The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-05-20 00:00:00

~ >~ ..rr„~ .4 03 elts:. • „Aims shown, staring that no one was to have a pass. port from our sntisters who bed not', previously L obs Mined a passport from his owu GOveropsent. Thee t 'i t appeared, that the emotion of this jaw depended, in a gyeat measure, upon the will of ether States.— ,Jet be understood it was, not ueusnal for a ,foo reigner s ,.. heron be epplied for a passport to, .bis owe , Government, to have applicatiop made hoe.; to ...k no w whether, if he came to this.cquntry,dle mould be allowed to remain I—Bet be wotski ask Ministers, whether, *hen they undertook.to decide sigma the 4 character of a foreigner to !kelp thie law waaappli. . . . cable, upon !that Around they ',looded ?—Whether. upon information obtained in this Country or on tape . other side ?—Whether from spiesbeywor there? H i . believed the Ambassador of that Power, of which any foreigner was the subject, was the person prin . cwlly : if dot solely, consulted on such an occasion. He should like to witness the ezansination of the Buard of Inspectors on cases of this nature—awd whether it sat at the Foreign or at the Home Office. If . at the latter particularly, and that Lord Sidruouth were a Member of that Board, there was qo security what. 'ever fns a correct decision ; for that Noble Lord was, , be had 'no hesitation in saying, the greatest dupe that had, ever belonged to any Administration —(•Here there was a slight murmur of dirapprobation.)-- • Dope was, he prriuined, a Parliamentry Impression, and the House, as well as the country, had amply sufficient facts to justify the application. But if the • friends of the Noble Lord were not satisfied to have him coosidered‘a dupe, he should only say that that Noble Lord must be called by a still harsher name. For what was to be thought of this Noble Lord who, in adverting to itch a person as .Oliver, gravely af. firmed that he was " a much injured men ?" (Hear, hear !)—Bot be should like to see the Board of Inspectors in consultation upon the mention of this Act, with, no doubt, some Foreign Ambassadors beside them, engaged, toad.like, aciording to the piCture of one of oar Peet!, is spitting the mom of • legitimacy into the ears of oar Gavot, moot, and tnus endeavou I Woo proven)* i s country from being sr.hat _it was in better times—t asylum of persecuted 11 1 men. The Hon. Member ridieeled tbe idea that any danger could arise to th i n country from the'pr•- seuce of a handful of fort•igners. The ,Date of the country et present was so different train eke ef':l792, when this law wis originally goaded, that,aech an apprehension was quite chimerical, unless Gentle men imagined that a German or i Freechtnan, was likely to join a meeting at Spe-fieidi, with agile, to address. the met) in broken English. But the .feet was, that no apprehension of any domestic doper gave birth to this Bill. The real cum of its contialei mace was a deigns to please foreign Govesoinente.— For this purpose the character of our country was reduced. It was notorious that the law *bleb this Bill proposed to continue, was so thought of on the Continent, that no Esiglisman could excuse it upon any other ground than this, that it was only a war measure, and yet it was now proposed to continue it in peace, without any assignable reason. Here the llon. Member took a review of the character of those Continental States, which had ediaoced their own character and interests, as well as benr;fited humanity, by alfo'rding asylum to the persecuted advocates of civil and religious liberty., He instanced Geneva. which received Voltaire into its hospi le hle bosom, and 1 Helland, which gave shelter to such mien as Erasmus , and Boyle. But England was, in good times, the most distinguished nation in the world for that de scription of hospitality. Her character was now, however, 'reduced from that high rank. She was sunk to a level in the arbitrary Government.. 'fhar Congress of mighty promise .end miserable perform. once, at which the Noble Secretary for Foreign Af• fairs played such a prominent part, had the effect of placing the Police of England glider the Correc tional Police of foreign Governments. He would ask, whether the Ambassador of France or Spain was not entitled to require the execution of this law against any person disagreeable to the Government of either, as part of an absolute compacc—illear, hear!]