The National Register. — London, England, 1816-05-19 00:00:00

s e:t `• • ~. ational 31tolOttr<'* ZDt t ~~• ilhalliso , 3 AV a Our Mug, ConssUtuttott aIUJ itab3d. Mimi& 4 ... , No. 4,561—V0i.. IX. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ALIEN RILL AFTER describing. in our last, the nature of the ar guments urged agaiust the peace Alien Bill, we shall now consider the othe- side of the question. The sup porters of that measure stand on very diKrent grounds. All with them is policy and fear. Because peace is re stored, they tell the country, you are not to suppose that mischievous intentions are eradicated from the minds of Aliens, and that precautionary measures arc unnecessary. The revolutionary madness is quelled and abated, but not extinguished; aud it is not the mere signature of a treaty afpeace that can secure the country against their machi nations. Can it be recommended to throw open our shores, and to give an unlimited and unqualified protec tion to all the agents and spirits of Buonaparte, or to all French subjects? Can any doubt arise, that we are not justifiel in adopting measures of precaution at home, when it is found necessary to keep an army of 1.10,000 in France? Without a peace Alien Bill, the country would be deluged with the most dangerous character:: ; and, to regret the measure, would be to show a total in sensibility to the real state of Europe.—Such are the grounds of policy, which, according to its advocates, call liar the enactment of this measure. But many auxiliary argmnents are brought into its support. It is described as not liable to the charge of novelty. It was timed ex pedient in 1803 and 1814; why, therefore, should it lie deemed impolitic and unjust in 181(1? The number of aliens in this country is greater at this time than at any ether period. It amounts to 23,000, and over such a population it is necessary to kctain some dtselettonety power. The present Bill also differs widely in its pro- visions from the for4.er. This is all mildness, and the other was all severity. As long as it continued in foree, •o alien, even after having once obtained leave to land in England, could stir a step without a passport, or live any where without a licence. He might be sent out of the country without any right of appeal; and if he return ed without permixsion, he became subject to transp orta tim for life. From the Bill now proposed, all those severities were expunged. Once in possession of the certiikate which allowed him to enter the land, an alien would now hens tree and unshackled as a natural-bornsub jeet ;knight main through tie three kingdoms, and even lifive them at any port, withoutsny permission, on showing his certificate. 11... would still be liable, it was true, to be sent out of tbeeountry ; but he would have at right of appeal to tte Oivy Council, which would 1:e a edge] On the exercise of that prerogative. An effectual bar would thus be opposed to the undue interference of foreign ministers, which it was most clearly declared had never been exerted. Indeed, the pnveedims of Govern ment had been so lenient, even while they were armed with the bill in its most terrible shape, that since Islt.t only 21 aliens had been sent out of the country; and of those sir. were individuals Who had returned without sa cave, and exposed themselves to the penalty of transpor tation tier life. Of the latter, since the very birth of the Act, not a single instance had OCCUrra Could it there fore be expected, when all the obnoxious provisions of this measure were excluded, and mildness had become its dm rauteristic•tieature, that it would be productive of greater cruelty or injustice? The lower of removing Aliens front the country was not a novelty in the constitution. it existed is the crown, and might be exercised by proclamation. If those pnatamations were disregarded, their object might then be pursued, and attained by indictment. The present Bill only opened a new way for the exercise of that power, and simplified the means by which it was to be exerted. Neither was any article of Magna Charts violated. The clause in that charter wax (=lined in its operation to merchant strangers ; and was intended to protect them against the exactions of the subjects who did every thing in their power to exclude them, but not to disarm the King of his prerogative. An Alien had nu - ;JP. - ~* SUNDAY, MAY 19, 1816. inherent right, by the laws of nations, to come and reside in another country, without the consent of its Sovereign. He owed no allegiance to that state ; his services could not he demanded, his departure prevented ; he could not be recalled as a natural-born subject, and punished - by outlawry, and the confiscation of his property, if he did not return. Neither could he claim, to their full extent, the same privileges as a natural damn attiljett, who could never be forced to quit his country, but by the commission of a crime, which subjected him to the vengeance of the laws. Yet with these few exceptions, he enjoyed all their advantages, and that was mora than the Legislature of any other country ;granted. Such are the arguments urged by the author, and defenders of the measure. It will create repeated dis cussions next week; and in recording its fate, we shall express our own opinion on its merits. IMPERLIL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE or LORDS, MON UA v, Hwy 13. MitAT.uty IN THE STREETS. The Earl of Essux again addressed the House, complaining of an outrage offered to him, nut only as a Peer, but as a Bri tish subject. He Mated, that he was stopped this day by armed military, near the end of the Haymarket. The soldiers lined Pall 11fall, for the Lord Mayor to go up with an Address tp the Queen. He asked fur a police officer, and was told by one of the soldiers, We have no police here ;we have nothing to do with police." The Noble Earl was obliged to go ronud by Piccadilly to St, lames's-street. lie deprecated this intermit. tion as illegal, mei sultylTSi ye of the rights of the British sub ject, introducing a military despotism disgracctid and foreig,n to the principles of the Constitution. •He concluded by mov ing for ropy of the order issued fur placing the military this day in Pall• Mall. _ _ _ ........ ........ The Motion wits opposed by Lord Stumm:Tß and Lord RAttuovray, as a serions proeeeding 'tilled for by the cir cumstances of the ease. It was contended, tbatiLboil been i nn e r eiisimmory to call mitt the military on OCC:Ifi01111 Of State ; and though the proceeding might not he roustitational, it could not be discontinued uitboutgreat public inconvenience. A division took place on the question. The numbers were— For the question 6—Against it 33—Majority U. The )larquis of BucaimGwyn gave notice that he should move on Friday an Address to the Prince Regent to obtain the Order refused in the preceding motion. The Bills were forwarded, and the house adjourned. Turgiav MAY It. The Earl of IT tnitoss BY (ICH% ',Jed the Ilet, , ent's answer to the Ailifri sA of the Howie on the marriage of the Princess Charlotte of 1% ales and Prince Leopold of Cubourg.--Ad ionuned. WEDNUMAY, MAY 15. The TVIA Million. Irish Treasury Bills Bill, the 1.1'00.0001. Iri•li Treasury (till. Bill, the Local Militia Ballot Bill; and the Yeomanry Corp. Bill, were read a third time and passed.— Mljuurned tilt Friday. Frll^.AY. MAY IT. On the motion of rdirl sz:inhope, the ronference with the Corninoas reganling the Stitute Book, was postponed until Friday. _ _ Earl Stanhope also aove notice for Friday for a motion re spi•cting the sublect of weights and measures.—The Lords were ordered to be summoned for Friday. The Malt and Beer Duties Allowances' Bill, several local and private Hills, were broaght up from the COIIIIIIOII6, and read a first time. INTERFERENCE OF THF. MILITARY. The Marquis of Ili closet:, kit observed, that the subject of the interference of thy military, on which he had given notice for this day, hail risen into importance, in consequence of the defence aide!, Iliaikturs hail set up. It :type:wed from what hail been stated by them. that a violation of the In w hail be e n committed; and .that, notwithstanding all the efforts of the Noble Secretary of State, there was still some power above the law which ordered not the military to take upon themsel% es ' the duty of the police, without ally cominaiiication with the. civil authorities. The Noble ketattit stated, that there was an imperfect cominnuivation between the military authority and the office or the Minns Itepartmeutounl this statement rendered the interference of Parliament necessary, in aid of the Settretary of State, fir the purpose of enforcing the law o'l the land. It ails net a little singular, that the Noble Viscount, who united in himself the others ut High Steward, or Head of the Police of Westminster, and See, etary of State, by virtue or which other he was at the head of the pollee of the whole country, should, upon a recent occasion, have found hinv.ol, without the means id* resorting to the aid of the police h% some authority, the military were called out to do the duty of the police. The interference of the military had, 111 , Weber, been attempted to be defended nn the ground of public coi l . senienee ;, but the setting up public convenience in this way 61,4)Ve the law of the land, it was Nearedy necessary to was wholly contrary to the principles of the Constitation. 'lite legality of the practice was however also attempted to be set op, and the illustration of it was the timid of Mr. Hastings he denied the ittgumelit, and rejected the illustration; the Address to the Canna on that uecas' was clearly ambito; more than for the military to be cane', out in aid of the civil lawyer. Besides, the privileges ut Pa I liiiment were paramount L4I all law, taking their date prior to statute law ; mid no analogy could be drawn to compare with them any privilege attached to the Sintereign; there hi fug 1.4111.! wilit111).1011Er.1 I/ the hovereirt. Of. do nem mature as deure of L'isrlimnceit. Biala having ben clearly established that there was a pri vilege claimed , 00newhere, and a power actually tkeici.cti, of calling out the thilitary, not only to do the duties of the police, hut to ob•truct the streets, and ,top his Ma 'je.t: . . . • and #* PRICE 9id. pnit. attire, . withdraw . motion. He thought it due also to say, that two Court dui had occurred since Monday; and that particularly yesterday, on the happy occasion of the congratulations on the Royal marriage, he witnessed what took place; the conduct of the military was certainly gaits exemplary, and he observed police officers properly stationed. Lord Viscount Sintuourri entered into a detail of the cirenr - stances which had taken place upon this subject, and which have been before mentioned,and observed that be had anxiously searched the Journals of Parliament and the Reco►ds of hie awn Office, but that he could not find any instance via com munication being made to the Office of the Secretary of State. ucgardiug the calling out the military for public convenience, nor any allusion made in Parliament to such a circumstance. He, however, thought it was right that such communication should be made, and that the control upon ►uch an occasion should rest with the Si eretary of State for tht Home. Depart ment. As to the legality, what be had argued was, that if the practice of calling out the military for public convenience was illegal, an Address of the House of Lou ds could not make it legal; but he found in the cases of Sachet es ell and Mr. Hast ings, that the Crown had been addressed to call oat the Guards. as had been usual in such cases, a clear proof of the usage.