The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-06 00:00:00

A LI ENS.

Lord CASTLEREAGH, in rising to propose tbll
continuance of the Alien Act for two yeari4 ob
served, that as the subject had been so frequently
discussed in the House, and at considerable length
on the last occasion, it was unnecessary to take op
much of the time of the House at present. He was,
aware that whenever it had been brought forward,
strong prejudice had existed egaiust it, and he would
be the last to quarrel with that constitutional jea•
lousy, ready to take alarm at any thing approaching
to a trenching en the liberty of the subject. But the
warmest advocate of liberty must allow that it was
absolutely essential to the safety of the country to
invest-the Executive with a superintending power
over Aliens. Such authority was inseparable from
the governing power of any country—the ordinary
laws were insufficient. In ancient limes the Crown,
by its own privileges exercised the right of sending
Aliens out of the country. But' the result of the
late discussions was, that whatever ground might
haws formerly misled for the use of this privilege, it
could at this day be put in force only under tbsowanc-
don of Parliament. lie bad tie intentien to propose a
permanent law on the subject,, though in the opinion
of some quite consistent with the liberty of the sob.
ject. lie merely intended to proposes continuance'
of the former law for two years. The esistieg law
was quite distinct from the principle of the War
Alien Law pissed in 1793 ; it was of a much milder
character. When the War Mien Act was passed
we had not to deal with enemies of" an ordinary de-
scription, but with men panting to extend disorder
and convulsion throughout the world—accordingly,
the principle on which the Act of 1793 was founded
was, that all Aliens coming into the boontry were
open to suspicion, and to be looked upon as possibly
doing so with hostile purposeti. They were assigned
a particular residence, and not allowed to depart
from it beyond a certain limit—ten miles. The prin.
ciple, in short, of the War Act was, that Aliens
were under a constant system of 'vigilance, and at-
lowed to go from place to place only when they had
i_obtained a passport. On the return of peace, the
.system was changed ; it being then supposed
that atraugers would come to the country only for
innocent purposes, the necessity of s fixed residence
was taken away; they were Aillowed to go wherever
they pleased, the power being still reserved of re•
moving them, whenever their residence might be-
come dangerous. Under the -present law, *llene
from most foreign lands were subject to no ether re-
gulation than delivering at the port where they ar.
rived their name and calling, after which,they may
traverse the country without any interference what.
ever, except the Secretary of State has reason to
suspect theic designs. He was convinced •o man
would say that Ministers had pushed the powers of
the law to estraottlinery lengths, or to the injury of
foreigners. During the six years preceding the paw
iug of the last Act, the numbers remnved had been
but nine; in 1817 but two; in 1818 but one. Sot
the House would not be justified in Wordily from
the fewness of these cases, that a inuch greater
amount of evil would not have ousted, on supposi.
(ion that the right to regulate Aliens had never been
granted by Parliament. The House would gain some
information on this head, by contrasting the sites.'
tion of countries that had no Alien Law, with that
of this. From this comparison, the House would see
from how much mischief the country had been pro.'
lected by Parliament telling Aliens, " If you are re.
solved to pursue your mischievous plans, you must
look for a theatre in another part of Europe: it is
not in this kingdom they are to be porsued."—When
it was understood the the law of the Netherlands
permitted no interference with Aliens, ill the un-
quiet spirits fled thither from France, get posses-
sion of the Press to disseminate their pernicious
and disgraceful projects, and assembled in such
numbers, that it was there among them the plan was
hatched for disturbing the peace of Europe. and re-
establishing the revolutionary system in France.—
There too he knew that the conspiracy was formed
against the life of the illustrious Duke of Wellington,
not from any motives of personal enmity, but to
take away the life most valuable for preserving
the peace of Europe. It was not too much to sly,
that had no Alien Law been in existence, the same
plots and conspiracies would have been carried on
here, and therefore he thought it the duty of the
House to arm the Executive with moderate powers
to keep them in order. These were the general
grounds on which lie hoped the House would not
hesitate to continue the law when they considered the
mildness in which it had been administered. It might
be said the law was now become unnecessary by the
enjoyment of peace with the whole Continent; but,
he would insist that the necessity of a renewal had ap-
imaged from his previous statements, that wherever
the discontented had got perfectly free footing,
they combined together to overthrow the esta-
blished order of things, and the Emotive ought
to be armed with means to quell ihst spirit.—
The law had been originally enacted in 1793—re-
newed with amendments, in 1814 and 1816—and he
now bad to propose it the fourth time. lie could
not take open himself to say whether the Army of
Occupation would leave France in this year. The
moment of drawing, it away would be one of great
agitation and anxiety; and. it would be injudicious in
the extreme to sufer the law to expire before ell-
ploring the tone and temper generated by that cant in
foreigners. The Noble Lord concluded by moving—
" That leave be given to bring in a Bill to continue the Act
68 Geu. 111. for e.inblisbing regulations resperibig Aliew ar-
riving nr resident in this country. in certain cases."
Lord A I,TH WIPE observed, that this law, which
originated in the state of affairs produced by the
French Revolution, was now no longer necessary.—
No argument he had heard from the Noble Lord, In
the slightest degree justified its re-enactment. He
rose however, not to enter into a dines:lon of the
• •
Measure-Nthat would be more props at a future
period—but to express his dissent 1'1.4 sick a Bill,
and to enter his protest against it.
.03 110 • Q • ,
Mr. LA M BT.ON did not mean, after Ana bad
fallen from the Noble Lord, to debatis the tk►i, ion
now ; but, when the Bill came to a seebad ending,
be ikoold move aaimoodoeut to k—at the lens time