Star. — London, England, 1824-03-24 00:00:00

1N... '''-- PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. „ • HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 43. This morning the LORD Darer, sat for Appeals at ten o'clock. 1 , Hutton v. Gibson," from the Court of Session in Scotland, ws• affirmed', with on!. costs, by their Lordships. For the appeal o f " S m i t h an d ot h e rs v. th e B an k o f S c otland, " i Mr. SHADWELL (in conclusion) and Mr. ASER6IOMBY were heard' • faille appellants, Mr. Moaner and Mr. WALLii for the respond enti, and Mr. SIPAHWILL I in reply.—Jodgment deferred. Giboin v. Robertson" Was next proceeded with ; aria after . Sews. Aaancaoater and MURRAY were heard for the appellants, and the Arrinimer , Genastex for the. respondents, the. further hear ing was postpon e d to Thursday. At about eight minutes to four co'clnek the Earl of HAIM/WRY, the Loins Citaareata oa,.and the Earl Of SHAFTESBURY, sat robed as the• Lords Commissioners for notifying and declaring his Majesty's Assent to certain Bills ; and the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod was directed to require the attendance of the Commons in this House. Shortly atter the SPEARED. eccompanied by several of the Mem bers, came to the bar, when the Royal Assent was given, with the usual forms, fo the Bills following To the Sugar Boorries and Tobacco Duties Bill for the current year, the Five per Ce:its. Annuities Transfer Bill, the Army Moe tiry and DeA•rtion Punishment Bill, the Marine Forces on Shore Regulation Bill, the County Jails Act Amendment Bill, the Ireland Court or Exchequer Regulation Bill, and the Female Orphans' - Asylum Bill, and several Road Bills. Adjourned during pleasure, and at five the House resumed. Sir CHARLES Buntouoit, Mr. MUNDAY, and others, brought up the County Courts Bill, and several Road Bills, which were after wards read a first time. Mr. ADRIAN, from the Treasury, delivered in the annual Ac- ' count of Superannuation Allowances in Public Departments, and also the Tax Office Arrears and Balances. These papers were after wards, at the instance of Karl Gaostrenos, ordered to be printed. The Barnsley Church and Improvement Bill, and the lOngston tipon-Hull Poor Employment Bill, were read a second time. The Marquis of LANSDOWN gave notice, that he should move the second reading of the Protestant Dissenters' Marriage Bill on Monday, and he moved that their Lordships be summoned for . Monday next.—Ordered. At half-past five this House adjourned till to-morrow at ten. HOUSE OF COMMONS. This day the House was summoned to attend in the House of Peers. On the SPEAKER'S return to the House, he informed them he bid been in the House of Lords to hear the Royal Assent given by Commission to several Bills.—(For which see the Lords Report). A Person from the Treasury presented Papers pursuant to the order of the House. Mr. 11. SUMNER Preeinted a Petition from certain persons in terested in the proposed Decks south of •the Thames, for leave to bring in a Bill relative to the said Docks. The Petition being read, was laid on the titbit-, and leave given accordingly. Mr. T. WILSON presented a Petition from the Watermen near the Towtr, praying that the House would not permit the new proposed Suspension Bridge to he erected, as likely to prove injurious to thewatermen below Bridge ; or if the Bill should pass, that a remuneration should be granted them for the Ipss they must sustain.—Ordered to lie on the table. • Sir J. SHELLEY presented a Petition from the Freemasons of the County of Tyrone, praying that they might be put on the same finning of privilege and protection as the Freemasons of England.— Read and laid on the table. • Lord 1.0 WTH ER presented a Petition from Alston against the continuance of Slavery ; also Petitions against the Excise. Lacenses font Kendal and Perith,in Cuniiieriand.—Laid an thwtable. retinues were presented from Elford, by Sir Wteetaat Rovrese against the Es ci,e License Duties; and a !leaden from the Growers of Wool in Cemberlard, 'against the removal of the Import Duty •n Forfign NVool.—Therwere both laid on the table. Sir E. KN ATCHI3CLI. presented a Petition front the parish of St. Ah,liage, against the Excise Licenses. Also a Petition from the Inhabitants of Folkestone, against the continuance of .Slavery in the West Indies.—both were laid on the•table.—ln. moving , the hater might be printed, he observed, that the Petition prayed A' I a gradual Abolition o f Sl aver y, an d approved the intentions of his itljesty's Government. - Mr. M. P 1 .17 presented a Petition frOm Sherborne, against the continua::ce of Slavery. A Petition was presented from Lyme Regis against the Tax or. Boats; and a similar Petition from the Inhabitants of Chalont.