CHAP. CX. An A declaring who fhall be deemed Citizens of this Commonwealth, and pointing out the Mode by which the Right of Citizenship may be acquired or relin. quished.t 1. [Paffed the 23d of December, 1792.] How emigrants, other than alien enemies may become citizens. E it enacted by the General Affembly, That all free perfons born within Who fhall be deemed the territory of this commonwealth, all perfons not being natives, citizens. who have obtained a right to citizenship under former laws, and also all children wherefoever born, whofe fathers or mothers are or were citizens at the time of the birth of fuch children, fhall be deemed citizens of this commonwealth, until they relinquish that character in manner hereinafter mentioned. a II. AND that all perfons, other than alien enemies, who fhall migrate into this ftate, and shall before fome court of record give fatisfactory proof by oath, or being Quakers or Menonists, by affirmation, that they intend to refide therein, and alfo take the legal oath or affirmation for giving affurance of fidelity to the commonwealth, (which oaths or affirmations the clerk of the court thall enter of record, and give a certificate thereof to the perfon taking the fame, and shall on or before the first day of October annually, transmit to the Executive a lift of the perfons who shall have taken the faid oaths or affirmations, reciting their nation and occupation, (if any) to be by them entered in a book to be kept for that purpose, for which he fhall receive the fee of one dollar,) fhall be entitled to all the rights, privileges, and advantages of citizens, Exception as to holds except that they shall not be capable of election or appointment to any office, ing offices, legiflative, executive, or judiciary, until an actual refidence in the ftate for five years after the time of taking fuch oaths or affirmations, aforefaid; nor until they fhall have evinced a permanent attachment to the flate, by having intermarried with a citizen of this commonwealth, or a citizen of any other of the United States, or purchased lands of the value of three hundred dollars therein. II. PROVIDED always, That no perfon having or holding any place or pention from any foreign ftate or potentate, fhall be eligible to any office, legillative, executive, or judiciary, within this commonwealth. IV. AND for the encouragement of useful artizans, mechanics, and handicraft tradefmen, to migrate into this commonwealth, Be it further enacted, that all and every fuch perfon or perfons lait mentioned, who fhall hereafter migrate to this commonwealth, fhall be wholly exempt from the payment of any tax on his or their tools, or implements of trade, which he or they fhall bring into this commonwealth, at the time of his or their migration thereto; and shall morcover be exempted from all taxes whatfoever except the land tax, for the fpace of five years next thereafter, and if he or they fhall fo long continue the actual exercife of his or their trade or occupation therein. Artizans, pechanics, &c. migrating to this tatc, exempted from taxes for a certain time. V. WHENSOEVER any citizen of this commonwealth, fhall, by deed in How a citizen may writing, under his hand and feal, executed in the prefence of, and fubfcribed by expatriate himself. three witnelfes, and by them, or two of them proved in the General court, any diftrict court, or the court of the county or corporation where he refides, or by open verbal declaration made in either of the laid courts, to be by them entered of record, declare that he relinquishes the character of a citizen, and shall depart out of this commonwealth, fuch perfon shall, from the time of his departure, be confidered as having exercifed his right of expatriation, and shall thenceforth be deemed no citizen. Certain defcriptions of perfons prohibited from migrating to, or be. coming citizens of this VI. ALL perfons who, having accepted a military commiffion from the United States, or any of them, or who, having taken the oath of fidelity to any of the United States, or who having been natives of, or refidents in any of the United States, on the nineteenth day of April, in the year one thousand feven hundred and feventy-five, or at any time fince, have at any time during the commonwealth. late war, voluntarily joined themfelves to the fleets or armies of the King of Great Britain, or have voluntarily borne arms against the United States, or any of them, in any garrifon, port or fortification, or other place whatsoever, within their territories, or on their coafts; or have been owner, or part owner of any privateer, or other armed vefie cruifing against the faid United States, or any of them; and all and every perfon and perfons, who at any time acted as a member of the board, commonly called