FOREIGN REFUGEES IN ENGLAND.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 642, 9 June 1852, Page 2

FOREIGN REFUGEES IN ENGLAND.

The following circular despatch from Earl Granville to Her Majesty's Ministers at Vienna and St. Petersburgh, and her Majesty's Charges d'Affaires at Paris and Frankfort, has just been presented with other papers on the same subject, to both Houses of Parliament :— r

Circular. Foreign Office, January J3. My Lord (Sir), — Representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government on (he part of several European Governments, through their representatives at this Court, on the subject of (he proceedings of foreign refugees now residing in England ; and it has been urgently demanded that immediate and effective steps should be taken by Her Majesty's Government to put a stop to those intrigues and conspiracies against the Governments of various European powers in which foreign refugees now yin v in England are asserted to be engaged. By the existing law of Great Blitain all foreigners have the unrestricted right of entrance and residence in this country ; and, while they remain in it, are, equally with British subjects, under the protection of the law, nor can they be punished except for an offence against the law, and under the sentence of the ordinary tribunals of justice, after a public trial, and on a conviction founded on. v evidence given in open Court. No foreigners, as such, can be sent out of this country by the Executive Government, except persons removed by virtue of treaties with' other States, confirmed by Act of Parliament, for the mutual surrender of criminal offenders. British subjects, however, or the subjects of any other Slate residing in this couutry, and therefore owing obedience to its laws, may, on conviction of being concerned in levying war against the Government of any State at amity with Great Britain, be punished, by fine and im.prisonmenl. Offenders in, this respect are equally open to prosecution by individuals or by, the Government. Measures in the form of Alien Acts have been at different limes resorted to by the British Legislature, by which' the power of expelling foreigners, in case of necessity, has been conferred on the executive Government ; but such powers, even when asked for only for the maintenaucc of internal tranquillity, have been regarded by the people of this country with jealousy. The general hospitality thus extended by our institutions to all who choose to come to England has from time to time been the means of affording a secure asylum to, political refugees of all parties, many of ihen'Hluslrious in rank and position. Among them may be mentioned kings and princes of the two branches of the Bourbon family, and the Prime Ministers of France and Austria. It is obvious that this hospitality could not be j so freely given if it were not so widely extended. If a discretionary power of removing foreigners were vested in the Crown, appeals would be constantly made by the dominant party in foreign countries for the expulsion of their political opponents who might have taken refuge in Great Britain. Monarchial Governments might object to Republican refugees, and Republican Governments -might' object to JRoyalisfs refugees ; and it would, b^ difficult to defend such hospitality, which wpald then be founded upon favour, and not upon equal laws. It is the earnest wish of Her Majesty's G6vernment to promote as far as in their power the peace, order, and prosperity of every country with which they are in friendly alliance ; but they do not think that any ground exists which would justify them, on the present occasion, in applying to the Legislature for any extraordinary or further powers in reference to foreigners resident in England, and they have no reason to doubt that this opinion is shared both by the Parliament and the public of this country. With reference to the intimation that exceptional measures of precaution may be taken against British subjects travelling abroad, Her I Majesty's subjects cannot complain if, while insurrection is raging, or its flame is scarcely extinguished, Foreign Governments should lake precautions against suspected English travellers. „ j Her Majesty's Government adhere to the i principle laid down by Viscount Palrncrston in I his note of the 30th of September, 1848, to the United States' envoy at this Court, in relation lo certain citizens of the United Stales who had come direct thence to Ireland, then in a Slate of partial insurrection. Lord Palmcrslon did not in (hat note ask for any change in the American laws, and he exT pressly forbore to press the President of the United States with representations against the offenders, but merely said that those who visited a country in a stale of insurrection must take their chance like persons whom curiosity might lead into a field of battle ; and that the American Government must not. lake it amiss if citizens of the United Stales who visited Ireland at | that lime were involved in the consequences of