— They were trail, and laid on the table. AIreIERVIS presented a -Petition from the Inhabitants of Basing- Stoke, and Sir Jamas Gaanast a Petition from those of Brampton, against the continuance of Slavery in the West Indies.—ltead and Ind on the table. Mr. ijli It Rf?.I.L Presented a Petition from.certain Occupiers 'of Land it Sterling in Sussex, Lgainst the repeal of the duty on the impt i rtatiou of. Foreign Wool, which the Petitioners viewed with the utmost alarm, as calculated to depress most materially the agri cultural interein—The Betition was read sad laid on the table. Mr. SYKES presented a Petition from Ow Corporation of Candle eiskers of Edinburgh, praying, that in consequence of their trade b,-ing much on the decline, owing to the very 3eneral use of oil and the invention of gas, the House would take into its consideration the plop:my of either totally repealing the duty on Candles, or else readering the duty lighter, as it could ouly be considered as a tax directly on labour. One great objection he had to thetax was, that it was ceikcted at an expanse of treble that of ordinary taxation, which proved that the tax was needlessly oppressive; and that some most 'mover conduct was adopted in the collection. He pledged Infuselt, it no one else took it up, to bring the subject of the tax be fete the House, with a view to repeal it. He also presented a Pe tition from the inhabitants of Pocklington, in the County of Ydrk, against the continuance of Slavery in the West Indies.—They were both read and laid on the table. • Sir fi I LBEItT H EATH COTE presented a Petition frootOlte ham against the continuance of Slavery,in the West Indies.. Ile presented also.a Petition from the Licensed Victuallers of Oaking nam, in Lincolnshire, against the Excise License Duties.—Both Pe titions were l a id o n the table. - Sir FRANCIS BLAKE presented a Petition from the Mayor and Burgesses of Berwick-upon-Tweed against the continuance of Slavery.--Laid on' the table. - Sir W.INGLEBY presented a Petition-from the Parish of in Lincolnshire, against the continuance of Slavery in the West It:- dirs.—The Petition was read and laid on the table. • -Mr. CHARLES CALVERT presented a Petition from the Parishioners of the Parish of St. Olave, against the continuance of the Assessed Taxes: - •• Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a Petition from the Wateimen of Iron-gate Ferry, St. Katherine's, against the projected Suspen sion Bridge over the Thames from Wapping to Rotherhithe ; also a Petition from the Inhabitants of Smithfield agaiest cruelty to animals.—They were laid on the table. • Mr. HOBIIOUSE presented a Petition, signed by 1,560 Jour neymen Carpenters and Joiners in Westminster and the Borough of Southwark, against the Combination Laws. He presented alai tnilar Petition from the Boot and Shee•makers of Wigan, in Lan . Petitions were laid on the table. . • Mr. S. RICE pi-est:met: Petitions front Knochgrafton -and ano ther parish In the County of Limerick against the 'lithe Corneusi ; thin Act.—Laid on, the Lille. - • Sir J. N EWPORT resented 'a Petition from certain Roman Catholics in Newl ,, untll. rid, praying for a Repeal of the LaW:, re- Wive to Mai nags, as applied to Catholics in that Colony.—Read, and laid on the task: • • Mr. Secretary PERI. presented a Petiticin from the Borough of aganisi the present System of the Prison Law;;.--The Pc titton bring read, he moved ft should be referred to the Committee sitting on Prison Regulations. The Penitentiary Convicts Bill vrai tend a third time and passed. Mr. HU Allt.brought up the Report of the Committee on the Artisans' machinery, which was orderid to be printed. • The.same Honourabl e Member 'presented • a Petition from the Elders and Congregation of the Scotch Church In %Veils -street, re lacing to Slavery in the West 'sidles, antlyraying that the Abolition cif Slavei-y might be effected conjointly with a due respect to any property acquired in Slaves, and a suitable and adequate remune ration for ad losses sustained by emancipation. Ile gave notice it was his intention to move a Resolution Tin the first open day to the following effect t—" That the House would not sanction any Bill ormeasure to emancip ate t h e Sl aves i n ou r W est Indi a p ossess i ons , which should not urovide an indemnification or remuneration for loss sustained by the owners of Slaves in those Colonies."—The Pe- Wiwi was read and laid on the table. The same Honourable Member presented a similar Petition from the towns of Greenock and Brecon.—Read and laid on the table. Also, a Petition from the Boot and Shoe-makers of Montrose, against the Combination Laws.