The Sun. — London, England, 1816-06-12 00:00:00

.1 , 1 Itl AL PA TWAME NT. r 110 USE ' OD LORDS', MiSDAY, YtiNit ditl Gnav Presented a Petition from a town in Nottbumberlapd 'ltainst the Insolvent Debtors' Act.—Laid nn the taae. BRistm sM.V.L DEITY!. th e thied•ecading 'Of 'the Bristol Small Debts Bpi wilt. po st poned, for the Impose : of consider in whetherit ought not to withdrastn alto. tether. Lord Et:CriLtiOnOuOtt expressed his )tier) satis faction at this, tik the 13111 was not one wbich be could support. lie `could see no occasion for it at all in Bristol ; Ad the 'Only object of it, as far as he email perceiVe, eves to have the creation Of a new Court and new Officers. The Irish One Million and A Bali Bill, a - Bri• fish Money Bill, and some others, *ere brought up front the Commons, and read a first tithe. AMENS. Lord !ULLA NO presented a petition from a periten of the name of Thomas Maximus, complainiug hardships connected with the subject of the 'Alien Bill. He of course could not vouch Girliey of the allegations in the petition ; but presented it, on the principle that every petition, couched in respect- Jul terms,. 'Tao's subject of which the ; 1-ionso. could take cognizance, ought preseatcd,' however humble the condition of the petitioner. '--'The petition stated, that the petitioner was brought to this country by his I)arenttat the early age of 2 years; that he .had been.ehandoned- by them; trait he had been brougbrup in tin hos pital, lied become a chimney-sweeper, had been uccusetrof. an atrocious oriole (the murder of a boy,. as we understood), of which he stated that he was innocent; but that be had been convicted, , awl pardoned ; that he had been exposed to the severest hardship and ill-usage when in prison ; that he had been sent. out of, the country un der the Mien Act, &c. This petition . brought' two points under their Lordships' eoiiiiitler a . lion,- with reference to the Alien Aces-: • Ist. That this 'was a sort of proceeding under:these Acts which never could have beet,►iu thecoutempls. tion of the Legislature when it passed them ; and therefore, though in tine particular instance this . authority might have been resorted to even from motives of humanity, the power . might be greatly abused. The 2d point was, that by these acts they were subjecting to this arbitrary power sons who; in habits at least, were natives of this' country. No doubt a person born abroad was, in 'a legal sense, 'an Alien ; but when one was brought to this country in early'infancy, and had contracted all the habits of an' Englishman, the exercise of this power might, be munch more op., pressive with ttipect to_hito than when exercised! Against thoie of 16teign habits and connections, ifs: moved that the Petition be -read ; 'it was 'read accordhigly, and' laid on the table. STATUTE-HOOK. Messengers front the Commons desired a cops ference on the subject of the statute-book. ' The-Lords, ageted, and appointed the confe, rence to .4 held immediately In the painted chember. . . . The messengers .froth the Commons bOing been informed of this and gone away, returned again shortly after, and stated that the Commons were 'really for the conference. The ntanagers were tailed over, and went out and on their return Earl SratonPa . reported, that the Commons' had agreed to the resolutions on the subject of the statute-book .with amendments, to which they • desired the concurrence of the Lords. Ile moved that the amentlments'he taken into consideration to-morrow, wad that the Lords be summoned; `which was ordered accordingly. intsti CATFIOLtCS. , The Earl of DotintlGnmone rose, Turinent to his 'office, ' to. Iwe,:ent certain Petitions' to the 'Muse from his Iklflesty's Roman Catholic sub jects of Ireland, complaining 'of . the grievances und restrictions they still laboured under. 