Naturalisation.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6696, 15 May 1900, Page 4

Naturalisation.

The Wellington correspondent of the Danedin Star writes :—There is a pretty little quarrel looming up largely between " Jack the Bigger " (John Hutcheson, M.HR. for Wellington City) and the Marine Department, of which we are likely to hear a good deal next session of Purliiment. It appears that a certain Scandinavian seaman, who is a stranger to the hon. member, was applying in the « form prescribed for that purpose for j letters of naturalisation. Now, this form i requires that in the body of it a justice of the peace shall certify from his personal knowledge (mark the word " personal") of the alien that he is a fit and proper person to be admitted to the privileges of a subject of the Queen. Mr Hutcheson, having no personal knowledge of the applicant, and being therefore unable to certify to the man's character, did the next best thin? by^stating that the Scandinavian was a member of the Seamen's Union, by whom he was highly recommended as a perston of good repute. The reply from thff~\Goyernment came in the shape 'of lanother printed forjm, in which Mr Hutcheson's attention wis. directed to the fact that it was/ essential that a J.P. should testify to having known the man favorably for a certain period. The hon. member, in his rejoinder, pointed ouj^bat justj.'"ia^if j ship, except when to?y^T^^^W^^Bi^H^H before a court on some charge. Moreover, he said, there could be no difficulty in tracing up the records of a seaman ; but as a means of overcoming the difficulty he suggested tp the Government that they should appoint to the position of justice of the peace some "competent person who is io constant intercouse with the seamen. To this the member for Wellington, who is also chairman of the^ Harbour Board, says he received no reply, bub the first intimation that reached him of any action by the Government on his last recommendation > was m the shape of a paragraph in the jfew Zealajj^jj^fiSK?! stating that it had bfe3r"%Scliced. -its; — — .