§ Amendments reported (according to Order).
THE LORD CHANOELLORsaid, he was prepared to accept the Amendment of his noble and learned Friend (Lord Westbury), and that, in deference to the views of many of their Lordships as expressed on a former occasion, he now proposed to omit Clause 8 (Power to cancel certificates of naturalization or re-admission to British nationality). It would, therefore, be unnecessary to consider an Amendment which had been given notice of in that clause.
§ Clause struck out.
§
Then, on the Motion of Lord WESTBURY, the following clause was added after Clause 3:—
Any person who by reason of his having been born within the dominions of Her Majesty is a natural-born subject, but who also at the time of his birth became under the law of any foreign state a subject of such state, and is still such subject, may, if of full age and not under any disability, make a declaration of alienage in manner aforesaid, and from and after the making and registration of such declaration of alienage such person shall cease to be a British subject.
LORD HOUGHTONexpressed an opinion that the good working of the Bill rested with ourselves, and not on the co-operation of any foreign Power. He thought the less action taken in the matter by the Foreign Office the better.
Further Amendments made; Bill to be read 3a To-morrow; and to be printed as amended. (No. 39.)