'rimy anxiously wished, Jiis Lordship observed, that heir cause may he taken into consideration before the en.' f the present Seision . of Parliament. tie dermot it his duty to be guided by the feelings of persons so circumstanced, as to the time far dis cussing the merits of their Petitions ; mind also for MS own pert, he considered it as a time particu larly seasonable for entering into the subject. The present Petitions were peculiarly worthy of the serious attention of their Lordships, inasmuch as slime of't hem contained certain new and important 'features. Two of these Petitions proceeded rather upon a different principle from the other. , The first -of these was from the meeting which took place at the house of told Triteleston. In this Petition a .willingness is expressed, to concur in stick arrange ments as may be consistent with tha full exercise of their religion., and the purity of its tenets, and satisfactory to all parties. The :second Petition to which he so nth-Creed, was from the Bishops and Clergy of the Catholic persuasirm 'residing in This Petition also expressed a Wilting . nest, like the before-mem ioned, to coectir in erns. ciliatory arrangements, but though 'they erotic! not consistently with their secret - 1(1110es, concur in xv•t i r teas called' te Veto, which, in fact, eras a n . interference-of the Crown, or its Ministers, in the appointment-of Catholic . Bishops, yet they 'would subscribe to an arrangenient Which they thought woeld do away All Objections on the score of fo reign imeeference, adopting a system of do. toestic nomination, ea: le ty, that the Catholi c *M. : s h ops s h ou ld h e appointed by the Deans and Chef ters of the Irish Clergy. He bad also to present a Petition front the general body of thelrisliCatho lies, This wag silent upon the question of atraege ments, hitt, as heretofore, required a concession of , their, just claims. As to the teports of any serious differences existing among the CathOlics as to the object of their claims, be must deny that sock re ports were well-founded. After a few general remarks nifon the subject of the Petiti-005, Lordship presented Petitions from the Catholics of the Counties of Roscommon and 'Galway., for the removal (,f the existing disahilities anti re strictions.; the Petition from the' General Body of the Irish Cetholies ; the PetitiOn , from the Meeting held at Lord Tritniestat's s and Irsily, that from the Catholic Bishops and Clergy of Ire land, to the effect he had stated, These doeu- • • Is hietits bettig tevieully 'sink iiere, an the 1"1 oble Eat C's mo onq. Grileted to he taken into con&ider:- ou Friday the 21st itist„ ftir4bich day the Lords' Were ordered to be sot:intoned'. 'ENGLISH ' 'Earl 'Gee+ rose to present a Petition fl tith the great bOdy of the EngliSli Cirtkolics, COMplaining of the manifold restrictions they are ',tacit! under, amounting to an exclusion front the plc of the British Constitution. His Lordship addieited the House on the occasion in tin eloquent speech (it considerable length. The Petitiou, he observed, was signed by die Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord .Clifford, and by all the Eng lish Catholic Peers, who, he regretted to say, trete, without a shadow of reason, excluded from seats in that House. The cause of the paucity of the signatures to the Pet Man, was its 1)01 being con ceived necessary ((revile general meeting for the pur polie.ThePet it inn was in itsellmodera te and respect ful.; it stated firmly but temperately the grievances they long stifferetiond their reliance on the even tual justice and: policy of the Legislature which they addressed. They were in tact, lie observed, excluded from the - blessings of a Constitution, which was achiet4,(l by' the patriotism and Cc- . mented by; tire blood of their ancestors. He ex patiated on the heavy restrictions which the Eng lish Catholics laboured under ; briefly in compa rison to the Catholics in Camula, who were reit dercd eligible to every thing in the State ; but at some length %vheu Compared with their Catholic fellow-subjects of !fano!, who iteriadmitted to the enjOystieut of numerous rights, from which the English Catholics were excluded: Having dwelt with much force On these /Hsi - arities, and the dis adYantages which iu consettliifice res'elteel to the best interests 'of the empire'. (tie peculiar eirChla• ltanees of the times he thought particularly favour. able to a satisfactory adjustment' of the Catholic Claims. He glanced at the existing state of of fairs on the Continent, nod particularly to the favourable disposition of the head of the catholic