When the Alien Bill was l...
When the Alien Bill was last under dis`ussoin in P'ar- liamient, Atr. PEEt L described it as,an eisnilai mitigation of that arbitrary and unconstitOtional measure, that all tuch foreigners as couldprove a seven years' "residence" ir the. United Kiftgdnrm, would be thenceforth released from its grasp. 'the Minister toolc full credit for this in- dulgence.-and we are willing to believe that he didnot intenid the clause as a merely colourable, but as a bond fide provision on behalf of a certain c1ass of Aliens ; it is, therefore, as mnsh to bring the stbSeet ntider M'i. PE55L?3 consideration as under the public notice, that we state at once, the mnanner in whici the spirit of this amended law has been violated. A merchaht In the city of Lon(don, having called withitn these few days at the Alien Office, to take out his certificate as a seveni years' resident in England, was asked wliether he could under- take to say that, daring the period of seven years, he had never been fo,r a single day out of the king. don. fThe gentleman was unable to carry his deciara- den so far, and was refused his certificate. It is to be ob- served, that for nine years past this foreigne& has carried on business, and has during that time rented constantly a dwelling-house and counting-house in London. In order, therefore, to establish the correctness of the meaning as- signed to the term tf residence" by the Alien-office, it must be laid down that an expetlition to Calais by one steant- boat, and a returfn by the next, will work a defeazauce of the new clause in the bill, and reinstate the Secretary of the Home Departmnent in the full plenitude of that abso. lexe power over Aliens which he protessel with such ex- emplary temper andl moderation to abanrdon.