§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, he would take this opportunity of calling attention to the Law affecting Aliens, under which, as it now stood, they could hold no land in this country. It was true that, under a late Act of Parliament, a foreigner might take a lease for years of a house for his habitation, but anything like a freehold was a sort of forbidden thing; he could not hold land, a dwelling, a warehouse, or promises, though necessary to enable him to carry on his business. When they were discussing the two subjects of transferring allegiance from one nation to another, and the mode of transferring land from one person to another, he thought this grievance under which aliens laboured should be considered. English subjects occasionally bought freehold in their own name for the benefit of foreigners. He would like to know what objection there could be to a foreigner, who came here for a number of years to engage in business, buying a counting-house, or a house for residence? The fear that foreigners, who had these privileges, might upset the institutions of the country was an obsolete absurdity. He hoped that there would be some provisions in the Bill to be shortly introduced to enable not only naturalized foreigners, but even those who only paid a temporary visit to this country, to acquire land by purchase. In America, he understood the law was somewhat conflicting. In some States land was absolutely given away to induce emigrants and others to settle upon it; but, in other parts of the Union, restrictions were placed upon foreigners in this matter. Attention should be given to the subject in negotiations with foreign countries, and he hoped to obtain from 112 the Government an assurance that it should receive careful consideration.
MR. BRUCEI am happy, Sir, to; give my hon. Friend in public, as I have already given him in private, an assurance that this subject has been under the consideration of the Government, and that, in a few days, a Bill will be introduced in the other House which will deal very fully, and I think to the satisfaction of my hon. Friend, with the important subject he has brought under the notice of the House. That Bill, however, deals solely with the question as regards the law of England. The laws of other countries, and especially in France, are far more liberal on this point than ours; but I cannot undertake to say, at this moment, whether or not the Bill will make provision for entering into treaties with foreign countries. That is a subject for future consideration. So far as regards this country, my hon. Friend will find that the Bill deals fully with the matter he has named.