Canada. Royal Commission on Naturalization : The Royal Commission on Naturalization was established under Order in Council P.C. 267, 7 February 1931, under provisions of the Naturalization Act (R.S.C., 1927, c.138) and Part I of the Inquiries Act (R.S.C., 1927, c.99) on the recommendation of the Secretary of State. The Commission was mandated to inquire into and report upon all cases from time to time referred to the Commissioner by the Secretary of State of Canada in which may be considered the revocation of Naturalization Certificates. The commissioner was James Gamble Wallace.
In the period before 1947, Canada's Naturalization Act conferred British Citizenship on persons in Canada by birth or by naturalization. Natural born British subjects were persons born in Canada, or in some other British Dominion or territory, who made their home in Canada. Naturalized British subjects were persons who came to Canada as aliens and became British subjects by naturalization.
Under Section 9 of the Naturalization Act (R.S.C., 1927, c. 138), the Governor in Council, on a report of the Secretary of State, could revoke a certificate of naturalization in force in Canada for the following reasons: for trading with the enemy, for serving a term of imprisonment, for being of bad character, for being a non-resident of a British Dominion or territory for seven years or more, or for being a subject of an enemy country.
Before revocation, the Secretary of State of Canada could recommend that the Governor in Council appoint a commission of inquiry under provisions of the Naturalization Act, but with reference to Part I of the Inquiries Act, to investigate particular cases.
In February 1931, James Gamble Wallace was appointed Commissioner for this purpose because representations had been made to the Secretary of State, C.H. Cahan, that certain individuals had obtained naturalization certificates by fraudulent means. (See R.S.C., 1927, c.138; Order in Council P.C. 267, 7 February 1931; and "An Interim Report of James Gamble Wallace, Commissioner, appointed on the 7th day of February 1931, to inquire into and report upon all cases referred to him by the Secretary of State of Canada regarding the revocation of Naturalization Certificates").
Hearings of the commission were held in Montreal from 20 April to 30 April 1931, and in Ottawa on 18 May 1931. RG33-100 General Inventory