Church to give effect to measures of concilintibn between them:and his Majesty's Governmens ; the extinction of the power of Buimaparte, and the hops of the establishment of a better state of things on the Continent of Europe, all these cote.. siderations greatly narrowed the question. He trusted it would he. so considered by the Noble Earl oppOsite, with that candour which lie 'Always manifested in discussion. %Viten th.s day arrived for. entering into the merits of the question at l'arge, be warned Ministers, with their responsi bility, not t( let Slip the present golden ()Nwt'» nity. for amicable nod conciliatory ildiaStatellt, as so favourable awoccasiv possibly may not Occur again. The, Noble Esri then presented the Teti., tion ; whiCh bein g r ea d, lie moved sho u ld be t a k e n into consideration op Friday selinight.—Ordered. ALIEN BILL. The Order won which their.Lorthhips were summoned, being read, Viscount Stomouitt rose to move the second reading of this Bill. Ile first adverted to the 'measures being tis'a ce'rtiiiii extent a continuation of one which was renewed from time to time, and which weye . sanctioned by ,wheat might be almost deemed the unaiiimons sense Of Parliament I. but they , :ere uniformly opposed by sonic, from whom he could consistently look fur notliMg' but (Tito. , sition now. The 'present measure, in point of general principle, was similar to the Acts tai 1 ; 793 and 1862; tint iii Its'provisions it was much miti gated, and in the %line, with a refereure to the change of circumstances, 'greatly improved: : If the general sense of the arouse was not derithdly. in favour of the present measure, tbe;r Lords-hips' opinion• must ha ve u n d ergone a fundaniental: thange. The present measure, lie observed, had principally two objects ioyiew— The first was to enable his Majesty, through the Secretary of State, to send suspected out of the w coun try. He should ' t hi n k that as toiquiltionably a part of the aticient,prerogative of the Crown, had lie not beard itdis'puted by some whose o pi a i ons were entitled to respect. The _next object was to give facility to the execution of those orders for which Parliament, at in the preceding cases, was resorted to. No punishment tvas provided for here, as in the tomer Bills. lie bail, from the nature of the cases, no Oflicial'information to lay before the Home, in illustration of the necessity of the measure. He would put it to their Lord ships, whether, after the continuance of a system for 23 'years, it could at (once be with Salidy abo lished. The measure was modelled in consonance with the improved state of Europe. He was well aware that an Alien, generally speaking, implied a person born without the allegiance of the'King ; hut be knew that persons, •thotigh born witlflir that allegiance, may become Aliens. In admi nistering; the measure, he assured the House, the best exercise of his oats discretion should be used, and whenever any case of difficulty occur red, the best authorities should be resorted to; for solution; the establishment under the present B:11 was greatly reduced, the expeneas being di- . ininiilied from 90001. to 30001. per autumn, end the diminution in the number of Officers employ ed was also considerable. In the last three years there were but 21 instances of n1(141(14103 arrested under the r perations of the Bill, and of thee only 15 hid been sent out of the country; whereas, In the preceding 14 years, 200 arrests Gad taken place, tinder all the circumstances of tilt 'Cast, he donbted not' but their Lordihips' own view of the question would evince the indis pensible' necessity of the measure, not only iar these views of the case to which he hod shortly directed their attentiOtt, buit with a view to the internal tranquillity cif the Country, and induce them to decide according to those, principles which bad always infhieuced their Opinions respecting this important Measure. The Noble Viscount concluded by Moving the second reaching of the Earl FITZWILLIAM rose to give his decided op position to the Bill. When the Alien Act was 'int proposed, the state of Viance..was 43, its hie tll►;nic,n, to threaten the su b version of every established Goveriftnent lit Europe; and