—This Petition was read, and re ferred to the Artisans' Committee. • Mr. BARING said he held In his hand a Petition pressing on Government the necessity of Repealing the Duties op Cider. It was well known to be very small in its amount, and yet most inju tiotis to the pockets, and what was much worse, to the morals of the people of the West of England,whose principal drink it formed, and who of course were tempted continually to break the laws ie . vying duties on. the production of their home manufactured be. Image. He had hoped to press the subject ou the attention of the • Is e , Bight flononrable Ciengovw, tht Ciikedlif-or4be Excliagr t hod he been in his pace. k&aa laity when Mat itight.Honograble Oentletnan woo.firesept.—lrktillan appeared, to be from certain Litensed Victuallers at tainton. Being reatc', it was laid on the Italie. ." • • , - -The House went intoi Committee on the amity Courts Bill: After a desultory conversation with respect to the mode of ap pointing the assessors, the CHAIRMAN reported progress, and asked .leave'to sit again that night. Mr. JAMES presented a Petition from William Cobbett, com plaining that the new Game Bill made a species of property of a east variety of wild fowl, which were never before considered to be property. The Hon. Gentleman observed, that the Member fur Yorkshire (Mr. Stuart Wortley) seemed to have excepted sciicr ; single bird, except the wild goose, which it was to be presut be hadexcepted out of compliment to the' immortal Shakspeare, who had said—." The wild g•lose, soars aloft, unclaimed of any, man." (A laugh.) The petitioner frayed, that not only the prod.+ ing Bill might be rejected, but that the Hoer night be radically re formed, &c. (A laugh.) Mr. S. WORTLEY assured the' Honourable Member that the Petitioner must have been mistakeu, as it was not intended by the Bill to create a new Species of game or property ; more parti cularly with respect to rabbits the Bill only made it a trespass to go on any inkier person's ground, to destroy them. Mr. JAMES widird to know, might hares be snared by this law, since it was - well known that farmers, in many places where rabbits were a nuisance, set traps for them ; in some places trapping rabbits was more productive than turning the land into tillage. -- Mr. cuirrnis knew hands of the description just mentioned in his own County. Mr. S. Vs ORTLEY said, the law as to hares and rabbits stood as it did before ; hares were one thing, rabbits another. NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY. Mr. WILMOT-HORTON rose for the purpose of moving for leave to bring in a 13111, which circumstances rendered imme diately necessary for'tlir interests of our Colony iii Newfound land, although a more general Bill was expected to be introduced this Session for the regulation of the whole of the interests and ma nagements of that Colony. His motion only referred to permission to bring in a Bill to regulate the Fisheries of Newfamdland. The Bill he had in view was merely a selection of clauses from the 13111 which bail been abandoned last year, owi;;;; to the lateness of the season at which it was contested. That 134 of last Session had re ference to divers subjects—namely, revisions of sentenc , :s in Courts of Justice, the Laws respecting Insolvency, those relative to Mae: riage, and thine respecting the Municipal Laws of St. John'a Not one of these heads of legislature were included in the ;resent Bill; which only referred to the protection and regulation nt_ the tibltery of Newfoundland. His object at present was not to press the Bill further than to have it. printed, when, being placed in the handsnf Members, it might be examined before they went any further with' it. This he confessed was very limited in its operation.—'The larger Bill, of which it was in fact an extract, would, when introdiscrd, be found to contain more extensive en.letmentsapplicable to theinulli ,cipal regulations and localinterests of the Colony. Having moved for leave to bring in the 13111, Mr. BRIGHT hoped that die parts of the Bin Which were different front the Bill of last year would, in the printed copies, be. printed in italics. Mr. WILMOT-HORTON said he should - most Willingly adopt the idea. Indeed he had intended to do so for. rize convenience of Members.—Leave was given to bring in the Bill: ALIEN niu,. Mr. Secretary PEEL said, he rose for the purpose of discharging a duty Which deVolved npr . .n . " him-as a Mi nister of the Crown, to propose to the House to continue in force those powers with which the Government was vested respecting aliens resident in tfiis Country: bringing forward this s u bj ect he f e l t un d er some degree of embarrassment, for reasons that mightsuggest them selvei to every person tri,that Molise. The subject had, 'been Of late years , so fepeatedly discussed that every argument connected with it Must he farniliar, to' the great majority of those to whom he now addressed him self. For that reason he was reluctant to weary the House by a repetition of those arguMents. 