Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1881

No. 600.
Mr. Schuyler to Mr. Blaine.

[Extract.]

Legation of the United States,
Bucharest, April 20, 1881. (Received May 9.)

No. 62.]

Sir: * * * I have the honor to inform you that a law has been passed by the Chambers and officially promulgated on April 18, empowering the government to expel from the country foreigners who may compromise public order. A translation of this law is inclosed herewith.

* * * * * * *

It was considered necessary to pass this alien law on account of the peculiar situation of the country between Austria and Russia, and especially on account of the recent assassination of the Emperor of Russia. The Russian authorities had for a long time accused the Roumanian Government of allowing Roumania to be made a centre of nihilistic and revolutionary intrigues, and Mr. Bratiano considered some law of this kind as absolutely necessary to preserve good relations with the three empires. Indeed, the recognition of the kingdom was delayed for some days in consequence of the wish of Russia to obtain guaranties of some kind from the Roumanian Government against the Nihilists. After some correspondence between the Governments of Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary it was decided not to make any condition to the recognition, and not even to present a written note. The ministers of the three powers were, however, instructed to congratulate on the same day, and in congratulating to add the phrase: “Expressing at the same time the hope that this will serve as a new guarantee for order and for the accomplishment of international obligations.” These exact words were transmitted by telegraph to each of the three ministers by their respective governments.

The law was introduced into the Senate before this declaration was made. In the Chamber it met with considerable opposition, especially among the Liberals, and was passed only with the aid of the conservatives, by 44 against 28, three members not voting. The main provisions of the law, especially article 7 against regicide, were copied from the Belgian law on the same subject, which was passed under somewhat similar circumstances, if I am not mistaken, after the Orsini attempt. Article 6, however, with respect to the necessity of obtaining tickets of residence within ten days, was added in the Senate, and is severely criticized by the foreign representatives here. I agree with the Belgian minister in considering it contrary to the provisions of our treaties with Roumania. He made representations on the subject at the foreign office before the passage of the law, and was informed that the government would always use discretion in carrying it out. * * * In all probability ordinary travelers living at hotels will not be troubled. It should, however, be plainly understood by all Americans coming to Roumania that passports are absolutely necessary.

I have, &c.,

EUGENE SCHUYLER.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 62.—Translation.]

Law with regard to aliens.

• Article. I. An alien who has his domicile or his residence in Roumania, and who by his conduct shall compromise during his sojourn in the country the internal or external security of the state, who shall trouble public order, or shall take part in any intrigues having for their object the upsetting of political or social order, whether in the country or abroad, may be forced by the government to remove from the place in which he is staying to reside in a place expressly named, or even to leave the country.
• Art. II. The ministerial decision of expulsion taken in the council of ministers, or that by which the alien is restricted to a fixed residence or by which he is obliged to change his residence, shall be notified to the alien administratively and without giving any reason. There shall be indicated the time in which the alien must submit to the order of expulsion or change of residence, and this time must not be less than twenty-four hours.
• Art. III. On receiving an order of expulsion the alien may indicate the point of the frontier by which he wishes to pass. In this case he will be given a road pass, on which shall be indicated the itinerary that he must follow, and the time during which he can stop in each place up to the frontier. In case of contravention of one of these dispositions the alien may be conducted out of the country by the public force.
• Art. IV. The government may also order the expulsion from the country of the alien who shall have quitted the town or locality in which he has been ordered to reside.
• Art. V. The alien who after his expulsion from the country shall return within the territory of Roumania shall he immediately arrested, and for this fact brought before the police court and condemned to an imprisonment of not less than five days or more than six months. At the expiration of his punishment he shall be conducted to the frontier without having the right of indicating the point at which he wishes to leave the country.
• Art. VI. An alien newly arrived in the country who shall not have any fixed domicile or residence must within ten days of his arrival or after the promulgation of this law obtain a ticket of residence (carte de libre séjour) from the police or the local administration for the whole time that he wishes to remain or travel in the country. A regulation of public administration shall determine the procedure to be followed for the practical application of this disposition.
• Art. VII. An attempt against the person of the chief of a foreign state or against the members of his family, when this attempt constitutes an act of homicide, assassination or poisoning, shall not be considered as a political crime, or as an act connected with such a crime.