Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, For the Year 1887, Transmitted to Congress, With a Message of the President, June 26, 1888

No. 232.
Mr. McLane to Mr. Bayard .

Legation of the United States,
Paris , January 13, 1887. (Received January 25.)

No. 346.]

Sir: I have the honor to send herewith copy of a letter received from Mr. Richard King, domiciled in the United States, but temporarily residing at No. 20 Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, who applies for a passport. Mr. Ring is not a full American citizen; he has only declared his intention of becoming one. According to the regulations he is not entitled to a passport. Upon his insistence that he could not do without it, and that it would not be proper to apply for one at the British embassy, I advised him to make his application in writing, which I promised to submit to your consideration.

I would not have done so if your circular of June 29, 1885, with reference to changes in Articles XI and XXIV of the Consular Regulations had not led me to believe that in certain cases protection might be extended to one domiciled in the United States. As in the case of Mr. King protection can only be extended in the shape of a passport, I beg to be informed whether I can properly issue one to him, and, if so, whether the same will be a qualified one and in what sense.

I have, etc.,

Robert M. McLane.

[Inclosure in No. 346.]

Mr. King to Mr. McLane .

20 Boulevard Montmartre,
Paris , January 8, 1887.

Sir: In accordance with the verbal instructions given me at your office this day I have the honor to request that a passport may be granted me as an American citizen, having taken out and declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States. I may say that I made the declarations (necessary) the 20th August, 1883, copy of which was handed in by me for your perusal this day. I had then and still have every intention of taking out my final papers. For your information I may add that I am a Canadian by birth and have resided in the United States on and off for a period of about ten years.

I propose making a journey shortly to Russia to represent an American firm there, and should I be unable to obtain the necessary passport I would be (with deep regret) obliged to destroy my declaration of 1883, and once more become a British subject. Under these peculiar circumstances, and, further, my interests being entirely in arid with the United States, I trust that you may be enabled to grant my request.

Apologizing for the length of my letter and awaiting an early reply, for which please accept my thanks in advance,

I have, etc.,

Rich’d King.