therfOre, at that time,. he Mon& such d measure abso lutely. necessary. Brit none of the eirctinistanees which had then rendered this measure necessary, now existed; there was not now any Calls() or Etllit'ni; thrveNrc moved, 1$ an Amemhuent, Silt cat a i'ciond dak three. knuatits. • • • Lord Atibitt.Akn thblight tltt: bill [eels .fin its= .11ingeitteut on the ~best principle our C4oiStitsr- Hon, by plating a portiOn Of the inhabitants df 'the kingdOM under illl arbitrary powil% The au thority of Mr. Burke; as reiOrded In the senti;. meets whlch he had expressa in suprort 8f the Bill 1793, was completely against the present. BPI; as be had said that the poweri given by the till were too great to be eiitrust6l to the Bite- CutiVe Government i n the time of :peace. The Only ground 8n which tliii Bill could now he at all defended was, that its abject wai, to proteet the bovernineht of Prance ; but then it was to be recollected that the tiloveiument of that coun try.. was hot thie a t en ed by aIIV immediate llanger. Were they then to enact inch a law beeiiiise . neighbburing GoVertmtent was alarmed for home distant or uncertain danger ? It was sib palliatibd of the evils of this Bill, that it wail no s h only pro posed to be continued for two yeart. , For thei e . reasons he would vote for khe amendment. Lord CAIMARVON expreited his surprize that his Majesty's - Mi n i sters had ass i gn ed no on e . rea son. why this Bill should be pasted. • bite of his. principal objections to the Bill iva, that it threw the whole burden of proof on any person against wham the powers which it authOrised should be enforced. . The Earl of Aatty.ness: thought that a state of peace or a state of war had, relatively ikakingi nothing to do with the question as to the expe dieticy of the measure tooter consideration. The question was 1101 About pre.venting ibis cotintii from continuing to be the asylum of persecuted but deserving foreigners ; because all 'that` wat sought Was, to give the power. of excl Oiling (Mil gerthri PerSOUS• It wais ct rtalniy true tll.ll were at i)ence with the Government of PrunCe, but a great proportion of the population was, hos tile. lie std not see that any abuses were likely to take place node,. the powers of this Bill ; he should therefore decidedly give his vote fur the Bill. The Duke of Susdex thought that. a clear ease. of necessity should be made Out befCre.this' wea sure ought to he en a ct e d. 'Tice Silitation. , of the country was now very different from what . it was in 1793. But he would ask whether such a mek. sure had been ,thought nece:o•try, until within rite last 22 or 23 years..? One of the greatest abuses of was, that tolOk aivsty from :a man the privilege of hying tried . hy hisTeers. As retie who stood up for the laws of the .country,' he viewed tnis 13111 with great conrerit ; it was a measure both tittwiSe and impolitic. The, eff ec t of the Bill wool(' certainly he to drive those per sons, who would otherwise have sought ail asylum in thii country, to America.. his Royal high ness having expatiated on the mischiefs that would result from this operation of the Bill, concluded, by declaring that he felt , hiniself b4tind to vote against the .13i11— The Earl of Gactvg:Yon stud he 'felt himself bound to say Not-content to ibis B 1. .I.le spoke shortly against it, arguing from the:despotic dis position manifested by the Governments of France and Spain; ' Lord 1{ t. r, spoke shortly against-the The Loan CitAtqc EL con said it was tt just and wise policy, by m hick the prerogative (which was either vestel in the Crown 'or in the State) of sending Aliens oat of the kingdom, 114 for a long time been sil sporinglyexereised. 0 But then it was a et i e measure to s !reli t .; I hen this ~ pre,rogative , rogative .by a legislative enactment.. This pre , =, "Native was recognised indirectly. by Magna (Marta, as the words .publice prultibilifutrint, in 'his utiod, alluded to this prerogattve.