the board of refugee commifioners, See acts of third Congrefs (begun Nov. 1794) ch. 85, pa. 69, which takes from county courts the power of admitting aliens to citizenship. (a) 1786, ch. 1ɔ, How they may be punished for contravening this act. In fuits brought by them against citizens, judgment fill be rendered for the defendants with treble cofts. All other former refi at New-York, or under the authority, or by the direction of the faid board, shall be, and they are hereby prohibited from migrating to, or becoming citizens of this commonwealth'; and all fuch perfons shall be equally subject to the pains, penalties and difabilities of this act, although they have been heretofore, or shall be hereafter admitted to take the oaths of fidelity to this commonwealth, in any court of record within the fame, as if they had not taken the faid oaths. VII. ALL and every perfon and perfons prohibited by this act, from migrating to this commonwealth, who shall be found within the fame, shall and may be profecuted in the General court of this commonwealth, as for a mifdemeanor; and if upon trial, fuch perfon or perfons be found guilty of a breach of this act, he or they shall be imprisoned, for a term not exceeding fix months, in the public jail of this commonwealth, without bail or mainprize, and may be fined at the difcretion of the said court, in any fum not exceeding three hundred dollars, and shall moreover stand committed until fuch fine be paid; and if the perfon or persons so convicted, shall be found at large in this commonwealth, after the expiration of one year, from the time of his or their conviction, or of one month from the time of his or their enlargement from jail, fuch per fon or perfons shall be committed to the public jail; and upon proof being made of the identity of fuch person or persons, he or they shall be thereafter imprisoned in the public jail for the space of five years, without bail or mainprize, and shall moreover forfeit all his goods and chattels, lands and tenements, for the ufe of the commonwealth; and if any perfon prohibited by this act from migrating to this commonwealth, shall inftitute any fuit or action whatsoever, in any of the courts of this commonwealth, against any citizen or other perfon enti tled to become a citizen thereof, the defendant or defendants may plead this act in bar of fuch action or fuit; and if upon the trial of the caufe, it shall ap pear that the plaintiff is by this act prohibited from migrating to this commonwealth, and that the caufe of action arofe within the fame, after the commencement of this act, the jury shall find for the defendant or defendants, and thereupon judgment shall be given against the plaintiff, with treble costs of suit; and the clerk of the court in which fuch caufe shall be tried, shall, within one month thereafter, tranfmit a copy of the record, together with the names of the witneffes fworn on the part of the defendant or defendants, to the Attor ney General; who shall, at the next fucceeding feffion of the General court, file an information, or prefer an indictment to the grand jury, againft the perfon or perfons against whom fuch verdict and judgment shall have been given. VIII. ALL perfons refident in this, or any other of the United States, on dents allowed to return. the aforementioned nineteenth day of April, and not included in the above defcription, who are at prefent prohibited by law from migrating to this state, shall be, and they are hereby permitted to migrate into, and enjoy all the But not to vote at elec- rights of citizenship, except that they shall not be capable of voting for members to either House of Affembly, or of holding or accepting any office of truft or profit, civil or military. tions or hold offices. Nothing herein to con- Commencement of this act. IX. PROVIDED, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed fo as to contravene the treaty of peace with Great-Britain. X. ALL and every Act and Acts, claufe and claufes of A&ts, coming within the purview of this Act, fhall be, and the fame are hereby repealed. XI. THIS A&t shall commence and be in force, from and after the paffing thereof. What gold and filver coins all be current, L CHAP. CXI. An A concerning Coin, and for other Purposes.+ [Paffed the 19th of December, 1792.] E it enacted by the General Affembly, That from and after the first day ninety-three, the gold and filver coin herein after mentioned, shall be current in this commonwealth, and shall be a legal tender in payment of all debts and contracts between individuals, and in payment of all public dues and taxes, at the rates following, until it shall be otherwife regulated and directed by the Congress of the United States; that is to fay: The gold coin of France, Spain, Amended, poft, ch. 157. |