Star.
London, England, 1815-03-23 00:00:00

peswimmomilama..
was one peat's imprisonment, and. burning in the
lnind ; but in 1795, an -Act Nita, enabling - the
.Tudges.to apply to this offence the same punishment
a; to grand er petty larceny..,which 'eight extend to
seven yeard transportation. Certainly there was
scarcely a greater crime in some- cages than bigamy.
If the. second wife was ignorant of the circumstances,
it amounted to an enormous and atrocious offence
towards the injured woman, who was rendered the
rnotlit:r of bastards, and might be involved in the
greatest. distress and misery. If the second
wife
knew. the matter, some difference existed in the caor-
rnity of the offence. In the first case, the punishment
ought ancioestionably to be severe ; but when the.
case bad wank extenuating circumstances, he could
not think the law sbluld be so heavily applied. In
the present instance, the slightest punishment seemed
enough, whereas the highest had been inflicted.—
Murray applied at first to the Attorney. General tor
his fiat to bring a writ of error, which was properly
refused by him ; but he suggested an applicatiOn at
the Secretary u State's (Ace. He then applied for
a pardon, offering to transport himself, and produc-
ing the affidavit of his second Wife, and the opinions
cif civilians that his first marriage was not legal. He
then injured that the Petition should lie on the table.
Sir H. MONTGOMERY said, that it this man
was not transported !or the bigamy, he ought to be
for swindling. He was married to his first wife at
Derry, by Mr. Black, a respectable clergyman,. got
her money, about 4 or Jesoo, and then deserted her,
and had never since given her any support. He
Loped the House would be cautious in giving an ear
to this application.
Mr. H. ADDINGTON had yesterday morning
mentioned the business to Lord Sidmouth, avho told
him that no order for executing the sentence had yet
been given, and that steps were taking to enable him
to ascertain what advice to give to the Prince Regent
on this case. He was glad to hear from the Learned
Member that it was a delicate thing to interfere with
the Courts ; and he hoped under these circumstances
he would withdraw the Petition.
Dr. DUIGEN AN made several observations tend-
ing to shew that the first was a legal marriage in Ire-
land, no snit having been instituted against it during
a year after the celebration.
Mr. B. 13ATI-11.1 Rsr thought the petition should
be withdrawn, alt: r a statement that the case was ac-
tunlly uniercousideration.
-Str S. RO Ni 1 I.LY did not wish, after this state-
ment, to press it. He had intended, if he had not
heard this, to move an address for a copy of the re-
port. He disapproved of what had been said about
a ondsliment for swindling. Could it ever be main-
tained that a man was to be punished fur a different
ofienea from that of which he was accused ? or that,
i an extenuated case, a Judge sh mold p is; a sentence
influenced by what he might hear Ont of doors of the
indiv ;deal ! It would be contrary to the just admi.
nivration of criminal law. Petition withdrawn.
Mr. GRENFELL gave notice of a mo.ion on the
12th of April, for a continuation of the accounts of
the pubic balances in the hands of the Bank of Eng-
land up to the prts;:nt time.

ALIENS.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT rose, pursuant to his no,
Lice, to call the :Mention of .the House to a letter
fix= the Under Seeretary of 'State for the Hume De-
partment, to the Clonal Department, rrspecting
the admission of Aliens into this country. In all pt.
riods of our his:ory, the Legislature had tak-m care
to keep opts the ports and harbours o: Great Britain
for dis:ressed strangers ; and it was the glory of this
chtlntry, that when protect•ion could not be afforded
to them by other ir Minns, they were sure of finding
an asylum here. At an early period of the French
Revolution, precautionary measures were adopted ;
and though it was not incumbent on him to discuss
the anthi.rity of that law, yet it was material to ob-
serve, that the Legislature had placed strict guards
over those who were entrusted with the exercise of its
powers. This Was. enough to drew the jealousy of
Parliament on the subject. With toe first French
war the first Alien Act expired ; it was revived soon
after the commencement of the second French war,
and nearly in the same form and mariner, and with
the same powers and restrictions as the former act.
What, then, was the surprise of himself and of seve-
ral other Members, when they found, on the discus-
sion of the conduct of Sir James Duff, that the fol-
lowing letters were laid before the House. The first
was a copy of a dispatch from Lord Bathurst to Sir
James Duff, dated November 29, 1814, to this ef-
fect :--16 Sir, It having been reported to his Majes-
ty's Government that you have directed the masters
of all British vessels touching at Cadiz, not to de-
part with any persons who are not provided with
properpassports, I am to request you will acquaint
me how far it is founded in fact.." In answer, Sir J.
Duff wrote as follows I beg leave to represent
to your Lordship, that it has been the practice of this
Court not toallow strangers to depart, unless provided
With proper passports; and as British subjectswerere-
grimed to conform to that regulation at the request of
the Governor of this city, I have renewed that order."
Then came the letter to which Sic James Duff had
reterred in jte•tification of his conduct, it was dated
M.y 4, Ibl3, more than 18 months before Lord
BatMirst's dispatch, and was to the following rm.-
port : Sir, in order to prevent, as fir as mry be
• convenient, the introduction of foreivners into this
country. it is necessary that such persons should ap-
ply for passports for that purpose ; and when the ob-
jects they have.iu view are objectionable, it may be
expedient to refuse them." On this letter was in-
dorsed the follaiving memoratieum :—" N. B. 'A
printed copy of this letter was forwarded on 6th May,
1613. from this office to all the foreign Ambassa-
dors." Now he would ask the House whether there
ever existed a. case in which such extensive poweti
were so delegated or conveyed is a manner so loose
and iMproptr ? But there was something more,
which marked it mote strongly. It would have been
a great dereliction of duty not to have communicated
to the House the reasons of taking such an extraor-
dinary step t but between the interval of writing this
letter and the discovery of it, the Alien Act, which
would have expired, r.vis re-enacted and brought spe-
cially before the House.' Was not that the period at
which this letter should haVe been submitted to the
House ? Was it not proper, al the question did a, t
pass nib :Wraith and some of his Majesty's Mfnisteri
participated in the debate, that this measure shotild
liavd been' iommuoicated ? Duting that time, this