RKPOKTS PENNSYLVANIA FOURTH DISTRICT. 301 



or foreiguers of tbc Ciiiicatsiau raw, with the o.\(!i'[>tioii of lhitiu'.s.s of foot, wliicli, liowevcr, being, in 

 iiiv opinion, a peculiarity of the race, in no way aflects their n.sefulness as .soldiers. I am decidedly 

 of opinion that with the same amoiuit of training they will make as efficient soldiers as any race 

 of men. 



There is one suggestion I should like the liberty of making. It seems to me that aliens, after 

 having resided under the protection ot our laws for ten, twelve, or tifteen ye^irs, i;iany of them 

 having received their education at our public schools, from having accompanied their fathers to 

 this country wlieu mere boys, should not be exempt from the openrtiou of the enrollment because 

 their fathers had never been naturalized. Very, very many such cases presented themselves. 

 Some even came armed with a certificate from a foreign consul, though they had arrived in this 

 country at the age of two or three years. These facts would come out upon cross examiTiation of 

 their witnesses under oath. 



Another objection to the present mode is giving the drafted man ten days in which to report 

 alter examination, thereby euabliug him, if so disposed, to abscond or secrete himself. Tliis was a 

 fruitful source of loss of men and money to the Government. I merely throw out this hint, without 

 taking the liberty of suggesting the remedy. 



An immense number of foreigners, who have been naturalized, or who have exercised the right 

 of citizenship, fraudulently escaped the oi)eration of the dralt by producing certificates of alienage 

 from the consuls of the different nations of Europe. During the draft, we had no opportunity of dis- 

 covering whether they had ever been naturalized or had voted, though often satisfied in our own 

 minds that they had done so. Would it not be well, if possible, to have a law passed by Congress 

 making it obligatory upon prothonotaries of the different courts to give a correct list of the voters 

 in each ward — the books containing the names of all voters being deposited in their office? An 

 unsuccessful attempt was made to obtain them for this district; the refusal being based upon the 

 want of authority to allow the records to be taken from the office. Hundreds of men escaped the 

 military service due the country in consequence. This I consider as eminently important. Or 

 would not a law be just which should force every man, after a certain definite permanent residence 

 in the country, to become a citizen; and, in case of neglect or refusal, that he should, notwithstand- 

 ing, be subject to military duty after a residence of a certain number of years? This would b(* 

 neither more nor less than simple justice, as these aliens enjoy the same protection as those born 

 under our flag. They buy, hold, and sell real estate, and all other description of property, and why 

 they should not do their share for the protection of it, to me, to say the least of it, is strange. 

 I said above that hundreds escaped service; but, from information which I have obtained from sur- 

 geons, I am satisfied that in the cities of Philadelphia and New York alone they should be counted 

 bj thousands. All the annoyances to which our board was subjected arose from those men claim- 

 ing to be foreigners. We were obliged to receive the oath of their witnesses, when we were satis- 

 fied that they had been procured for the purpose of swearing them through; they being, of course, 

 entirely unkuowu to the board. We have also ascertained that the consuls furnishing certificates 

 were quite as much unacquainted with the witnesses. I do not mean to cast censure upon any of 

 the foreign consuls, but I hope a law may be passed to remedy the evil. We find, upon cross-exam- 

 ination of their witnesses, that, although the drafted men had been many years in the country, they 

 had appeared before the consul as witnesses after an acquaintance of a month or two, and in many 

 instances of a few days only. I beg leave to call your particular attention to this matter. * * • 



ALEXANDER C. HAET, 

 Surgeon Board of Enrollment Third District of Pennsylvania, 



Philadelphia, Pa., June 15, 1865. 



PENNSYLVANIA— FOURTH DISTRICT. 



Extracts from report of Dr. J. Ralston Wells. 



* * * The total number of men examined, as near as can be ascertained, was 



six thousand seven hundred and thirty. 



The Fourth District of Pennsylvania comprises the northwest portion of the city of Philadelphia, 