1-le was, however. still .more reluCtant to pail th . em by wi th out notice, and thus by silen c e . t o appea r at if h e looped upon the subject as one of little importance. He should . then efore prefer the embarrassment arising . trOin the adoption of ' the former . - alternative, end state thOse' grounds on which be prooteit •the Continuance of the 8i11.,, IE a wbuld, in the first:plaii, remind the Honied the provisions of the till I,a.ssed ip 18It*Nich thin:tined important:modifications:of the measure that was in force during she war. By the pi es'ent Bill it *hi required of the alien, ()tip's. a nitlin4, to giveinto the Qffice of the Cristesynt of that port at winch he diseinbaiked ;if) account of lids name, profession, and the country from whence became. By neglecting to c'et - iform to this regulation, the•alien rendered himself liable to a penalty. .On this part of the subject there was little difference of OPinivii. No one would, he belier;ed„ contend that so far the provi sions of the Bill were unreasonable "and not-proper to be enforced. The other provision's 'of the we r e More Material, and were those Which had been frequently the subject of debate. By the further provisions of the Bill the Crown was author-Fred to direct that any alien should leave the country. The alien by refusing Com pliance with such order rendered himself liable to a penalty, not exceeding, in the fir st instance,' one tenth's imprisonment. In case of refusing a second time, he was subject to imprisonment for a tertn, nor exceeding twelve months. If the Secretary of State for the Home DepartMent saw reasons for concluding that the alien would not obeY the . order. So. issued by the Cro'wo, he was empowered to giye•hirn in charge to. .itteise*t; for the purpose of having him conveyed nut the country. There was, however, a check th the bieftise of such authinity on the part of the Secretary.of §itte. The alien might say that he pad good reasons for riot obeying such order, and he had.a -eightto state iris rea ions &fore the Fifty Council. 'lt belonged to the. Privy Council, according to tligerew they took of the *Meet,' either to confirm the order, to ‘et it aside altogether, or, to suspend it for a certain time. tie had now given to thelibusen-tolerably torrent though a summary view; of the provisioiii of the till. 'He 'should proceed to notice the objections uiged oar fernier occasions against the existence of such powers,•and.to state to the House how tartheygiipegred to biro. to posiesS any real weight. The first objection to the meastrie„ and that most dwelt upon by Gentlemen who indulged in tied/amnion u pon the subject, was, that it formed a complete departure from the ancient practice of the country, that of af fording an asylum to all, whatever might be their country or ieligiOn; and . ogiving to alien, a generous and hospitable reception: . No man would be more-re. luctant than himself to detract from that character fot h9sßitality which formerly marked the tneduct of this country in its treatment of Strangers. No doubt it was a proud trait in their character that aliens found in this 'country a refuge trom perseeutistn, an asylum in which . they might seek that safety which their own country re. . fused, and where they were treated izith every degree of liberality consistent with the secdrity of British sub jects. He contended, however, that the policy now generally pursued with respect to aliens, far exceeded, in point of generosity, anything of which they had es. , ample in the history of former times, and that they were . now as distinguished as at any former period for afford.. ing a generous asylum to the persecuted of all nations,: whatever might be their religion or their, political creed. There could be no greater. mistake than to suppose that it was the former policy of England to admit aliens indis: criminately without controul of any kind. From the wet in which this argume n t of ktwient seilerosity was. uvged, in the warmth of declamation, orie would think that, in the contemplation of their ancestors, the interests Of the alien were paramount, without any reference to the . - . ~l.the tbj ect, or national elansiderinOn'Ot any • kin• At tria ist riod of their history did the *now tltiftltdis4timinate and ancontrouled admitaitm of the Ain:. The restrictions on that head wer e as severe as ,aatracted-upon in later times. reliance had been placed on a provision in Magna Chula, which was ren dered stronger by the.commentary of Lord Coke, who interpreted, it was paidoriaipubliceproltibitifuerint, as applying to a prohibition by law. The passage, how ever, ibliitrned otherwise than as having teference to Mercheift -itringets. Let them see what conclusions history warranted them in coming to. on the subject. He would first take the. period of Henry IV. They would find that in his reign the King; of his own