—Such a compact .. as indeed admitted by a sort of ieuteido in the speech of the Noble Lord who brought forward this Bill, although its eeistence was denied elsewhere. Under all ibe circumstances, then he felt it his duty as an English Grandees° to enter his pretest against this extraordinary measure for the vindication of the character mf his wintry. Colonel ELLISON spoke in favour of tie Bill; and in praise of Lord Castlereagh, as well as Of all his colleagues in - offite. • n. ... Mr. BA'f HURST thought, that after the speeches of his Noble Friend who proposed this Bill, sod of . his lion Friend behind him (Mr. Griot), It could not be fairly said that no argument had been ad duced its support of a measure which he maintained to be necessary, for the purpose of excleding.the aelvocates for Revolution, but which was never in. tended to prevent this country from becoming the asylum of such persecuted men as had been alluded to in a former debate, especially by the Noble Lord end the Learned Gentleman on the other tide of the House. He would not condescend to enquire into the various observations directed aghast a Noble • Relative. All he should say on that point was, that the Hon. Gentleman should himself be citations, lest in listening too sedolossly to de idle whispers of discontented and disaffected persons, be did not be. 'come their dupe. With respect to the powers . of the (sill, he assured the House they *ere never mt.- civet) at the' dictation or suggestion of a6y Foreign Mr. LYTTELTON adverted again io the case Of 'Reffirt, who, after a long remitlesen herd, and Wing enßagEd in ho4n•sit, wis hurried mit of the country. He (Mr. t. ) could am verify the abatement-of Before,: and when it was contradicted by the declaration . ..l! the Nnbt. Rin.man r7f* thirlUght Gera?.; man, be wa , bound to give the la ter credit. such proceeding% went to strengeketi the vicious cha racter of such etiactrontS. It now was evident from ). thostieseatriseptier, 0 0 4 plebe neieht the 'esitetey Asti-owe bat that the Bill Fie essential, ie their lite singularly revolvionary, state la even yet remained—tbet. L ineendiaries cinintry the piaci iiAestre iffirY could against the treequillity of foreign udeed, no reams bad been given. ter 'its the wish of manifesting the intolerant hod determined to act upon, ,Bet,. idently of its severity t o Ali er e s , it was a meat., sere calculated to have a most alarniing effect on Our' own liberties. It introduced a "system of disciptiite' of a most arbitrary End despotic character ; toisibich" a. free People would never submit; and intosilie' I nbuses if which there *listed no disposition in Oat, House, even to enquire. His o pi n i on o f i ts . oncon-,, .kitutlooal and unjust character remained Unchanged, 'Convinced as he was, that whenever a crisis presented itself when the public character of nations might he influential, this measure 'would be found to prove prejudicial to the interests of Greet Britain. . Mr. BATHURST, in explanation, stated that Before was not sent out of the country in conse quence of the document respecting the Catholics of . Ireland and the Monks of La Trappe, but from' unquestioned statements from other sinnees; •.* Sir S. ROMILLY observed, that nothing had been yet stated by the Ministers in supp.ire of this Bill, and it was maoifest there esisted *determination on their part not to speak on it. Whet need had they of discussion ? They knew well that their -strength consisted not in speaking, but in their nom. bars.—[Hear, hear !]--.-Those, however, who depre. cated this severe and unconstitutional etiaameat, bed their dig/ to discharge. They felt the obligation of speaking io behalf of those woo had no Repro -sentatives in that House, and who were exposed to all the hardships of a rigorous ezerteon of 'Wive powers. The House mostriie* the ihst the question divided itself into two vary mistrial bra ncle.s—affect ing persons placed in diflereut circumstances, and to whom reciprocally-the samo atseoents could out ap ply. It was a messure, directed not alone against Aliens who might hereafter citme 'Willis country, but ,affected a large description of foreigners who had been long domiciled here; and nil *Orme interests were identified with their continued residence in this coon. try. •It - there the Hon Gentlemen orposite deny that to., powers of tins will be eserci.ed at the seggestiou, of f .reign Powers, and yet when the transaction was explained,. it ,Fats . apparent that it was only tbr o v ‘ h .suggestions the Bill could:: act at an. .. For elks( said the Noble Lord (Castleroag ) who introduced it, es to its ob ject ? Did be not say it was •to guard 'against the criminal designs of dange.rous men, who, driven nevi of foreign States, might re.palo hire to carry on their schemes? How then could Ministers guard against ,that early but by an implicit reliance on the tug gestio ts of foreign Ministers ? In w h a t other man. ,wee icouid they cbtain i - nfortnat• as to the conduit "of those men ?