Mr. Bartleman to
Mr. Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
Caracas, May 14, 1894.
(Received May 28.)
No. 148.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, in
copy and translation, a decree issued to-day with reference to
foreigners who may come to Venezuela.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
148.—Translation.]
Joaquin Crespo, Constitutional President of the United States of
Venezuela, with the approval of the council of government,
considering:
- 1.
- That article 78 of the present constitution gives the
President of the Republic the right, with the approval of
the council of government, “to prohibit the entrance into
the national territory, or to expel from it, those
foreigners who have no residence in the country and who are
notoriously prejudicial to the public order.”
- 2.
- That in order to carry out the terms of this decree it is
necessary to know those individuals who enter the country,
just as in other countries is being done for the same
object.
decree.
- Article 1. Foreigners who may come
to Venezuela shall present to the chief of the custom-house of
the respective port a documentary declaration that shall state
(1) their full names and those of their parents; (2) their
nationality; (3) the place and date of their birth; (4) their
last place of residence; (5) their profession and manner of
living; and (6) their names, ages, and nationality of their
wives and minor children, if accompanied by them.
- Art. 2. The chiefs of custom-houses
will make known by telegraph to the national executive the
contents of said declarations, or that none have been
presented.
- Art. 3. In case they shall be
without said documents, foreigners may ask for them on the
testimony of persons who know them, and who are
trustworthy.
- Art. 4. Foreigners who have already
entered the country during the past six months shall present the
declaration asked for, if in the federal district, to the
governor of the same; and if they have gone to other places,
those who reside in the capitals shall present their
declarations to the presidents of the States, while those who
reside in other localities shall present them to the local
authorities.
- Art. 5. In the cases mentioned in
the previous article, the governor of the federal district or
the president of the respective State shall inform the national
executive of the result, in accordance with articles 2 and 3, in
order that it may determine whether the foreigners who have made
unsatisfactory declarations, or have not been able or were
unwilling to comply with the required formalities, are to be
considered prejudicial or proper subjects for expulsion.
- Art. 6. Consuls of the Republic will
publish this decree at the places where they reside, causing it
to be translated in those countries where Spanish is not the
language,
[Page 803]
and they
shall send to the Government copies of the papers in which it
has been reproduced.
Given, signed by my hand, sealed with
the seal of the national executive and countersigned by the
ministers in the office of interior, foreign affairs, and
hacienda, in the federal palace at
Caracas, this 14th day of May, 1894, year
eighty-third of the Independence and thirty-sixth of the
Federation.
Joaquin
Crespo.
Countersigned, the minister of
interior,
José R.
Nunez.
Countersigned, the minister of
foreign affairs,
P. Ezequiel
Rojas.
Countersigned, the minister of
hacienda,
Fabricio
Conbo.
