Star.
London, England, 1818-05-16 00:00:00

ALIA BILL.

Lord CASTLEREAGH moved the second read-
ing of the Alien Bill.
-Mr. LAMBTON confessed, that it was with no
‘mall degree of sarprize he had witnessed the intro-
duction of this Bill, in a time of profound peace.
Ile considered it an insult to the House, and founded
on that subserviency and pliability of the Members,
which had been so strongly shewn on the preceding
night—(ll,,ar, hrar).--liefore the Act of 1793, it
had been the policy of this country to afford protec-
tion to foreigners who were driven from their homes
by the tyranny of their own Governments, and every
eac&uragement given to them to settle among us;l
from which numberless advantages had resulted to
the trade and prosperity of this country. It was in-
deed to be ascribed, in no small degree, to this libe-
ral policy, that England had risen superior to every
other nation, in commerce, wealth, and general im-
portance among the States of Europe. The Alien
Bill of 1793, however, gave a check to this liberal
policy ; and certainly there was much more reason
for the introduction of the measure at that time, than
existed at present. It was then adopted as a precau-
tionary measure against the introduction of revolu-
tionary principles ; but England had nothing of that
kind to fear at present ; for not only had those doc-
trines been exploded, but the great enemy of the
peace of Europe had been hurled from his elevated
situation, and was now reduced to hopeless and ham-
less captivity. It was not, then, from an apprehen-
sion that the public tranquillity might be disturbed,
but as part of the Continental System, that this Bill
WAS introduced, to annihilate the only sanctuary from
despotism, which this country had hitherto afforded.
Once it had been the pride of all parties, however
different in political feeling, that when the slave
touched the soil of England, he became free; but this
sacred spot—the peculiar habitation of liberty, as it
had been called by a British poet, even at the time of
the rebellion in 1745, was to be degraded to the level
of other nations, where the rights and property of the
subject were ar the disposal of the Government ! But
it was said, that the Bill was intended to effect Bri-
tish objects alone, and he should therefore call on
Ministets to declare, that it was not directed against
those unfortunate men who had been proscribed by
the King of France, after he had been a second time
seated on the throne of that country by the Allied
Armies—(h ear, hear). The I lonourable Member then
went into a recital of the several acts of the French
Government, with respect to the 38 individuals who
were ordered to quit France, shortly after the resto-
ration ; and condemned, in strong terms, the severity
with which they had been treated, not one of them
having been brought to trial, and all the Continental
States being prejudiced against them, and ready to
aid the persecution they were suffering by arrests and
imprisonment. He believed it was to assist this sys-
tem, that the Bill before them was brought in, be-
cause it was ridiculous to argue, that the peace of
this country could be disturbed by those 38 indivi-
duals, even were they to conspire for the purpose. If
the family of the Bourbons was detested throughout
the whole of France, as ss as implied in the arguments
lon the other side, it became this country to consider, I
whether, in Addition to live hundred millions of
money, it should sacrifice its character, its honour,
and its Constitution, to the maintenance of that family
upon the throne?---(hear, hear.) The Honourable
Gentleman concluded by moving as an amendment,
that instead of ;ow, the Bill be read a second time
this day six months.
1 Mr. PROTHEROE having shortly supported the