• But the question Was not now as to the. existence of this prerogative, but wlktithei the IlleaSOIV now proposed WaS expedient. ISlniv it was to i;e re.: collected, that all the of thi s !it'd h a d been grappled with ,for the whole period since 1763. Those who :spoke against this Bill - must think, that theAutnnent the Seed was * put to Treaty of Peace, we' were l'iont that tllolllVitt the enjoyment of all the blessiogs,of pe u r e — t h, it after the world hall been convillsed. for 11:org 111311 twenty years, its elements were at once to sabside.• Such was nut his opinion ; therefore he thought' the meaittre one which prudence required ; and that which existed for tkveuty,five years, with ad vantage, ought to be captioned., subject to modifi cations and' limitations.: =What these iitliitAlloo4 Were to he would be atinestiou•for the Committee on the Bill. Lord 1101-LA N D said, ,that the Noble and very Learned Lord who 'spoke last, had , not .heen able to adduce one instance in which the prerogat in question had been exercised. Many 'occasions' bad occurred on which it would, have suited the views of the Court to have taken advantage of such a Prerogative, yet it ueVer had been exer cises!. He traced the different occasions from the time of Queen Elizabeth to the present period, On which this prerogative might have been, but was not acted upon, lie argued that the'effect of the Bill would he to make Aliens subservient to the Goveintneut of the country, who might make them serve as tools its measares to subvert the' Constitution of the country. if it. should ti for tonately• happen that the 11:11 passed ihrough.the present stage, he hoped time wi uld be given co nnive amendments in the Cottimit.ez; ' Lord ELLattitioousson. t . 4 ;d, as r„ the . %newe ls) of a prerogative, that the right of removing was a most undoubted privilet- s e, not only of the Sovereign. of this country b, t..,0f every other na• titre. . This was a right cleinly laid_ down by all Writers. on ate Laws of Nmions. He chimed this right on behalf of every Sovereign. &power of interdiction for ..the purpose of protection tvas _in separable from the .exercises of. the functions of, Sovereign. This right in the British station was its be exercised for breach ohs proclamation. It was to be observed that twelve months' Imprison-. Meat was the maximum of the pimislinient autho rised by this Act. Unless the intr6ion of Ibis chievotis spirits was guarded agdinft by such a measure we might expose ourselVei to 'lHugers that would r ultimately overturn and destroy our Ear! GittiV flit/light, Ofnn all that had passed !talks); this . drh3e, that this ['sill wa s one which might, b e vor e ,i fo r but tt !itch could not be dey te n d ed , stauclits f ;Ml that had been said on the subject of pretuji,4tht, ttu 110t41 ottlse tx le'iitcPCerof it bat% bei ti!)n it titglisb la* a0..1 it;tt . il: ol " . linly ithibority which bid bei;:ti V;;I Of Volta:, a foreign Writer. No cHti dthib teit tree power of ietiding Alias ifilt of ,the Wei vested In tfie Sovereign Atithority, 'the Criiwri fives duly part cif the SOrei:eign .id ilty it; this kingdom; HMI. ilia suck it polder vestea hi the Croton tif be iti ed. hut.eollid nett be proved.. , The Berl Of LlVeurodt. contended forOtt isience of the ~ P rerogtitive, in the Crown, sia gyed that the Words Publics prultibi iti the 7 1 1 CAarid, even 'grindin g ;that; ace/Kai:4'i,' to. l Ctite'!4 construc tion, .they _referted to tiff l'arliatiient, Still were Pitiof that the preilign bf the CrOwn was then admitted ; because Oita .01..the-Higna refet reillu...Alien chants; and was a special exception in their '•vour. He al h - egged their Lordships 10. serve, that in 1793, when the Alien Art ,passed, we were in a state df .Pearc, and, at tithe, one of"the argtiments 011ich had been t in favour of the Bill, was the additional &trip which the enuntry exposed from the war nations of Aliens, owing to the greater oppnt nities of working mischief Which they had in ti of pence. • The Earl of DA .poke shortly ngaiOt I Ligdships then divided — For the iectittil rustling ................ Fur Or Amendment ....... •. . . ...... it . Al pjority in haul'? oftlit Thei 3 Other Order& of the naybeing-thqwecl, the House utljdurnell it r 11 4 11 1 11 V Ekvcil ;i ;flog 31 OF COMMONS. .Sir W:.l. SCovr obtained Jrave t,t brl n ':' in I Bin' to render valid the' stivoral Acts of 5 . 11 ; vogette and Vice-Adniiraftv eiltirts I the viteancies ot,t he dodges of the Aihnivaltyi,. 