-Ifiear, hear!]—So that every per- Matted and unhappy man who might endeavour to find refuge here, whether he fled from the inquisi tion of Spain, or the tyranny of Sardinia, were to he 'driven from our shores at the soggeslitio of the Mi nisters of those Governmerits•-:Guveroneenis, it would be remembered, that Me had ourselves ests• Wished on the subversion df the Repitolics of Hole. pendent States. An How Member not in his piece (Mr. C. Grant) said, *list this Bill was levelled at those who *ere at ono time the vagaries of the God dess, of Reason and afterwarderthe adherers of NI. poledn. Why, .if this was the cease, the necessity for its continuance was likely to last as long as the live, of those he addressed. For he believed some of this description Were likely to survive /hem el!. It had also been asserted, Olathe recent periods for the last '25 years, the hospltitlitY. Or this country towards (o. re.goris had been such its to the shied'. any for mer reception. That was a false statement of history. —The hapitality of latter time, WAS the hospitality to a party. The men who incurred the odium of be ing friends to the popular causes hefore•it had de generated from its oscesse-. were repudiated and driven across the Atlantic to seek an asylum. The refugees who fled in the reign of Charles 11. from the persecutions of Louis XI V. did not look to a King .shoes they knew I be the peo.ioner of their perse cutor, and who it he hail been invested with the powers of the present Bill would have expelled them from their asylum for protection. It was on the Constitution of this country then relied for protec tion as well against the King of England as the King of Fratice.--(Hear, hear !)—I low was our cha racter now changed, when we presented ourselves to' the world as the ready agents and willing slaves of arbitrary despots.—( Hear, hear !)—But adverting to the large number of foreigners long domiciled he this couotry, had he not a right to ask, of what crime they had been convicted, that they were to be put. out of the pale of the law ? Did any thing afford grounds for such a severity ? The only answer to all this was—that the powers were not abased, and that soalideocit ought to be placed in the'character of the Noble Lord whoseofficiat duty it was to gorier intend its exercise. When men sought arbitrary eower oystraticallyl4 hen every step indicated the oNicipflestrgying all the constitutional securities et freedom, they would be idiots to excite the alarms of the Country by a prem a ture abuse of their powers. And as to the. character of -the Noble Lord (Sid egoeth)2 b 2 beivevir . excellent it was in private life, *ken of 4s in obtaining the Suspension of the Has Corpse Act—the manner he had used those powers, and his Circular to the Magistreles„ as to the Law of Litiei, were recollected, he sits the , very last inn to whom he (Sir Samuel) would entrust an , tenthority._ how could those, who said Inoue *woos . were not abused, know the truth Had not every proposition to enquire into themorits 1 of individual cases Wen. uniformly refused ?—Wer-; we not kept wholly in the dark ?—And yet there Fere men who were willing to vote assay these strong powers witboat any necessity being shown, or .an argue went stated. The effect of such a coot se mast be, that, with our owe liberties ultimately destroyed, weshail not even deserve the compassion of foreign nations;si being so regardbils of the happen'ss add well-being of 1 611,61. ' Mr. Serjeant COPLEY considered that the power of restraining an influx of a member of persons, who bad been exiled from France; of atrotious'prinriples' and character, into this country, was highly neces- the Hi 1 17",.• -.-.