are issued gratis, upon application supported by proof of citizenship. This proof need be transmitted but once. On all subsequent occasions, a simple reference to it, and to the period when it was presented, will be sufficient. When the applicant is a native citizen of the United States, he must transmit an affidavit of this fact, stating his age and place of birth, signed by him, and sworn to by himself, and one other citizen of the United States named therein, to whom he is personally known, and to the best of whose knowledge and belief the declaration made by him is true. This affidavit must be attested by a Notary Public, under his signature and seal of office. When there is no Notary in the place, the affidavit may be made before a Justice of the Peace, or other officer authorized to administer oaths. If the applicant be a naturalized citizen, his certificate of naturalization must be transmitted for inspection. It will be returned with the passport. The application should be accompanied with a description of the person, stating the following particulars, viz: Age: Stature: feet inches (English measure.) Fore years. head: Eyes: Hair: Nose: Mouth: Face: Chin: When the applicant is to be accompanied by his wife, children, or servants, or by females under his protection, it will be sufficient to state the name and ages of such persons, and their relationship to the applicant. Persons who leave the country, expecting to obtain passports, whilst abroad, from the diplomatic or consular agents of the United States, are liable to disappointment; inasmuch as it is the duty of those agents to observe the utmost caution in granting documents, in the nature of a certificate of citizenship, to those persons only who are certainly known to be entitled to them; and it is sometimes difficult, if not impracticable, to procure proof of this fact in a foreign country. Certificates of citizenship, or passports issuing from the State authorities, or from the judicial or the municipal functionaries of our country, are not recognised by the officers of foreign governments; and if the diplomatic and consular agents of the United States are called upon to certify to the authenticity of such document, they cannot do this, for want of that official information in regard to those authorities and functionaries, and to their respective signatures and seals of office, which is indispensably necessary in the case of every such certificate. Thus the necessity will be apparent to those citizens who contemplate leaving the United States, to travel or sojourn abroad, that they should provide themselves with the evidence of their national character. In the kingdom of Great Britain, as in this country, passports are not necessary. Citizens of the United States visiting the Spanish West Indies are required to have their passports vised by the Spanish Consul at the port of their departure, otherwise they will find difficulty in landing, and may subject themselves to a fine. It is proper here to remark, that children under age at the time of the naturalization of their parents are entitled to passports as citizens of the United States. In order to save time and trouble to persons who thus derive their citizenship, they should send to the Department of State the certificate of naturalization of their parents, accompanied by an affidavit made before a Notary Public or any other officer duly qualified to administer oaths, that the person desiring a passport is a citizen of the United States from the "naturalization of his parents, as will be seen by the certificate enclosed." The following is the form of passport issued by the Department of State: |