The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-06-02 00:00:00

MECRIME FROM THE 110Usr: OF COMMONS.

Lord I.43cci.t.rs, mod ethers from the Hon.'. of Coln-
mono, brought up the Cutlery Tv.4e Util, and the Crighttim
Gas Light Bill, which were read tt tiro time.

WENTHINSTFR PETITION.
I.ord KIN Q presented io I. Uuun, pitillnttll9: to
come fwin the assembled inhAllitionts of IVestntin-
ster, deisying the power of p.o-ii;ontot to alter the
con,tiiiition of the COUlitry, nC
several infractions of it, in C•ofl4Ptitieilee of the in_
terporetatiaits of lawyers, whom it cliarieterowd as
men of narrow mind., aml conclinled ti forayer
for Ileforin. The Noble Lord •eil, th,t the
Petition should he laid on the t.ilo!e.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said, it eras riot purr
pri.„iniz tittt lawyer., who inaisonined the true prin-
ciples of the constitution, should appear possessed
of very narrow minds to men who CMO,I tut
wild and visionary doctrines as were stated in the
Petition. lir wstt Calle'Heed that the Noble Lord
could riot stippoit pitch R Petition, tieing the de-
scendant of Lord Chancellor King. who, while lie
ever proved himself the sincerest fricti,l to she
liberty of the subject, never fided iis upholding,
the dignity of Parliament. The pt,-seiir Petition
went to destroy that altogether, he qii.-steitiitug the
power of the Legislature, and %tomtit 'hi-rehire be
rejected by the House. Ile should gite his vote
agssiost it.
Lind 1101.I.AND could not admit that the ab-
surdity of it* ..pisii 111 l however great, cruse
Use Petition to be rejected.

The queotioti for reeetvtag the l'ct;tion was then
negefived.

A 1.1 ENS.

The Ord...r of tlw Div being readfor the Howe
rem!ving itrrlf into a CotninAtee on the Alien
Bill,

1.011 SJDMOUTII rose an•l said, that an ildi•pen-
sable duty, founded on the conviction or an urgent
neces►ity, induced him to propose to their Lord-
ships the renewal of a measure to which 'he preser-
vation of the tranquillity enjoyed by this emintry
should be mainly atfributed, by excluding those
individuals who acted upon the general principle or
endeavouring to shake the security of the entire
system of Europe. It was true that many of those
persons, oho had overthrown the Coverannetat of
France, and hood attempted to al,ctrnl• those of other
States, were now dead ; hot the .pint that influenc-
ed their actions, the reviihrtitmary spirit hail not
expired, but Wit% %till isrep:l:.,d to horst intri action,
and mace wore di-totto the toampullity of
the world. T., was the ob.
jest of the present Bill, and I••trtleul,lrly to
preserve this cotMily from visolelic, , by excluding
from it all those whose conduct 'night !cod to com-
promise the well-hriog anal safety of the State. It
might he objected dolt the ci►rumstances of the
present period olilrered essentially from those wherein
this tile+Oillre was first introduced, and that a propo-
sition made in the year 1793, io the midst of a den-
gerons war, could not be tiiiitatt!e till the gent ISIS,
tool the tune of profoulaal pence. If. however, the
measures respectively prop:sea in 1793, and
now, %err examined, considerable differetace would
tie hosiod to exist beta-yeti them ; far in the
forourr rase no alien could land in (Treat
Brits n without a livens. from the Su•eret.n•y of
State, 110 r. 114! ing been pernf:tieli to land, Cfin hi he
subserviently travel Semi Milt, r.Olll the prescrititsl
pdace of Ins repidruce, without a similar soithurity.
But the preselat Ball by nm weans went to lodge in
the Crown an unusual or unconstitutionsl autho-
-I•ity. Tl:e Ccovett tver enjoyed the prero.4ative cf