HL Deb 30 June 1898 vol 60 cc612-3

On the report of Amendments to this Bill,

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY

My Lords, I wish to say a single syllable to prevent a misapprehension which might arise from the report of something I said in the Standing Committee on this Bill. It was reported, and quite correctly, that I said that, although there was an objection to the words "without means of support," and in point of fact those words were unnecessary, it was quite reasonable that if a man was likely to become a public charge he should not be allowed to land. I had previously said, in discussing the Bill, that I did not alter my opinion that there ought to be no such restriction whatever. I was merely discussing whether the words as they were in the Bill best carried out the intentions of the promoters. As it stands it looks as if I had withdrawn my general opposition to the principle of the Bill. That is not so.

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (Viscount CROSS)

I think my noble Friend made it quite clear that he was opposed to the Bill, and that, the principle of the Measure having been approved of by the House on the Second Reading, he did his best to amend it in the Standing Committee.

*LORD STANMORE

Before the Motion is put might I ask the noble Earl in charge of the Bill, or some noble or learned Lord who has studied the Bill, whether he will be kind enough to remove a doubt which exists in my mind in regard to this Bill? In these foreign countries where similar legislation exists, there is a provision of one sort or another for the detention of these persons until such time as they can be sent home. There is no corresponding provision in this Bill, and I should like to suggest that, though you give by this Bill power to the inspector to prevent a man landing, you give no power, as far as I can see, to the captain of the ship to detain the man on board against his will. Moreover, it is not in every case that the ship will be going back to the port from which she came. She may be going on a voyage to some other and more distant place. In that case the alien must come on shore, and, though you have given power to the inspector to prevent the man landing, I do not see that you give any power to expel him again when he has once landed. I may be wrong, but I thought the doubt was worth stating.

THE EARL OF HARDWICKE

The provisions of this Bill give the Board of Trade power to make regulations for carrying them out. It had always been my intention that aliens should not be allowed to leave the ship until they had been examined, and therefore the suggstion which the noble Lord makes, that it would be necessary to have a provision to expel them after they had landed, would not arise.

*LORD STANMORE

Supposing the ship is not going back to the place from which it came?

THE EARL OF HARDWICKE

That will be at the captain's own risk. He will have to take the aliens with him on his journey until he gets to the place from which they came. I believe that will act as a great deterrent.

*LORD STANMORE

I would remind the noble Earl that the regulations of the Board of Trade must be regulations under this Act, and that those regulations cannot confer fresh powers which are not given under this Act.

Report agreed to, and Bill ordered for Third Reading.