authority, directed an order to the Keeper of the Port of Dover, stating the inconvenience of admit ting so many foreigners into the country, and giving Strict commands, that when any alien arrived he should not be allowed to pass from Dover until such time as the King's permission to that effect had arrived —(The Might Honourable Gentleman read the order in Latin.) At the same time an order was directed to the Governor of the port of Calais, on the•opposite coast, not to per mit persons indiscriminately to put off from that place. for England. The word used was escapari, an expres sion, he would admit, not of the most classical kind. In these orders, however, there was an important exception with regard to ntercatores notorii, and -it was directed that they should be permitted to pass. This was a clear proof that the privilege which belonged to merchant strangers was not commun i cate d indiscriminately to all aliens, and that the Crown, at the period mentioned, reserved to itself the right of granting or refusing per mission to toieigners to remain in the country. The, reign of Elizabeth was always resorted to as a favourite subject of eloquent declamation for the liberality then evinced in the treatment of aliens. Now the fact was, that, thrcseghout the whole history, the councils of no monarch sheaved a more cautious policy upon this sub ject—none in which the admission of aliens was made more subordinate tti the interests not alone of the coun try., botof the Court. The. treatment of foreign Pro testants---of the Flemish in particular —was liberal, but it did i;ot Wend to all aliens. There were peculiar rea sons why Protestant foreigners shouli be kindly re .ceived, and well treated; but this did not extend to C - theilics, and very wisely, as he thought, under the pecu liar circumstances of the time. He would select from her ietn a reriod of peace, the year 1573.. In that year there Uwe letters on record to the Lord Mayor, diiect ing, that as alien had settled together in particular .parts, and in great numbers, he would take measures for separating them, and that as many of them as did not profess the Protestant faith should be sent out of the . country. In this reign even Protestant refugees were never considered on the same footing as free-born 'subjects. They would find that, in letters from the Lords of the Council, 1,500 aliens were ordered to depart the realin, as - not being known to belong to any religion.— There were proofs• also, that in this reign aliens were confined to certain towns.. They would find a letter -from Lord Cobham, then Warden of the Cinque Putts, .stating that lamination had inched him Of there being more aliens in gaud wick than were permitted in any •place so near the past, and directing that if such were the case, they sheuhi be sent to places mote *emote from the sea. In 157+, permission was refused to Certain aliens to leave Lynn for the purpo e of' going to reside in Norwich, and it was 41 . • di that if they were not disposed to continue to reside at Lynn,' they might.de aaart the realm. This was another proof that aliens never ,stood oti the same footing as mon ral-barn subjects. la the irellot of fables I. he found the same line of conduct par ;sued. Constant complaint was then made of the abuse of 414 pa utiisSion to aliens to settle in the country, and of the :irtjk ry thence arising to the subjects of his Majesty. At tthis keriod aliens weie.not alloived to get a livelihood as ,handicraftiMen, or to sell by Mail. King James re-1 quired that all - aliens cowing into this. country should 'be enrolled, as if in his service, and ordered that mea :sures should be taken to prevent such great numbers of masterless men froin being drivin hither.- , -- He would challeoge these who oppOsed the Bill to shew anything like this in modern times. Another Objection was, that the provisions of the Alien Att were such as might be ,rendered subservient to the purposes of abuse. It was impossible to deny, that such an objection lay against it, but Was there not some teetuity provided against abuse? 'The Op being directed to leave the country, might appeal to the Ptivt Council, and *ate any reasons he had to advance why thecirder should not be carried into effect. 'But was there not more effectual security iii the account which a Secretary of State was liable to be tidied tipinito : give, whenever he had recourse to the powers with which he was intrusted by this mea sure?* If he tell satisfied that in any one instance he had 'employed his power for the gratification . 