~•~ ..., . , 4 1 :7 7 : • !pt. !my. This measure tide not only necessary for ore own domestic policy, but also to teke care that this-coon ; try should not become the theatre of plots ageism surrounding Governments, which, through them, disturb our peace. and injure our interests. He de , . , emu t hat this measure was contrary to the Comfits 'lion of England, or that the King had no power to seed Aliens oat of this country by the Cot stitetitto; lowan contrary, the King had a power of apprehend.- ; itti Aliens, and giving them op to thei r own Govern ments. He stated several cases in the reign of Eli. leabeth, hi which the Sovereign sent Aliens out of the country. This Bill was only introduced in or 'der to do away with certain difficulties, and enabling the Crown to exercise this power in a mole conve nient manner than by indictment, as was formerly the ease. He considered the Alien Bill, therefore, es a mere measure of regeiation, and that it is necessary ter our repose and security, under existiug circus 'motes. Sir J. MACINTOSH, although pleased by the manner, and interested by the display of talents so promising on the part of the Hon. and Leurned Gentleman, still found it necessary to enter his pro test against the doctrines and principles promulgated bi that Hon. and Learned Member this evening. That Learned Member had endeavoured to establish the preemptive, by taking etceptioes against the ergo.. melsrs used 11 those ohe denied the existng."' of suers legal prerogative, forgetting that it became those who lisped for the exercise of the prerogative to prose previously its esistence—otherwise those who objected to it were entitled to be silent on the sob. ject. The lion. and Learned Gentleman bad argued as if it were a most undoubted fact that the prerogs titre existed, and quoted in its support the fact of an espolsion from this country of an alien 400 Yeats ago—forgetting that there existed arthat period a system of villainage, the writ de heretic° combu rend°, &c. In fact, he might as well have said there existed at this period a power in the Crown to agile and expel a natoril.born subject, for so, in point of fact, there did. —[Hear !] —The case of the Scoicli, who had been expelled, proved nothing, "secause the Scotch then supported the pretensions of another heir (Queen Mary, then in Confinement) iss the Throne. lie could not help thinking that the advocates of the principles he espoused possessed et least as much consistency as the lion. and Learned Gentleman had lately displayed.—[Hear, hear!] — lie most admit that there was, little reason to com pliment those with whom he bad voted on a former occasion, upon the success of their .predictions; but he should, he hoped, never feel tiny thing like shame from the reflection, that he had then support ed the old priuciples of sound English policy and English hospitality. The objects of our ancestors were 'solely to afford an asylum to the vanquished party in all cases of pollt;ral dissensions in foreign 'countries, whilst they uniformly supported the prin ciple of rendering up all those who had committed any grievous civil crime against society.---(Heeel) --lie was sorry to see the indifferent ease and gaiety with which-the fate of a certain class of men, now deprived ref all countenance and protection, owing to the circumstance of political changes in their own countries, were likely to he treated io that House. It was au indifference unworthy of the li. berel sentiment wird generous solicituee of English. mini.—( hear, hear!)—The fact was, this alas a Bill to prevent the entrance into this errantry of !tires Newspapers, amongst others the Yellow Dwarf — (A laugh)—sod of 38 individuals 11roscnibed by an arbitrary act of the French Goveruinent. The • of asylum, of humanity, and h• siitality, ought not to be exercised on the part of this nation • se c ()Ming to the c.ilumni sus representations of the Government, to whose acts they were hostile, to our Government. Would not the result be, that the reception and fate of those illustrious individuals be. longing to the original Cortes of Spain, who now langershed in the dungeons of Spain an4'its Islands, depend on the rept orsentation of their own Govern ment, should they, as they naturally would, resort Co. an as) lum to this country, as the protector of the oppressed, the asylum of those who had sacrificed 'heir property and liberty in the great cause of liber ty Remarkable it was, that these parties would most probably, in, the stste of things at present, re sort for an asylum to the protection of Muscovy, rather than to that of England. This was not one of the least evils inflicted upon the sensibilities of Englishmen, that whilst Muscovy, once the most ty. rairnical Government in Europe, boated more of li berality and national hospitality than any other European nation, England adopting new principles, placed •itself ambitiously at the head of every prin ciple that was illiberal and connected with political persecution throughout the globe.