122] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



land ; and being himself a princi- 

 pal actor in the business, he made 

 DO scruple of asserting that it did 

 not at all tend to the increase of 

 the fever. 



A considerable number of mem- 

 bers then joined in the discus- 

 sion, chiefly in favour of the 

 abolition of the tax. Mr. Robeii. 

 Shaxv made a short reply to the 

 objections raised against him ; 

 and the question being put, the 

 House divided: Yeas 51 ; Noes, 

 67: Majority against the motion, 

 16. 



Lord Castlereagh, on May 5th, 

 rising to move a bill for the re- 

 newal of the Alien act, ob- 

 served that its provisions had so 

 often been discussed in the House, 

 that it could scarcely be neces- 

 sary again to subject it to an in- 

 quiry. It was clear that this 

 power could now be only exer- 

 cised under the regulation of 

 parliament ; and whether or what 

 law was required, was for the 

 consideration of the House. His 

 view at present was, not to pro- 

 pose any permanent law, but 

 merely a continuation of the ex- 

 isting law, and tliat for the same 

 period as had last been taken, 

 namely, for two jcars. His lord- 

 ship then took a rapid view of 

 the difference between a war 

 alien bill, and a peace alien bill ; 

 and remarked that not more than 

 nine individuals had been sent out 

 of the country during the last six 

 years ; a proof that the officers 

 of the crown had not abused the 

 powers entrusted to them. Had 

 it not been for this power, the 

 wild and ardent spirits bred in the 

 French revolution, who looked 

 forward to fresh revolutions, and 

 who were scattered all over Eu- 



rope, would have gladly availed 

 themselves of the facilities which 

 this country would have afforded 

 them. He concluded with mov- 

 ing, " That leave be given to 

 bring in a bill to continue an Act 

 of the 56th year of his present 

 Majesty, for establishing regula- 

 tions respecting Aliens arriving in 

 or resident in the kingdom in cer- 

 tain cases." 



Lord Althorp thought it a sin- 

 gular argument of the noble lord, 

 that since alien bills were neces- 

 sary in time of war, they should 

 be continued in time of peace. 

 If the noble lord would be at all 

 consistent, he ought to have made 

 the alien act coextensive with 

 the period of the occupation of 

 France by foreign troops ; and if 

 he did not so, he could not now 

 attempt to continue it for two 

 years longer. 



Sir Samuel Romilly could not 

 suffer the question to be put 

 without offering one or two ob- 

 servations. The bill went upon 

 a principle which, though never 

 openly avowed, was now indi- 

 rectly stated, namely, that the 

 government of this country was 

 to minister to the wishes of the 

 despots of Europe. Instead of 

 England being an asylum for the 

 oppressed of all nations, she was 

 now to be turned into a sort of 

 depot for the persecuted, whence 

 their tyrants might have thera 

 brought back at will. Every 

 man, no matter of what country,' 

 or creed, had always looked in 

 his distresses for an asylum to 

 England, and had always found 

 that which he sought. Why 

 should that great character be 

 now taken from us ? For his own 

 part, he should be the most un- 

 grateful 



