London Legal Letter. British ancestry, and I am consequently a naturalborn subject of Her Majesty, although the place of my birth was the Island of St. Croix (a Danish possession in the West Indies) during a temporary sojourn of my parents in that island. (4 Geo. 2, Ch. 2 1, II.)
"I was taken when an infant to the United States, where my father was naturalized during my minority, and I thus became entitled to all the rights of a citizen of the United States without ab juring my native allegiance." It is difficult to understand how this emi nent lawyer could contend that, if, as was un doubtedly the case, he was entitled to all the rights of a citizen of the United States and if he elected to exercise those rights, he still retained at the same time his native alle giance to Her Majesty. After his flight from the United States at the close of the war, to escape capture, he was apparently a " man without a country," but he now appears to have considered himself in the unique po sition of having two countries. However, after 1868 a number of gentlemen who were not British subjects were called to the Eng lish bar without the attention of the authori ties having specially been directed to the matter. In 1897 a native Chinese applied to be admitted to Lincoln's Inn with a view to being called to the bar, and a joint com mittee was then appointed, as now, to con sider the question; but upon that occasion the joint committee came to the conclusion "that in their opinion persons not being British subjects may properly be called to the bar." Their resolution embodying this decision was rejected by the Inner Temple, adopted by the Middle Temple and no ac tion was taken upon it by either Gray's Inn or Lincoln's Inn. In an appendix to this report the present committee give the result of their inquiries as to the qualifications, as respects nationality in other countries, as follows : Austr1a. — The necessary conditions are — 1 st, to be "domicilie" in Austria; and, 2d, to be in the enjoyment of political rights. Belg1um. — To be " docteur en droit." To be
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a male. To have taken the oath of allegiance to the King, the constitution, and the laws of the Belgium nation. Denmark. — To have " la qualite de sujet danois." Norway. — To be a Norwegian subject. France. — Mr. Charles K. Hall reported that to enable one to be called to the bar the candi date must : 1 . Have obtained the degree of Licentiate of Laws in one of the French Uni versities. 2. Take the professional oath. 3. Be a French citizen. 4. Have an independent resi dence and domicile within the territorial jurisdiction of the Court by which he is admitted. 5. And not follow any calling inconsistent with the profession. These conditions being fulfilled, the Advocate is allowed to practice, but he is not en tered upon the roll of the Order of Advocates until he has accomplished a probation of at least three years' practice. Sw1tzerland. — It is necessary to be a Swiss citizen. Germany. — The necessary qualification is in consistent with being other than a German, but no absolute rule can be found requiring German nationality. The profession is open to all persons possessing the requisite qualifications for candidates for judgeships. Holland. — The following from Dr. W. R. Bisschop, a Dutch advocate practicing in I-ondon : Before being enrolled as a barrister or a solici tor at one of the Courts of Justice in the Kingdom of the Netherlands it is necessary that the follow ing oath be taken : — "I swear to be " faithful to the King, to obey the Constitutional Code, to honor the Judicial Authorities," etc. In order to take the above-mentioned oath it is not necessary first to be naturalized, nor of course does the taking of this oath convert an alien into a citizen of the kingdom of the Nether lands, which can only be done by special Act. W. Roosegaarde B1sschop. Hungary. — The conditions are ( 1 ) to be of Hungarian nationality; and (2) to have the di ploma of an advocate. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. — Every advo cate must take the oath of allegiance. Russ1a. — The advocate must be twenty-five years of age, and a Russian subject. Serv1a. — He must be a Servian subject.
