§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if, with a view to reducing the immigration of Foreign paupers and their competition with the wage-earners of Great Britain and Ireland, Her Majesty's Government will take measures to provide for a record of the names, sexes, ages, occupations, Nationalities, and destination of all alien steerage and deck passengers arriving at ports of the United Kingdom and not in possession of through tickets to other countries, under the provisions of the still running Alien Act, as recommended by the Select Committee upon the Immigration of Foreigners in 1888 and 1889; and if, also, British Consuls at European seaports will be instructed to direct special attention to the collection of information on the subject of the emigration of destitute persons to the United Kingdom?
§ MR. BRADLAUGHIs it not the fact that the evidence reported on by the Select Committee referred to shows that there are scarcely any foreign immigrants who are in receipt of pauper aid?
§ MR. HOWARD VINCENTIn consequence of the intervention of the hon. Member opposite, I must ask my right hon. Friend if his attention has been drawn to paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 7 of the general conclusions of the Committee, which state shortly—(1) that the better class of foreign immigrants only arrive in transit to other countries (chiefly America), but the poorest and worst class remain here; (2) that the distribu- 890 tion of these poor aliens, both as regards localities and trades, is such that the pressure occasioned is out of proportion to their numbers; (3) that they work for less wages and longer hours than British workmen, and are very dirty and uncleanly in their habits?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Sir MICHAEL HICKS BEACH, Bristol, W.)I quite agree with the hon. Member for Northampton that in this connection the word "pauper" is a misnomer, because a pauper is a person who is in receipt of Poor Law relief, and I believe that many of these persons cannot be so described. On the other hand, as they are of a very poor class and work for very low wages, their competition may drive our own people to obtain Poor Law relief. Therefore, I think that both the hon. Member for Northampton and my hon. Friend behind me are in the right. With regard to the question on the Paper, the Government feel the great importance of the whole subject, and we are making the necessary inquiries and arrangements to carry out, as far as possible, the recommendations of the Select Committee as to a statistical record, including a statistical record such as is described in the hon. Member's question. There are some difficulties in the matter; but the best use will be made of the existing materials and powers, so that the Government and the public may be informed on the subject. With regard to the last part of the hon. Member's question, the British Consuls at the principal European seaports in proximity to this country have been directed by the Foreign Office to collect information as to the emigration of destitute aliens to the United Kingdom, which information will be published in due course.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHHave the Government the smallest intention of enforcing the provisions of the Alien Act as they stand?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHAs far as it is necessary to obtain the information recommended to be obtained by the Select Committee.
§ MR. BRADLAUGHIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the provisions of the Alien Act require every person, without reference to his means, to lodge with the officer his name and a certificate of his coming into the country, to state 891 when he is going to leave it, and to get the certificate before leaving?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI do not mean to imply that the provisions of the Act will be universally enforced; but, of course, it is obvious that this kind of immigration tikes place practically only at certain ports, and the powers of the Alien Act, as far as they are necessary and as far as they can be put in force without great public inconvenience, will be put in force.