Star.
London, England, 1822-07-20 00:00:00

humbly repreeentectto the House the propriety of im-
posing a tax on steam packets thus employed.
Mr. CALCRAFf defended the steam packets, ti furnishing a cheap and commodious mode of con-.I
veyance tor the Public. • Mr. W. SMITH also defended the steam boats... Mr. H.GURNEY complained of the inconvenience
arising from the detention of the steam vessels *at
Graves-end, to make a return of their passengers.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, he had this day made
an arrangement to put an end to the inconvenience
complained of.--The Petition was then received, and
ordered to be printed.
THE DIANA TYRICISII mows's.
Sir BYAM MARTIN said, an Hon. Member (Co-
lonel Davies) on a former night had pot a question
respecting the fitting up of a Turkish ship as a ship
of w.-11, in the River, to cruize against the Greeks.--
The gallant Officer then charged the Government
-.with partiality, in having permitted this ship to take
-on board 5$ guns and stores, and 250 British sea-
'men as a crew. The facts of the case were these :
--the vessel in question, the Diana, had applied for per-
mission to do the proper repairs to the ship, and those
of an ornamental nature. Leave was giyen by the
Admiralty to do the necessary and ornamental re-
pairs, but nothing further; and nothing more, ac-
cording to the best information he could obtain, had
been done. On inquiry, he found that she had a
crew of fifty persons, one of whom only was an Eng 7
lishman, and that was the sailing-master ; and as to
her guns, she had but fourteen on board, and they
were nut mounted. In fact, the vessel came into the
River as a trading vessel, and as a trading vessel only
would she quit it, at least with the cognizance of
Government ; and he did not believe that her agent
would ~tit Fer the Captain to risk the safety of the
vessel by taking warlike stoic. on board, and thus
infiiii;_;e the laws of the country.
Colonel DAVIES said, he had not stated that she
had 5S guns mounted, or that she had 250 men on
bo:rd ; but he stated, that he had been informed she
was t r be so fitted out, and this information he re-
ceived from the second in command.
Mr. ROBINSON said, that the Captain of the ship
had sent trick forty Greek sailors, the and
ship was
consequently inadequately manned.
ALIEN BILL.
Mr. PEEL moved the third reading of the Alien Bill.
Mr. BERNAL opposed the motion. He nonsi-
der ed that the argumentative and convincing speeches
of his Hon. Friends upon this subject, prevented the
necessity of his going into detail, but there were a
few observations which be was extremely anxious to
submit to the House. There was one speech deli-
vered on the opposite side which he thought de,erved
particular attention. He meant that of the Right
Hon. President of the Board of Controul. That speech
4otttained sentiments which were quite at variance
with the conclusions with which it terminated. The
Right Hon. Gentleman expressed his wish to encou-
rage rational liberty, yet he supported this Bill, which
went to repress it. He (Mr. Bernal) considered this
Bill to be unjust, impolitic, and unnecessary. He
proceeded to argue that no necessity existed for the
measure, because a Minister might expel an Alien
found plotting against the relations of amity between
this and any other nation, upon his own responsibi-
lity, or upon application to the Foreign Minister re-
sident at this Court, of the nation to which he be-
longed. It was impolitic, because it might hereafter
submit the country to demands from more powerful
nations that might grow up, which would depart from
its welfare and dignity. Our ancestors had always
affoi-ded free protection to persecuted foreigners, and
it would be a stain upon the country, as well as an
injustice to such persons, if the Bill were passed.
Mr. WETHERELL commenced by compliment-
ing his Hon. Friend, the Member for Knaresborough,
upon his speech against this Bill, appreciating, as he
did, as highly as any one, the brilliance which it dis-
played ; but he considered it also to be full of bril-
liant error, to which he preferred sober judgment and
plain facts. Being confident that he had the latter
on his side in this argument, however hazardous the
undertaking might be,. he was ready to break a spear
with his Hon. Friend upon this subject. The Alien
Bill was coeval with the existence of the Constitu-
tion. If he thought the principle of the Alien Bill
was new, he should pause considerably before he gave
his assent to it; but it was at all times an inherent
right in the Executive of this country to send an
alien out of the kingdom. His Hon. Eriendhad con-
tended, from a passage in Magna Charta, that all fo-
reigners whatever had a free right to ingress, egress,
and regress into this country; but that permission he
.(Mr. Wetherell) would contend, referred to foreign
merchants only. Had the framers of Magna Chatta
refused to the Crown the power of sending foreigners
out of the country, they would have refused to the
Sovereign of this country what was enjoyed by every
Monarch in Europe. Even in the case of merchant-
traders, they had no power of coming into this coun-
try without a license from the Crown. In no less
than twenty Statutes, from the time of Magna Charts
to that of Henry VI. the liberty of coming into this
country was limited to merchant-traders. Even ships
were not allowea to enter the ports of this country
without a passport: it was necessary for the mer-
chant-trader also to have a safe conduct from the
Crown before he could come into the country. Upon
abstract principles, besides municipal regulations,
every State had the power both to prevent aliens from
coming into the country, and to send them out of the
country after they had come into it. If the natural
right had been abandoned by municipal regulations,
the question would, of course, be decided against
Lim ; but that, he contended, had never been the case.
The Crown had the power of sending its own na- ,
tural-born subjects, and a fortiori must have that
power in the case of aliens—(Hear, hear, heat).—
By the writ of ne exeat )eg,no, no subject could leave
the kingdom; and any subject could be recalled from
abroad by an order under the Great or the Privy Seal.
The Learned Gentleman here cited a variety of cases
horn an early period 'down to the time of George I.
in the case of the Duke of Wharton. In all tho e
Cases, flom the State-writ, as it was termed, thereby
no appeal. Lord Hale, a high authority, as several
of his works had been printed by order of the House
of Commons of that day, had described the King as
holding the keys, of all the ports, to open and to shut
them against whom he pleased. The power of the
Crown, in sending aliens out of the country, was clear
in the time of Elizabeth. After the inassacre of St.