§ Mr. Bennet presented a petition from the inhabitants of Westminster, setting; forth, "That the petitioners, the there-undersigned inhabitants of the city and liberties of Westminster, loyal and dutiful subjects of his majesty, not more anxious to preserve their own freedom and happiness than, as far as in them lies, to maintain the dignity, and provide for the permanent security of his majesty's Crown, cannot refrain from humbly expressing to the House their conviction., that any act which in time of peace shall invest the ministers of the Crown with the absolute power of sending aliens out of the kingdom, at the sole pleasure of those ministers, is contrary to the principles of that constitution under which the petitioners and their ancestors have so long been the envy of the rest of mankind; that the petitioners would think it right, under any circumstances to petition against the passing of such an act, but that, under the present circumstances, when, as the petitioners perceive, proceedings of a judicial nature, under the advice and on the responsibility of the ministers of the Crown, are about to be commenced against an illustrious personage, on ac count of acts alleged to have been com- 1000 mitted out of the kingdom; under such circumstances the petitioners think it their indispensable duty most respectfully to represent to the House, that, if such act be passed, the said ministers will have it in their absolute power to keep out of the country, or to send by force out of the country, every foreigner who may be able and may be disposed, or who may be suspected of being able and disposed, to give evidence in vindication of the accused party, while the said ministers will also have die absolute power of giving secure and peaceful residence to all foreigners who may already be in the country, or who may hereafter be invited to come into it, and who may be known or suspected to be disposed to give evidence against the illustrious party against whom the said ministers have advised the afore mentioned proceedings; therefore the petitioners most humbly pray, that the House will be pleased to refuse their assent to any such act, or that, if any act of the kind be passed, the House will be pleased to provide, by means best understood by the House, that the said act may not operate to the injury of any persons who may be parties in judicial proceedings."
§ "Ordered to he on the table.