measures aimed at men of different description. The measures, however, to -which he alluded were taken with reference only to persons to whom, under the peculiar circumstances of the moment, suspicion attached. But it would he in Ihe highest degree unjust and unworthy of the enlightened character of any European Government, and wholly unwarranted hy Ihe course pursued by the British Government on that occasion, to put vexatious impediments in the way of unoffending English travellers, hy way of retaliation for the acts of foreign refugees in England. While, however, Her Majesty's government cannot consent, at the request of foreign governments, to propose a change in the laws of England, they would not only regret, but would highly condemn, any attempt on the part of foreign refugees in England to excite insurrection against the Governments of their respective countries. Such conduct would be considered by Her Majesty's govcrnmcut as a flagrant hreach of the hospitality which those persons enjoy. The attention of Her Majesty's government will continue to be directed to the proceedings of suspected foreign refugees in this country, and they will endeavour by every legal means to prevent them from abusing the hospitality, so liberally accorded to them by the Baitish laws, to the prejudice of countries and governments in amity and alliance with Great Britain. You will communicate a copy of this despatch to the Secretary of Stale. I am, &c, Granville.

We have been favoured, from a private source, with the wanting papers of our own Wellington files, viz., from the sth to the 19th of last month. They afford a few items worth noticing. The Government Gazette contained the quarterly returns of Emigration and Immigration for all the Southern Settlements except Nelson. In the quarter ending March 31st the total number of immigrants to Wellington was 271 ; emigrants, 121 ; being an excess of immigration of 150. At Lyttelton, the excess of immigrotion during the same period was B9; at New Plymouth, 111 ; at Otago 3. The total number of imm'grants to Canterbury during the year 1851 was 2861 An interesting Table was published of the latitude and longitude, with the times of high water and the range of tide, at forty-two places in I New Zealand, as determined by the observations of Captain Stokes, of H.M.S. Acheron, in the marine survey of the New Zealand Islands. The Tenth Anniversary of the Wellington " Athenseum and Mechanics' Institute" had been celebrated by a soiree, at which Sir George Grey (who had accepted the office of President of that Institution, as well as of the similar one in Auckland) occupied the Chair. His Excellency's ad«ti°,ss on the occasion, which will be found j in another column, contains an expression of his own views, and of those of Mr. j Justice Chapman, respecting the literary taste and capabilities of New Zealand, will be read with interest. The remarks of the other speakers on the subject also merit an attentive perusal. At a conversazione held at Government House by Sir George Grey, as President of the New Zealand Society, a paper, by Dr. Thomson, of the 58th Kegiment, on the causes producing the decay of the t Native Race, was read by the Secretary. We are aware that Dr. Thomson has for some time turned his attention to this subject, and can well believe that, as the Spectator reports, his paper was regarded as " very able and interesting," and called forth an unanimous vote of thanks from the Society to its author. We observe nothing else in these papers calling for notice, except that the Independent, as might have been anticipated, approves of the course taken by the Auckland Common Council,-— as it would approve of any other course which seemed likely to thwart a measure proceeding from Sir George Grey.

Supreme Court. — Coolaluxn v. Low §/• Motion. — This was an action brought by Mr. Hugh Coolahan, baker, against Messrs. Low & Motion millers, to recover damages (laid at £300), on account of alleged nondelivery and wrong delivery of the produce of wheat sent by the plaintiff to be ground by the defendants. The trial, which was commenced on Monday morning', before his Honor the Chief Justice and a Special Jury, terminated only yesterday evening, when, after five hours' deliberation, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages 40s The Attorney-General and Mr. Whitaker appeared for the plaintiff; Messrs. Bartley, Abraham, and Marston, for the defendants. We shall give a full report of the trial in our next.

In the back page of our present issue will be found the principal contents of a Government Gazette; published yesterday evening 1 . v Many of our readers will be gratified to find the Census Return, together with the Abstract of the Agricultural Returns for the several Districts of: the Province of New Ulster.