[Electric Graffiti]

Reading that screed by Mary made my head hurt. There was a footnote alluding to the subject that 'natural-born' was inadvertently added to the 1790 Act.

137. Referring to “the inadvertent use of the term natural-born in the Act of 1790,” one author averred that “it was Mr. Madison who had participated in the drafting of the Constitution who had discovered the error and authorized the bill to correct it by deleting the term from the act of 1795.” 113 CONG. REC. 15,879 (1967) (quoting Hon. Pinkney G. McElwee). See Duggin & Collins, supra note 135, at 7879.

[DiogenesLamp]

137. Referring to “the inadvertent use of the term natural-born in the Act of 1790,” one author averred that “it was Mr. Madison who had participated in the drafting of the Constitution who had discovered the error and authorized the bill to correct it by deleting the term from the act of 1795.” 113 CONG. REC. 15,879 (1967) (quoting Hon. Pinkney G. McElwee). See Duggin & Collins, supra note 135, at 7879.

Thanks for that, but if there are any "Madison words" describing the event, I would certainly like to know where they might be found.

The idea of sticking "natural born" into the act is silly from both an English common law perspective, and from a Vattel based perspective.

Neither system would recognize naturalized children born in a foreign jurisdiction as "natural" or "natural born" citizens. The only exception of which I am aware is Vattel's point regarding the children of citizens serving in military forces abroad.