4111 was htip,,, , hit ht, tea . cl• a first time , " ii ' Llldt for a second no 'lburstlay 'Or ! The NewiollatitJittl Paseseligers - Bill Wes , seroad time. and ~r tleetic.l to be committeil :Sfondtiv ' • The boost: lia:ing goltC into a Cchninitl o o' the. Aetti nu-ttie Coast in , ,, , Trade, .„ Mr. ItoßlNTlCiN • v ohialilA !eon e to bring to attietsit tite".-Vt tittssed iii the 31st 0r1i0 1 9 6 ty, fir ih;: hetter're t , , ,nl.,tion of the Seanteli rinyed in the Tr:J.lr. • NH:noh. tiinved that ilYstrtictions be pc. I/6 the .Committer Qtt `l'itheg to tif ylet 4 c 11. ' tegulotinitt, it might he prolier for Lay Nropri ttlr '. l to grant leases tit Tithes: ' Atter a fen , oliserviitions from Mr. I.I3 O VGI r ' 4 the motion WhN ag,teed , to.. -1IINNINt; presented the eport of Cp motif tyl., no . .".lad,linusea...._. tow' and nrt!e!erl. to la: printed.- • „ Alf. I..ronglit in 3 Bill V/ 01/101e fir; Sai;o; s, 61,1,loycrt it) the 11 , 1”1 N .to r.rFue 1tt,111 . ,, 'first fifileot 11111 otdered torli , The Chatit.ilk! Hill' went throrigh,' Committee. Report . to-min" tr., c . Solemn! In.floglie-np a Billto pro‘tdc l . t! fravulnitnn Ilar.krnpvt: No vi t•iine, anti ordered for a setwil l'eadiag in 3 COIOIICI IVOOD obtained - -leave to l ' il ri I„ri, lila to amend the 396 anti44 , l) Arti the Third, reltpectinglirt GattlN, oiler word,,,froinsit C.l.lvAttittrilind 111 r. Pitei.)l3;ained ..leave to bring t ' amend the Act ye:sliec‘ing Volnntevr C 91.0 t l land. Itend'a first time, and ottlered•to. 11.5te()1 reading to-nforroce. O Lunn'. r o,c Alderman ATK INS prelented a n ; petitio-rim., tic Owners'and Masters of Ships boThogitig 1 „, Wiinle Fisheries, againit 'lbe Gas Li g ht 10 11 . Ordered to lie ou the fable. 11 l c Mr. Efou4Ka bron g tt np , the Report 01 , Committee on the Gas Light Bill.' Alderman ATlttNtr. opposed it, as he tom-s That if it %s ere agr ee d ro , Mu d t h e powers Po,P°,. granted to the G a s Light Company, otheriAi ot , .panies s and particularly Altos e emplofed. iii &sari: and Greenland - Fis4ries, wonid be toint i. lie contended, i t wou ld throw out of en 4lint 10,000 seamen, and 50,00 n subjects. fie cei pinined, dint Geotielotm who 'knew Onthialf h ° v . the matter, had a tt e nded th e Co mm i ttee, their nitinher borne down all Opposition to C" -- Bill. Mr. CALvEirr defended the conduct of 1 " Comtnittee, and tineprorisinjts'a the H. ‘Vh. er 'j: ever any thing %tits prcT:oed 'for the ben fit `` ,l inntinpolisti always. NM against it, H ' ' ` cried they xvotild be ruined. Mr. Josas did not see.any.reason why the l i t Hdividuals whom the Bia conc e r ne d 6110 01 ' 1 4 i formed into a CO rporat i on. He et:mm.ll(lv' 'A the element 3 of tine British N av y were to be fol i d ' . in the Vtliale. Fiiigeries, th e interests of sil k Should be kept in Mr. I)...VtEs Gtopv said, that all he consh/e il l was, -Ittivri the' public c ou ld b est be,tterred, not whether the protits - of a particular Co")' 1 4 were to he, clitOr.islied or i ncrease d. He ‘" 1 "1 object,. however, to the perpetual corporatio%, tl.e Gas tight Company, hut not to its coll' or tian • for a reasonable. number of yearn, sixtY • Li-E , Mr. HOLME &IN/MIR defended the. ass 4 Company, 'and maintained; th a t if all thr sire e of the metr o p o li s were • lighted with (ha, the irr s4 gula r iti e s w hi c h took place after midnight '" )ii :1:o cease. On ac c ount o f its knots, linweter:jct %visited th a t t h e Bill s h ould he reprinted, in that the House should knoW all its provisi°l:o To give time for that purpose, he should I" that the Report b e taken into further consid ers, Lion on Monday next. Mr. Alitltt [OTT Oki nut approve of the trt—• • - conferred by t h e Bill 03 it would (penile li t 116 new tax on hops. As is the measure itself' tootight it likely to prove most useful, as the ply of oil would soon be insufficient for the tr is vice of th e M etropo li s, as t h e race o f w h o les neitrly exterminated. 00 4 1 Sir 3. Cirtattsu defended the Bill as it s t and the House then di vided Fur the Oriqin3l Motion rut the .I.inncnent 2l Majority fur the Original lkiuklon . • The Report was then received, and the amended, ordered to berinted, after 301110 flirt