0f...a private feeling, .or lent .it to gratify the revenge of (idlers, could he have the hardihood to come for- Wird and propose to the House to vest him again With an author ity he had so perverted? Let them look at the past, and see whether any abuse had taken place. He did not mean to contend that the absence of abuse was a sufficient reason why the law should be continued, but at least it was .a sufficient ground for saying that abuse was not likely to occur. What was the number of' aliens sent out of the 'country for the last ten years? SinCe the'peace, they amounted altogether to no more thin Seventeen. Of these, eleven or twelve were persons immediately connected with Bonaparte, whose banish: inent therefore rested upon peculiar grounds. The number then, in the space of ten years, was only five or six. Was this not a clear proof that the powers•con ferred by. the Act were not largely exercised? In 1822, not one alien had been-sent out of the country ; in 1823, only one, and that under circumstances of a very pecu liar kind. The individual, Count Bettera, had threat ened the life of Prince Esterhazy, and indeed his con duct was such, that even lot his own interest it was mttch better that he should not be allowed to remain any longer iu England. Another argument against the Alien Act was, that it was only made subservient to the - poliey'a foreign - Courts. The best answer to this was the fact. He could not take upon himself to say that in future it might not be abused to such purposes, but as regarded the past he was quite confident that it had not. In ten years, there was no one instance of its having been made subservient to any views of foreign policy, or of having been put in force at the suggestion of aiiy foreign power. It was objected, that foreign powers might be offended, and thereby a ground of quarrel established, unless the Act was put in force when they desired it.. No such case however occurred, no such demand was made, or if made, was certainly not complied with,. But it was said that the Act dis couraged aliens fromconiing to this country, that no alien would wish to reside where he found that he must live only by sufferance, and where his stay must depend. upon caprice., When aliens knew that iu the course of ten years no more than five or six had been sent away under the provisions of the Act, that in the two last years only one case occurred, and that a case in which a threat of assassination had been held out, they could not live under very great apprehensions. On this put of the question, the apprehension entertained by aliens, and its effect in, keeping them out of the country, let them again refer to factv, and see w h a t w as the imolFiF of foreigners here at different periods. A stranger might be led to suppose that there was a coestaut dimi nution, but they wouad find that the very coTicrirPWai the fad. In 1818, the numbe r calculated. iii ,the bates, he had not certain data to go tiptin, bra's 20,00 e, What was the increase since then ?—tk MindERR from the opposite side of the 'louse said the circumstan c es dif tered3.—The circumstances were different. He admitted that, and he was glad the Han. Gentleman reminded him of it, but not ie a single instance, whatever might be the country of the Mien, or whitener the nature of the troubles in which ,ithad been involved, w as a n y i n . dividual refu s ed admission beic. Whatev er pact he might have takea, ne.initairy was made into theca e f any traveller. The portals of the country were thrown open to all—(Hear, hear).—Ad mission . was refused to none—(Hear, hear). 1E1,1821 the number of aliens in the country was 21C0()% 7 -in 1822, 24,500—in 1823, 25,000—in 1824; after all that had been said in that House against the me4kine, after all the deliberation s on its injurious ettects it 'eventing the arrival of aliens, the number increatied to 1,800, 1,500 of Whom hid arrived within thelast year. Walaiot this a pro o f that Aims did not live here under the *plata:lien:ion of eon.. tinual vexation, and arbitrary exertion of authority;and that the Alien Bill did I.tchtoperate : as.nexclusienitit the foreigner from the hospitabl e . shmes of this Country? Another objection whieh had bernurgedagainit the law was, its supposed liability . to be used by the subordhiait officers of Governinent as a means of persecuting foreikti: . ers by threats and menaces of potting it infiirceitgaiest them. He was not aware of any attempt havi na , been made upon any occasion to uselt in that manner, and atiir complaint that might have been made upon the subject would not have been allowed to pass without a full and minute inquiry into the-circumstances of the But he.knew the exercise of the power conveyed by tFt~ Act, had never been entrusted to any subordinate officer or agent, but had been reserved exclusively to -thy hands in airier) it was intended to he placed. Another argument as hich had been allegedegaiast tbeAcyres ithat all aliens were placed by it On the same liotiag and while some, it was admitted, those for insenice who had but lately arrived in this country, might very pro• perly