Bill, a cry of le Question ! Qitestion!" arose from
irittitdlee d
liipscoi!ti sts hio:r p--at(:/:,elacer
several parts of the House.
Mr. W. 1- L1"171.:TON expressed his turpris,
that a question of this importance should be suffered
htoeargl.o
Htoet,hevote,
however, with so
must intrude
of the House for a short time, having to state a case
which would serve to spew the oprression who!: Ir 4
sometimes exercised under this measure. It vas the
case of Mr. Befort, which he had no a former occa.
sion mentioned to the House. T.:, (' rent.eman was
sent out of the country in 1514, wch lens than os
hours' notice. It was well known, that sense yeti
ago Mr. BetOrt occupied premises in St.JaMeis.
street, for the sale of the French medicine
Eau Medicinale. Now, unless the Noble bed mu
make not that the sale of this gout water was dons
Igerous to the peace ar.d tranquillity cf the empir4
'he must think it an arbitrary exercise of le
granted under the Alien Act. lie proceede,i To
state, from papers which he held in his hand, th.„
Mr. Beton filst came into this century in 1810, and
that several pr sons of the higl.est resportahility
bore testimony, at the time, to hi.. rod c. aracter.—
In August, 1813, he eceived an order to quit the
!country, and he immediately pri ceed,l to ponce
mouth, in company with another man,
Honourable Member would not then inet.tion, t
would give op his name to any Gentleman r. 4
should think right to ask for it. W'r,e, they 5.,1 to
Portsmouth, they underwent a rrict search,
pianoforte was detained for furthcr
the care of Captain Woodriffe ; ;rid a portP•ti
also left in the hands of his tra-elling comp/
Nothing, however, of a suspicious nature
is the musical instrument ; but in some pa:*
baggage left behind, there was disc,werecl, 7
ported to be a correspondence between f. ~e I. t
tholics and the Kuher of the Order of Ia 1:
(Near, hear, and a latsg4.)—This was :i.''su
enough ; hut Mr. Befort was charged win the
medium of a treasonable cerrespc;ndence
these parties, and from that arose the scene tre4.
sores of which he had been the victim. New, be
would ask, were not foreigners amenable to the :as-s,
if they committed any treason chit act aging tke
Government of this country ; and if so, why act twin
'them to triat, instead of sending them out of the
country, without an opportunity of being heard is
their defence ? In this case, Mr. Itefizt had lre
property to the amount of 5004 which was is his
port folio, and he had suffered the moat seriouslin
by the sudden annihilation of his trade, which r.
tended his banishment from this country. tie oft-
cial Report of the number of Aliens sent unit of is
country did not contain any for 1814; net Mr. Ile.
fort stated that he returned to England durinit the
peace of that year, and was shortly after seized al
sent back again—( Hear, Aenr.)—Why, tl•tr, the
Report was good for nothing, and many pen. ,ns :my
have been sent away clandestinely, of wh:ch the
House was to know nothing. He conl4 not hot t!. k
that it was very important, when Engli,liora acre
distributed all over Europe, that they should be able
to lift up their heads wherever they might be. and
say, that Europe owed much to the protecting rare:
and policy of their country, but it erred still more
to her strong love of liberty—(Herr, hear.)

Mr. H. CLIVE said, the return of the number rf
Aliens sent out of the country, he believed rrai
e"r-
rectly made out ; but, with regard to Mr. &for:, it
might have beea thought that as he had been ordered
out of the country in 1813, it was unnecessary tote.
cord the second order to quit in 1811, everially as
that individual was here but a few drys in the hats
instance. But as this transaction took place is the
time of his predecessor, he should take erre to in.
quire more particularly into it. With regard to the
general question, he must observe, that the state c
'France was not yet settled ; and there were not want.
ing individuals who would be ready to take adrra•
tage of any opportunity for disturbing the general
tranquillity. That the powers of this mea.ure were
not abused, he thought appeared in the fact, that
during the last two years, only three persons had
been sent out of the country.

The qmestion, question, was loudly called for, and
strangers were ordered to withdraw, when
Lord FOLKESTONE rose, to protest against this
mode of proceeding, and call upon Mirusters, and
the Law Officers of the Crown, to shew on what
grounds this measure, in direct hostility to all the
principles of liberty, was supported—(boar, Aeer).
Ile should take shame to himself if he did not openly
oppose the Bill, as he was descended from a family
who had taken refuge in this country from a religi•
ous persecution, to which they might have fallen a
sacrifice, had a measure of this kind existed—Wear,
Hear.}—lt had always been the policy of our ances-
tors to foster foreigners who came to this minim-for
protection, which had given us an influence with all
those who were attached to civil and religious liberty
in every part of the globe. But it seemed the bal•
wark of open trial was to be taken away with Trim
to foreigners, and a door was to be opened to the
machinations of spies and informers against these
unfortunate men. The case mentioned by his Ho-
nourable Friend (Mr. Lyttleton), sheaved, :}:4 his
apprehensions were not groundless; and it v•is not
shewn that some person, who was anxious to share
the profits of Mr. Befort's trade, had not planrvd
the scheme for getting him o•tt of ti c country
The Honourable Gentleman opposite said, t)

Inn, .

were but three cases of per7sUns being wat away
within the last two years: but thew, for all tl.e 'louse
knew, might be cases of great injustice; itml far ail
that the Report stated, there might bare ben a great
deal of coercion used against many other individuals,
who had in consequence been obliged to leave the
country. The Noble Lord had declared, that this
Bill was purely for British objects; but if it was ras.
cessary to pass an Alien 13111 m time of peace, to be
consistent, he should move it not for two years
but to make it perpetual. True it was, that it Ira:
much better to prevent than to punish crime: and th"
could best be done by taking away temputim
was argued upon the question of forged Net(
night: bat though. this was a good rule in ithic,,
was not to be acted upon by free Governments. and
would only be adopted by those which were desr.!.(•
He should oppose the Bill then, because he the.:'
it tended to degrade the government of this cc.. 1••••;/
intero a despotism.
. C. GRANT defended his side of the }1
from the charge of inatteneom w this subj,:•:'

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