- hawever, felt that there ought to be. a re.puitsibility at tached to the office of Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment, upon the occasions when the military were called out fur public convenience, anti that consequerit:v in that depart ment the einuroul and management, upon such occasions, ought to be vested ; and he had now to irate, that the whole duty of the management and contruul upon sock occasions had illeell aisigned to that department, and that he had exercised that duty yesterday. The. Marquis of' nUCIEINGHI.3I expressed himself satisfied with this arrangement. and proposed to withdraw his motion. The Earl of Essyx wished, however, to ask a question of Ile Noble Secretary of State, its to the manner in which the duty of the sole management and coutroul upon these occasions wits assigned to the Home Department ? 'flue orders npon the ae ration alluded to (he believed it was no secret) came from the Lord Chamberlain ; but lie wished to know hr whom the duty was assigned to the Secretary of State for the Home Depot• mem ? Vi.count SIDMOUTII sn'id, he had received the Prince Reient'srommands to take this duty upon himself uSecrttary of State for the Home Department. The Eirl of Eivex expressed hitoseifsatistied. t . THr. BANK. To answer to a question from the INrl of LaenrituaLr ' the Earl of Li venroot admitted that it was the intention ofGo vernment to apply to the Bank for a Loan, in t h e course of the present session, bet could not state the amount. In the Committee on the Bonk Restriction Art, the Earl of List:ninon. proposed, that the resumption of Cash Payments hr the Bank should take place on the Slit July Ma. he Earl of Lauttuitnams opposed the extent of this post. ponenueut ; and said, that a change of measores, move than length of time, was calculated to accelerate this eveht. lie conceived the 'mature arose more out of a spirit of accom modation between the Government and the Hank, than out of the real necessity of the ease. The Noble Earl moved, as an Amendthetit, that the 4th July Int!' should be substitutsld.—. This Amendment MU negatived. HOUSE OF COMMONS, MORDAV, MAY 13.6 HARI) S Lord STA BILIff observed, he had a question to pot to lite Rt. Hon. Gestic-mow respecting one of the Orders of the Day— the Order fur receiving the Report of the Soap Bill. Thi< wa• hill of very great impOrsanee to the mannfartiirinz inture.t ; and, he wit sorry to say, had not been attended to is it ought to have been. It hail now arrived nearly at it 4 tout Platte, and remained almost unnoticed. He this morning. hail a communi cation from oteofhis cow.; itnentri on the suhieet ; and had now to request that the Rt. Hon. Onntleinan would postpone the time for receiving the Report a tew days. Mr. VVINITTAKT had no objection to the Day till tomiorrow, though In did to the m 1111 l faetnrer conld lw i.e great scented to think. Lord ST trirry was obliged to the any delay, though to delay till to-ittorroi ♦ice ; as it Ivoulel not afford any opport Gentleman receiving a deputation on Hon. Gentleman •aid he wail not a,t,:irt preo on any prr.on heavily. Many of ent% had lewd hard snap in their mum On thi• article WWI doubled, it would burthen ml them. Mr. V rt %HT 'aid. the dr.ty would fourth. owl not he doubled, as the Noble Mr. l'utern runt: m i•Med the Bill tkA lie alto wiled to oh.erre, that b y AMA, tkc duty would cuNiseut.se front U.N..-- • hut to obstruct the streets, and stop his Majesty's snliji.cts in the pursuit of their lawful aro:Nth:us, and tjiat too witbopt communication with any civil authority, it became absolutely necessary for Parlfament to interfere, in order to put a stop to this gi onisig practice', which was equally contrary to lass, itud 4 violation or A ilte AN :A. first step to suh c a Inca. surf, it wag qp.aidAry. to know the authority Irons whettee the orders for calling out the military ott filanaily last, ths ilay complained of issued. Aail he therefore tooted all to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent,. prating that hii Royal Highness would be graciously pleased to cotnninuicate to the House the authority under which the military Sete called out on Monday the 13th MO. and a copy of, the orders issued for that purpose. His Lordship observed, that if a satisfactory statement was made on the other side as to the conduct to be pursued iu futnte, he ens ready to withdraw hi: ~.. to postpone the Order of I not consider the berthen A 4reat ns the Noble r...l , u ldlotiffr Rt. lion. tolentle 4 , , f . vii, .. . row eonld he of I 6 _ . to trinity for the R 4 ' in the subject- ' . 441 ro that the borthe Abo ' l ,enr; p.: ,t* lii‘ (Lord S.'•) r . 1 ,1 1 ~, ifoctories ; and if r , I certainly prove .:1 , •- \ nil .. / ronld only inere • n.. - __v...V: . .....) Ible Lord suppose . P .: \I . should be re-commit the Hilt, u• it : i t p ,seiitt:: , It the int vi 314) ; wid pot