that the declaration of intention shall be used within seven years after making. An applicant for citizenship, who landed July 25, 1906, filed a declaration of intention November 26, 1906, wherein he stated that his arrival was on June 28, 1906. His petition for final papers was filed November 22, 1913. Held that, since, through mistake in the declaration of intention, the clerk did not require the applicant to get and file the certificate, the alien’s petition for final papers will not be denied; a certificate of landing being furnished before the hearing on the petition for final papers, particularly as any other holding would necessitate a new declaration of intention.</p> <p>[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Aliens, Cent. Dig. §§ 138-145; Dec. Dig. <®=w68.]</p>

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently December 1934

1 federal appellate · 2 district ·

2 counsel of record

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“It is urged that the certificate of arrival is merely a form of proof which the naturalization court has power to dispense with for cause. The uses served by the certificate, the history of the provision, and its relation to other parts of the act show that this contention is unsound. Section 1 requires that a registry be made of certain facts concerning each alien arriving in the United States; and that “a certificate of such registry with the particulars thereof” be granted to each alien. Section 5 requires clerks of court to give public notice of each petition for naturalization filed. Section 6 prohibits courts from taking final action upon any petition until 90 days after such notice has been given. That period is provided so that the examiners of the Bureau of Naturalization and others may have opportunity for adequately investigating whether reasons exist for denial of the petition-The certificate of arrival is the natural starting point for this investigation. It aids in ascertaining (a) whether the petitioner was within any of the classes of aliens who are excluded from admission by sections 2 and 38 of the Immigration Act of February 20, 1907 ( 34 Stat. 898 ) ; (b) whether he is among those who are excluded from naturalization under section 7 of the Naturalization Act for political beliefs or practices; (c) whether he is tlie same person whose declaration of intention to become a citizen is also attached to the petition under section 4, subdivision second; (d) wheth”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Ex parte Eberhardt

“At the time of' filing his petition there shall bo filed with the clerk of the court a certificate from the Department of Labor, if the petitioner arrives in the United States after the passage of this act [that is, on and after June 29, 1908], stating the date, place, and manner of his arrival in the United States, * * which certificate * * * shall he attached to and made a part of said petition.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Ex parte Eberhardt

Relies on United States v. Ness

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Applicant admitted to citizenship · Decided 1916-06-02

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1Aliens <3=»68 — Naturalization—Compliance with Law.

¶2Naturalization Act June 29, 1906, c. 3592, § 1, 34 Stat. 596 (Comp. St. 1913. § 963), declares that it shall be the duty of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization to canse a registration of each alien arriving in the United States, and that it shall be the duty of the Commissioner to cause to be granted to each alien a certificate of such registration. Section 31 declared that this section should go into effect at once, while section 4, subd. 2 (Comp. St. 1913, § 4352), declares that at the time of filing his petition of naturalization there shall be filed with the clerk of the court a certificate giving the date, place, and manner of arrival of the alien, and that the declaration of intention shall be used within seven years after making. An applicant for citizenship, who landed July 25, 1906, filed a declaration of intention November 26, 1906, wherein he stated that his arrival was on June 28, 1906. His petition for final papers was filed November 22, 1913. Held that, since, through mistake in the declaration of intention, the clerk did not require the applicant to get and file the certificate, the alien’s petition for final papers will not be denied; a certificate of landing being furnished before the hearing on *176the petition for final papers, particularly as any other holding would necessitate a new declaration of intention.

¶3[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Aliens, Cent. Dig. §§ 138-145; Dec. Dig. <®=w68.]

¶4In the matter of the application of Vito Titone for admission to citizenship.

¶5Applicant admitted to citizenship.

¶6Petitioner, in pro. per.

¶7Melville J. France, U. S. Atty., and Henry W. Beer, Asst. U. S. Atty., both of Brooklyn, N. Y., for the United States.

¶8CHATFIEUD, District Judge.

¶9The applicant appears to be competent and has produced satisfactory witnesses. He has two sons, the eldest of whom is 15 years of age, who were born in Italy, but are now in the United States. He landed in the United States upon July 25, 1906, on the steamer Francesco. He filed a declaration of intention November 26, 1906, and a petition for final papers on November 22, 1913. He stated in his petition that the date of his arrival in the United States was June 28, 1906, following the date which was shown in his first papers, and which was so given therein through uncertainty as to the actual date of arrival. The clerk accepted the petition without a certificate from the Department of Labor or the Commissioner of Immigration of that Department, as the stated date of arrival preceded the 29th day of June, 1906, upon which the naturalization law was passed.

¶10Section 31 of the law provides that the act shall take effect 90 days after passage, but also provides that section 1 shall go into effect immediately, and by this every alien arriving after the passage of tire act must be registered, and is given the right to receive a certificate such as must be used under section 4 when applying for citizenship. Section 4 of the statute (subdivision 2) provides that “at the time of filing his petition there shall be filed with the clerk of the court a certificate” giving the date, place and manner of arrival, etc.; and section 4 of the act (subdivision 2, last paragraph) requires the use of the declaration of intention within seven years after making such declaration.

¶11A denial of the present application, because of failure to comply with the mandatory provision for presenting a certificate of arrival with the petition, would make it impossible for the alien to reapply upon his present declaration of intention, and would require him to take out a new declaration and wait two years. There is nothing to show that the applicant intentionally antedated the date of arrival, and the mistake, if it occurred, was made at the time when the declaration of intention was filed. He coulj not then have been planning to avoid getting a certificate seven years later.

¶12Under the authority of United States v. Ness, 230 Fed. 950, it would seem that the failure to file a certificate of landing may be cured as an irregularity, and hence in this case the actual presentation and filing of a proper certificate before the original date of hearing would be sufficient.

¶13The applicant may have his papers.

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