be subjected to such a power es it conveyed, to others it was contended that it could nen, with justice be applied—to those for instance who bad been :any; set iled- in this country, hat--lived i n quiet iubjection to he laws, and had los mad establishments whiCli it a mold be a great hardship to make them liable to beeatit tip and We move, without establishing against them some Miinifisit violation af the laws of the country. He cotess, he could not but feel that there was considertible toice this argument; mod therefore he should propi , ise to draw a line of distinction, by excepting from the ;tperation et this Act all those alien why. sr). uhl be enables i to prove it settled residence in this country of mole Oen seven ,years--(Flear,hear)—such lealgtheneii residence proving to a 'peat extent. that ;hey are not living herr for any objectionable purpose, such as could be viewed as re qiiiring the aid of the powers of this-Act to prevent. This would have the - effect of eititidirig at once from the operation of the Act above ten thousand .of the !aliens at present 'living in the country—(Hear. It was very difficult to state preciseli what iie t aiee of danger, or td describe particularly what was the :untie pf that' danger, to be apprehended from leaving so large number of aliens as were th e country altoge ther free from the contralti v hicli the knoll le.tge of the existence of the powers Of this Act gave to the Freese. tive Government over their conduct. But he a ould say that he firmly believed,: that if the pcwer were no lodger allowed, • trotter the peculiar circumstances which had ()maimed the removal of many if those aliens from their own country to seek an asylum here. in less than three months' time it would be found that their conduct would be such as to call for even a stronger power to put an end to the mischief which they might 'engender than even the present Act pi/6 td prevent it. It should be remembered that there were 26,300 aliens now living in this country, of whom upwardeof 18,000 were resident in the metropolis and its vicinity, and that of that number 1;300 had arrived here- within the last year, under circumstances which rendered theta. in a particular nianner. objects of the attendee of Govern ment. It war -not necessary for his argument, in peak ing of those persons, that he should use any expreapoit: that might give . offence to the most ardent loiter of betty, but he must say that the' probability wasalttse they were men of exceedingly fervent spitits,',•with exa._ cited passions and high feelings, smarting melee a sense, of supposed wrongs, which had 'driven them-born their Own countries to seek an asylum here—Wenr, Itartf--; and he was glad that this country was able to aftlard .them an asylum. But was there anything unreassonablo in saying to men so circumstanced, " if we give you aa atylum where you may find peace and repose, we am. rift that.you will let us keep our peace and repote glsere If this country, in her insular position, was attleactefteci ter those who fled from the ciosequences of!having failed in their attempts to Wiest their own Inchviainal wrongs against the Government of their own country, was it unreasonable to expect in return for the safety this country afforded them, that they should cease from those attempts while they remained here, and should abstain from any machinations against the Government Of a country with which we were at peace? Suppose such persons, disappointed in their hopes of redressing their grievances by a change in the Governmentof thaw own country, should conceive that the troubledstate of that Gorey nment and their residence here afforded a fa- Vourable opportunity for exciting disturbances in its de pendencies, was it fit that they should be allowed to Make this country the seat of their intrigues and pro jects for the dismemberment of the dominions of a Go vernment with which we were maintaining relations of amity ? This had, in fact, already been the case: per. eons in the situation which he had described had been found making arrangements in this country for that species of operation upon the dependencies of a State with which we were on friendly terms. And how was the Government of this country to checkthese proceed ings? The course taken was to remind them of Inc existence of this Act, and to admonish them to abstain from any hostile preparations against other States, such as they were then engaged in, a continuance of which must, in all probability, subject them fothe exercise of Its powers. No severity appeared in this, no grievance that could justly be complained of. He shouldipropose to tale a 13th fur continuing the pdeversolthe• Act Err the same term as tl!e Idst;' , /ii. two' yeAtiviticPieoFosta • a zely I 'ma C? 'I~SSS ~. ~~;: • 6 1 11 1 a M 5 oA I al 41 M 111 tt a 0. '.1.4 -• *l-