—(The lion. and Learned Gentleman sat down amidst the loud cheers of the Opposition.) . The ATTOR N EY-GENERAL contended for the existence of the Royal Prerogative to banish Aiieos. The permission in Magna Churns to Alien Merchants to come to this country " unless prohibited," proved this, for it was clear, that by the King alone they could be prohibited. The only object of the Bill was to enable the King.to exercise that prerogative with• oat delay,—As to the Alien Bill of 1703, every body, he believed, was now pretty well satisfied that it was one of the wisest Acts that ever proceeded from the Legislature. lie verily believed that to the effects of that measure the country was indebted for its escape from those horrors with which France hod been overwhelmed. He supported the present Bill be cause he conceived that a strong necessity for it still existed. The House then divided— For going into tie Committee 99 Ageless in - 39 Majority • —C . The House thin resolved itself into the Committee. On the Motion for flying up the blank respectieg the duration of the Hill with the words " two years," „ Mr. ;3 Akii A M moved, as an amendment, to fill it op with the words "'one . year." The Committee drvided— • Fes' tie Aiserrefteat Ardha is •• ....... Sto , Majority Y OtiiN • ,r T proposed a douse, giving the power to an Alieu, who was ordered to leave the wintry, to specify within h Vett the ironic/ *hitt wished to go, and to be transported thither in any • • • , La's ' I,' 'I lodisposed,c B) Agr'rany lirgun.set4 en support. nO thit • thoitatemest of es i r sordiftau Bit. That ailencp !ma the i ntote tat. t that it was 004 grids ii t as Ministers had,, in : f f p,, 'Awed atethistir ,apprehended; be i s support of the Pi, hot a domeneat wbich view, from, the t h e y Ironid baie the House conclude, that they .44 whICIt iterefie ea so t Ahmed the powers crested by the law which thie might make this Bill proposed to continue , becaoa e there were, truly, ' plats their 'plats era or sag persons whoto4they hadloesent out of the Slates. Indeed, cs istry . , although they had the power of-so doityge adoption, bet th ,But it wlts,known, that at the - time of the distorll system that ee 1 1 'nom at Cadiz, some years ago, a n authentic . pop e independently of 1 t • I '4'" ~.. .~` . 01". • "*" weasel that might sail to that port within a month, be ,remaining in the-interim in safe custody. • • 1101111.14 proposed to add to the ehmild 4b which the:•deiration of the Bill wilt' fief forme pen, the following words, 6 •eieept 4ts fir asl.. .later to foreigner. who >bsea ben resident in this coasirt sluceitoi fit issasty, 1314 " BitOODION (tbe•Gisainnen) sod the Srussea. however, espressed 'keit opiate's, Alt •an .the was eterely to cons m's's* Irtiltliftg Aot, and es , no instructions had been jteen by she Howse •to the Cols- militate to receive sick these, Of tmendmeurs, tiley ()mild not be rereived•ht theturegle of the peoiseedlag i althoegh they Might - be introduced on the Report, br en the 'third reedit*. , .!, ~ . . ,rs.. . ; ' . lifr: J. P. GROOT and Sirt itostrirmitisiesced In this decision, and intimated their ietentilve of pr o . posing their - respective amendments on a foto,e stage of the \ Rill. • . .. The Ilouse thaw reseeted, and the Report was it. dlered tiilie brivegbt up to.merrow. 1 Sir J. NEWPORT brought in a Rill twestablich Fever llnsOals in Ireland. Read a hrst•enci second time, and ordered to bit-cimmitted on Fridityointito 'be printed: -„ , . .-- u •il The Reports of the Committee of Ways and Marrs, and the Commit see of' Satipiy, were brnivirt , ursed r %reed to-, and the Bills ordered 4•4ve braved in ic. cordiegly. . • The ether-Orders of the Day were then *voted of f nod the House adjourned at Hatf-patt Twelve. • . -• • . LAW INtBLLIGENCE. .., -4 "''' .. -''' ti fte •T• i,os . , , • i "111101 . COURT OF CHAN I CERY, MAT 19. ~, 4 ,, The Lottn-fiusxcsu.on this morning resumed his sittings is Lincoln's los-hall. H. was occupied the greater part . of. the morping ip hearing the case of Lord Stewartand. Lady Emily Vane Tempest, iu his private room. t.Tbe case was cbiotly respecting the proposals of spaeriage,tu be submitted to the Master. The minutes of the proposals were, after some.discus sion, agreed to. . . . At half.pest ten his Lordship came into Court, and use judgment in several eases of no public int- pertance. . _ . i •The only case of importance was that of a lewetic e earned Caple, who had at the age of n marrinha Dung woman of the age of 49, and had sincobp. a lunatic. The motion was whether the wife geoid have the custody • •f his person, or whether be should be continued under the saincguardiees u befnre? loos. • . - . ••. 