Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/1304

 1252 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 854. 1901. CHAPTER Six. d,§§f’p“°“ °‘ °h“‘ ADOPTION OF CHILDREN. ‘*’°““°“· Sec. 395. Jurisdiction is hereby conferred on any judge of the supreme court of the District of Columbia to hear and determine any petition that may be presented by a person or a husband and wife resid mg in the District of Columbia, praying the privilege of adopting any minor child as his or her or their own child, and making such minor ··*>*d°’·°t°- child an heir at law. If the judge shall find, upon the hearing of such petition, that the petitioner is a proper person to have custody of such child, and that the parent or parents or uardian of such child have given their permission for such adoptiongie shall enter an order u n the records of the court legalizing such adoption and making such cmd an heir at law of such petitione1·, the same as if such child was born to such petitioner. If the child has no parent or guardian the judge shall appoint a guardian ad litem. CHAPTER SEVEN. Aliens. estijjgt *0 wd ml Sec. 396. REAL ESTATE.-—-—It shall be unlawful for any person not a ` citizen of the United States or who has not lawfully declared his intention to become such citizen, or for any corporation not created by or under the laws of the=United States or of some State or Territory of the United States, to hereafter acquire and own real estate, or any interest therein, in the District of Columbia, except such as may be acquired _€·g{&v;>;0·S€Cumd by by inheritance: Provided, That the prohibition of this section shall treaty. not apply to cases in which the right to hold and dispose of lands in the United States is secured by existing treaties to the citizens or subjects of foreign countries, which rights, so far as they exist by force of any such treaties, shall continue to exist so long as such treaties are in force, and no longer, and shall not apply to the ownership of foreign legations or the ownership] of residences by representatives of foreign governments or attaches thereof. C<>u>0¤¤¤¤¤S— SEo. 397. CORPORATIONS.—·NO corporation or association of which more than twenty per centum of the stock is or may be owned by any person or persons, corporation or corporations, association or associations not citizens of the United States shall hereafter acquire or own ` any real estate hereafter acquired in the District of Columbia. F¤ff€i¢¤¤¤· Sec. 398. FORFEITURE.—-·All property acquired or held or owned in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be forfeited to the United States, and it shall be the duty of the United States attorney for the District to enforce every such forfeiture by bill in equity or other proper rocess. And in every such suit or g)1‘0C€€dlHi that may "be commenced to enforce the provisions of this c_ apter it s all be the duty of the court to determine the very right of the matter, without regard to matters of form, joinder of parties, multifariousness, or other matters not affecting the substantial rights either of the United States or of the other parties concerned. CHAPTER Eieur. i iilmeudmenw AMENDMENTS. . power to order and allow amendments to be made in all proceedings whatsoever, so as to have the merits of the controversy fairly trie, before the jury retire to make up their verdict, in cases of jury trial,
 * "°°“€‘“”g“· SEo. 399. ].2ROCEEDINGS.···IH all actions at law the court shall have