The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-06-03 00:00:00

ALIENS-DANK OF SCOTLAND.

The RAI I of Let:us:Rue I.E presented a Petition
from reit:silo person., descrilinig themselves as no-
turalizid subjects of his I,..je.ty, wito had placed
their mousy in the Bank of Scotland, on the faith
of a public Act of the Legislature. which declared
that aliens, becoming partners iii the Batik of Scot.
.houll be considered as natural-burn subjects
of this realm. Their rights, however, so sanctioned,
hail been threatened by a clause attached to the
Alien Bid, now iii their Lordships' !louse, and
they pii”ed to be hear) at the bar against it, either
by themselves or coun►el.
The Petition being read, the Err' of LACDER,
DALIi unsedr '` That the prayer of the Petition be
grained."
Loral SIDMOUTII said he should oppose this ino-
ti .. , because. after the dehste oat the preceding
M4lll, be conceived it impossible that their Lord-
ships could learii any thing further upon the merits
of the ca•r.

Eirl Garr expressed his surprise fist the mo-
tion f his .Noble Friend lihosild be thus opposed,
without nue reolinit being atisigiseit why the Howie
should coot Irene oil their winsl forms, and violate
the rights 4.1 without heariug one word
fruits the buffeters in their ow') defence.

The Earl of Ltvaitoool. raid, he held the right.
of audividuals as sacred as Atop Man, but he paw no
reason for this Petition. The measure before the
flume was one of general public interest ; and if
any individual rights were affected its operation.
Application might vulailequently lie made to Par-
liament fur compensation. Such wits the principle
that hail been recover:teal by Parliament in passing
the law fur.abolishisig the Slave Trade ; hut it was
miaow r to suppose that Patbailment should w.
entice the public safety to the interests of a few
who had never taken the oath of al-
legiasice, whip had in fact refused to take it, and
who had set up a right upon an obsolete law of
Scuthod, which hail hitherto nut laden repealed,
heculase its existence had escaped ulearrvatitaa, but
which, though nut directly repealed co mumble., had
yet beets indirectly repealed by several statutes.
Such at least might Ira cialleete.l to he the principle
or the pretnialile of the 14th of the present King.
which stated. that sias alien plumb' be (astute be
outuralized but lay Act of Parliament. This ob-
solete law era+, however, now riolaleilly brought
iota sown, contrary, as lie cinateisiled, to the
of natural law, which made allegiaisce
awl protection gas together.
Lard IioLL4ND saw ma treason why the Noble
Load should say that this Act was Obstlleif. It was
.iiiipoinaihie to .oppose that at oft* 1111 l In the direct
cusitempl aiiam of the great mess who prepared the
Act of Settlement. 'I he pa of the law was
to 11.141S:e lorrieelS to invert their capital in Scut-
land, awl now that this object was attained, was it
consistent oath the justice of their Lordships' pro-
ceeding* to break through the orders of their
Millar, anti refil-e tiara, r plainisig of ail iofrac-
toa.a of the public faith to state their grievances at
liw liar ? Alaiiv of these aorta 114.11 been lung iesiding
its thi• country ; some of them wear the fathers of
natural-bona subjccis of his %lajesty, and yet witlF.
out the iinputattua of any fraud—without One al-
legatiou that ttaiivactiou Was taut exectited sona

fide, their rights wereitivaded, the sacred character
of all Act of Parliament was violated, and
yet the sufferers "0.1;e refused one word in their
defence at the bar of the House. The Noble Vie•
count, who was so well versed in precedents. rull.t
Ile aware, that nothing was more usual than to hear
counsel against a Bill, even on the third reading ;
and yet he now objected to the prayer of the Pr Hs
lion, because, forsooth, the question bid bream once
debated. But if even the measure coniplaturd . f
had gone through the several forms of the Flou►e
Gastinons. and had arrived at the third reading in
the:c Lordships' !louse, instead of lieitiu rally once
debated without previous notice given, their Lord.
ships could not refuse the prayer of the Petition.
The House then divided, when there alcie iced —...
Fur the prayer of the Petition
Arsitiat it

Miljuk ity lO
The prayer of the Petition was therefore rejected.