1 i!,-,e . t The Leito CHANCV4tOIII teeltett• able sill► rat he case, end declared his regret* thet`Lanatie Petifiohe were en iitsbrattended-ter-by'tbe'Couetetirtd ton. Thu was not thnoidy ties in which M hadka similar complaint to make, and he. was determined in' future to Make the 'spruce . of . nop-titttaanie fall upon the Solicitors', bat not op no the.esitors. fie'muit'also advert trialitilliMPLAllMllMl6-414-P1 late become too common, it was that;Usi.,ng let ters to him, to put him ta Inind 'of his' titly, as,:if he could ponribly forget what he 4wid.i0.:14 Public and to himself. After' ihtiag . .aissefaSvik‘fia that c w h i s a i i r a k s in to d o .o l had f I satisfaction in seeing this crOisdirt aniitre, he et Af tei ß si i_tt s s iai t4.lllM2l4 . r mr.okiript isifirie r h ft i , m h mould now, in this public :varier, ilitiasitifiost so. lemnly, that thi tory fir , ' Person who. 'flute him on that select shocld he liedlPrtreflterwrlllfpbr'tif ; for he did not co:it.aire ate y,ejklis a i . ri ro i, m t th an thus attelopting in - iiirogair Thelnintk r if • .It.dge. In the present re t ie he refused the Wife to 'Ale any care of her husband, at the Petition. •,„nos p rza3. , • • - • a.• • COURT OF fifftir BENCH, 'hfiy • The Sittills for Lon n eeptinenced this daibb. fore Lord ELLatraortovon. lI`DdUGILL Tile Pldifitiff, a linen-draper "in` flentt.eteeet, brooght the present action against else , Defeedate, au Attorney's Clerk, to recover Sitim, for ertidea fur nished ti his wife. The defence .wy, Met the g nOs were not suited to the station of the wit!-,of the De fendant.' On the part 'of the Plaintiff, Mr, GURNEY called his shopman, who prneed, by reference to his books, the amount of the bill, hut he could net swear to the sale of any of the articles. It appeared that they were supplied between the 4th of June last, and the 10th November, and in order to establish the claim, it was necessary to call the mother of the Defendenti wife, who was present at the purchases : She only swore generally that some of the goAs were bought by her daughter, among rebore, hucka back, cation, and a red silk gown sad banderchiel— The witness returned • shawl because she thought it was not fit for her daughter's station. On her cross.mmination she admitted, that while Mrs. Watkins - was baying. at the Plaintiff':, slap, he tempted bet: to bay many other article!, Wane her at ski was jail married (this took place or. the 410, the purview having been married on the Rd June) her husband would not grumble, which he might do after.. wards. When the witness told Mra. Watkins that a red silk "gown of the value of two gni! • , as was not lit ler the' wife of so attorney's clerk, • answered, " tent Watkins's wife, and I will Wee a silk guest." The vrituoss hid warned the Defendafrt efore be married s that bar daughter had t•u•sitg:.• faults, sue. that u ska wss of• a very bad temper,•and very et trumpet.' He had, however, merrier; her nottrith stanAinr, end they quarrelled soon afto•rwards. Mr: Scaat.cri appeared on the tart of the fendant,• Wad contended, that the Plaioliffee..id only 'ere-Over-for the buckshot& and collie°, and a few other articles that seemed UMW all the rest was ob tsdned entirely without the consent of .h.. husband. Mr.GURRET agreed to accept a verdict for 41. 161. and it was entered'accOrdingly. mien 0. Loxtxr. 'the *lies are both attorniea, and the twine ma t for sn'asssolt. 'The DAferidant had some deeds in his %Why which were to be elven , op on the payment of a eeresin•ouse. The. Plaintiff went accordingly, earl int 1 0101frfed .the money in the street ; afterward , . ferAr t eater regularity, hi entered the Defendant's chambers, and some altercation taking piece, the Defendat seized the Plaintiff by the collar, and iher4.4l4sinsAtve doer. • The Jury gave the Plaintiff 10i. damages. R. "'el. ! • '~ t 4 0 r r t L , •.~ _ ~--. -~ ra.r.. l ~~ I 1 , 1 .1