§ Mr. Huttasked the right hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he should have any objection to appoint a Select Committee to inquire into the state of the law affecting aliens residing in this country?
§ Sir James Grahamsaid, that with reference to the expediency of such an inquiry, he certainly should have no objection to the appointment of a committee, to be limited to a certain extent. He was not prepared to submit to a Select Committee the constitutional question whether or not it would be expedient to repeal so much of the Act of Settlement as precluded the right of aliens sitting in Parliament or in the Privy Council. Under that limitation he had no objection to submit to a committee the question whether it was expedient to grant the rights of naturalization, by act of Parliament or by letters patent, to be granted by her Majesty, under the responsibility of her Majesty's Privy Council.