FOREIGNERS IN LONDON. (Hansard, 1 April 1851)

§ MR. S. WORTLEY
rose for the purpose of asking the right lion. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department, "whether his attention has been railed to the number, character, and proceedings of certain persons, not being subjects of Her Majesty, but at present resident in this country and claiming its hospitality?" In order to make the question intelligible, it would be necessary that he should state a few facts. A powerful statement had been made last week on the subject elsewhere, the effect of which he would not weaken by repeating. He might, however, state that he had in his possession evidence of the existence of a wide-spread conspiracy in Europe, a branch of which had been established in this country, under the name of the Committee of Central European Democracy—

§ MR. M. GIBSON
rose to order. It would be very desirable that they should know the position in which the House stood with regard to this question. He had no desire to prevent the right hon. Member (Mr. Wortley) from making any statement which was to make his question intelligible; but he (Mr. Gibson) wished to know whether they were to have a statement of facts on the one side, and no answer or reply on the other?

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, that any hon. Member might make whatever statement of facts came within his own knowledge, provided he did not trench on the field of argument.

§ MR. S. WORTLEY
was not aware that he had been offending against the rules of the House. He had been merely stating facts which had come to his own knowledge. There existed at this time a body in this country and in this metropolis who styled 883 themselves the Committee of Central European Democracy, who in their published manifestoes acknowledged their object to be the subversion of the Governments of Central Europe. These parties recommended, as the means of promoting this object, insurrection against and the extermination of the existing sovereigns. It was not his intention to draw the notice of hon. Gentlemen to the matter, as it affected our foreign relations. That would be safe, he thought, if left in the hands of the Government; but with regard to the tranquil-lity of this country during the ensuing season, he conceived it was a subject requiring consideration. In the year 1848 the Government had asked and easily obtained from the House the power to remove from this country those foreigners who were believed to be of a dangerous character. Since that time other revolutions had taken place, and the number of foreigners in London had greatly increased. God forbid, that in one word he should say he should raise any objection against heartily receiving all those foreigners who sought to make this country a refuge in their misfortune! But the removal of that power for a time was now, even more than in 1848, the only safe and proper course. It had come to his knowledge—and he believed he had the best foundation for what he stated—that there were at that moment going on among foreigners residing in this country, in combination with some of the subjects of Her Majesty—a scheme for making some demonstration which would be very dangerous to the public tranquillity. The subject was a most important one for inquiry. He begged to ask the right Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his attention had been called to the number, character, and proceedings of certain persons, not being subjects of Her Majesty, but at present resident in this country, and claiming its hospitality; and whether Her Majesty's Government were prepared to take any measures for further securing this country from any danger from the disturbance of its peace, or the embarrassment of its relations with friendly foreign Powers, by the abuse of that hospitality? Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would say, if the Government contemplated any temporary measure to meet the case.

§ Sir G. GREY
Sir the question which has been put by the right hon. Member (Mr. Wortley) is one of undoubted importance. I shall answer the first part of the question I 884 by stating that the subject to which it refers is one to which the attention of the Government has long been directed, and still continues to be directed. The question as it stands on the paper embraces two distinct and important objects—the one the maintenance of the internal peace and tranquillity of this country, in the event, I should hope a very distant one, and a very improbable one, of that tranquillity and peace being menaced by the conduct of foreign refugees resident in this country. The second point to which the question directs itself is the prevention of embarrassment arising in the relations of this country with Foreign States with whom we are on amicable terms in consequence of proceedings of these refugees in England. Having already stated that the event of the peace and tranquillity of this country being disturbed is one which I regard as improbable, I have to state that looking at the number of refugees in this country, looking to the known character of some of them, and looking also to the probable increase which will take place in the number of foreigners of all classes in England, measures have been taken and precautions have been adopted within the existing law which I have not the slightest doubt will prevent or suppress any attempt which may be made to disturb the peace and tranquillity of this country. I believe that any such insane attempt, if it were made, could be immediately and effectually suppressed. With regard to the second point of the question, "Whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to take any measures for further securing this country from any danger, from the disturbance of its peace, or the embarrassment of its relations with friendly Foreign Powers by the abuse of its hospitality," I will take this opportunity of expressing my opinion, and I cannot do so in terms too strong, that it is a gross abuse of that generous hospitality which has long been the distinction of this country, and which I trust will ever continue to be the pride of this country—to extend to foreign political refugees of every rank and shade of opinion—it would be a gross abuse of that generous hospitality for persons so circumstanced, and enjoying so many privileges when making this country an asylum in their time of need, to form clubs, concoct measures, and enter into conspiracies hostile to the security and subversive of the peace of Foreign States who are on terms of amity with this country. We have, I 885 believe, ample power, irrespective altogether of the Foreign Enlistment Act, to suppress all such attempts as may be made by foreigners to form conspiracies. I shall not be contradicted by any legal authority in this House when I say that conspiracies entered into by foreigners in this country living under the laws of this country and enjoying their security—it will not be denied, I say, that, if foreigners adopt any measures with the view of levying war against any foreign country with which this country is at amity, they are guilty of an offence at common law, and are punishable on conviction by fine and imprisonment. It will not he expected that I should state the precise nature and amount of the information possessed on this subject by Her Majesty's Government. I hope it will be sufficient for me to say that the proceedings of these parties are closely observed, and that the Government are determined at once to interfere and put the laws in force against foreigners, and show them the necessity which there is for strict obedience to the laws under the protection of which they live. We shall not hesitate, legally and constitutionally, to meet any violation of the law. I believe that the powers we possess are amply sufficient to punish by penalties the violation of the law by foreigners after we have been satisfied that these foreigners have really committed themselves in any case in which legal proceedings can be instituted.

§ MR. B. COCHRANE
begged to ask if the Government had any means of obtaining the names of foreigners in Loudon ', Was the Secretary of State aware, for instance, that Signor Mazzini was at present in London?

§ SIR G. GREY
We have no regular means of obtaining the names of foreigners in London, but we know the names of several of the principal ones.