United States v. Ching Tai Sai

1 D. Haw. 118
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedAugust 13, 1901
StatusPublished

This text of 1 D. Haw. 118 (United States v. Ching Tai Sai) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Ching Tai Sai, 1 D. Haw. 118 (D. Haw. 1901).

Opinion

Estee J.

This is a proceeding for the deportation of Ohing Tai Sai and Oiling Tai Sun, two Chinese persons arrested upon complaint, of E. It. Hendry, a Deputy United States Marshal for the District of Hawaii, on the ground that they were Chinese laborers within the limits of the United States and also, of the District of Hawaii, without the certificates of residence required by the Act of Congress approved May 5th, 1892, and the Act of November 3rd, 1893, amendatory thereof, and the Act of Congress approved April 30th, 1900, providing a government fox the Territory of Hawaii.

Both defendants answered claiming; to have been bom in the Hawaiian Islandsi and each to be an American citizen. By stipulation between, the attorneys it was agreed that both cases, should be heard and decided together.

It was shown on the hearing that these defendants were Chinese boys of the age respectively of eighteen and twenty years. It is admitted that they were bom in the Hawaiian Islands of Chinese parents when the government of the Islands was a constitutional monarchy, their father being a Chinese-laborer and a citizen of China; that when the- boys had reached [120]*120the age of eight and ten years respectively, the father took his family, including these boys, to Ohinia, where he left them, returning to the Islands himself one year thereafter.

The boys remained in Ohinia for ten years, coining back on or about July 9th of this year on the steamer “Peru.”

During 'tire ten years absence of the defendants from the Islands, several governmental changes took place here. The monarchy first gave way to a provisional government ulfimate^ ly resulting in the Republic of Hawaii and finally in the annexation of the Islands by the Hnited States as a Territory, which occurred on July 7th, 1898, by reason of the “'Neiwlands Resolution of Annexation” so called, 30 Stat. H. S. 750.

The qxjestion was raised .upon the argument that as these boys were bom xnxder the government of thei Kingdom of Hawaii, and not xxnder that of -the Republic of Hawaii, which was the existing government when the Islands were annexed, 'and had left the Islands and were living in China when these Islands became a Republic and afterwards a Territory of tbe Hnited States, that they were not included in those who were admitted to be citizens of the Hnited States by the Aet of Congress, approved April 30th, 1900. ■

In the Act of April 30th, 1900, (Vol. 31 U. S. S'tats. Page 1.41) entitled an “Act to provide’ a government for the Territory of Hawaii,” it is prescribed by Section 4 thereof, relating to the qxxestioni of the American citizeixship of the people of the Islands:

“That all persons who were citizens of the Republic of Hawaii on Axxgust twelfth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States and citizens of the Territory of Hawaii.”

The question then presented and the main question, (conceding the birth of these boys in the Hawaiian, Islands at thei time stated) is, “who were citizens of the Republic of Hawaii on Axxgust twelfth, eighteen hxxndred and ninety-eight?”

In this connection, it will be necessaiy b> review a littlei of the history of the annexation proceedings of this Territory.

[121]*121On July Yth, 1898, the Congress of the United States passed a joint resolution (Volume 30 U. S. S'tats. Paga 150) whereby the Islands were annexed as a part of the territory of the United States and became subject toi the sovereign dominion thereof, although the actual and formal cession of thei sovereignty was not made until August 12th, 1898, when the Hon. Sanford B. Dole, tha President of the then Republic of Hawaii, formally turned the same over to the Hon. Harold M. Sewall, representing thei government of the United State, and the United States flag was raised over the dome of the Executive Building.

When the cession was made, the government of the Hawaiian Islands was a Republic with a written constitution, which constitution prescribed who were citizens of that Republic, that is to say:

Article 11, Section 1 of that Constitution provided:

“That 'all persons bom or naturalized iu the Hawaiian Islands and subject to the jurisdiction of the republic, are citizens thereof.”

This provision of thei Constitution of Hawaii controls as to who constituted its citizens. The only questio.nl being as to the construction of the clause “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”

In arriving at an interpretation of the above section of the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii we are aided by tbe construction given to the Constitution of the United States which has a provision in 'almost the exact terms of that of the Constitution' of Hawaii, namely — the Fourteenth Amendment thereof which provides:

“Section 1. All persons bom or naturalized in thei United State and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.”

While the question as to whether a child born in the United States of foreign parents is or is not an American citizen has never been directly decided by the Supreme Court of 'the United States,

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Related

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169 U.S. 649 (Supreme Court, 1898)

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