The Speeches of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, in the House of Commons ...

N the second reading of the bill "for establishing regulations respecting aliens arriving in this kingdom, or resident therein in certain cases," Mr. Secretary Dundas stated the objects of it. All foreigners arriving in the kingdom were to explain their reasons for coming into this country, to give up all arms, except those commonly used for defence or dress. In their several removals through the country they were to use passports, by which their actual residence or occasional movements might be manifest, and their conduct easily observed. Those who received eleemosynary support were to be distributed in districts where they would be more liable to the vigilance of the civil power. Particular attention was to be paid to foreigners who had visited this kingdom within the present year, who should hereafter come without obvious reasons, and be thus more obnoxious to prudent suspicion. Sir Gilbert Elliot supported the bill, and alluded to the difference of opinion between him and some honourable friends whom he highly respected and esteemed. This difference of opinion, he trusted, however, would not affect their private friendship, which, he hoped, would remain unaltered. This sentiment he was the more particularly led to express, as he had received distinguished marks of friendship from one right honourable gentleman (Mr. Fox), with whom he was now compelled to express his difference in opinion. On this occasion he felt himself prompted by duty to declare, that since the close of last session he had felt much regret from what had been said by that right honourable gentleman. The views which he entertained of the present situation of affairs were not only widely different from his own, but the means which he proposed to be pursued for the public welfare were such as appeared to him to be even of an opposite tendency.

Mr. Fox said, that in whatever political difference of opinion he felt himself with reference to his friends, he would venture to say, that in all discussions of such opinions he had never suffered the political difference to interfere with his private friendships; yet he did feel some reason to complain, that all the private friendship and esteem professed for him by the honourable baronet should, not have induced the honourable baronet to state to him such political difference of opinion as he now said had existed so long, and that this should be the first occasion he had to suspect the least difference of opinion between the honourable baronet and himself. The honourable baronet said, that so long ago as the last session of parliament he had reason to differ in opinion from him, and now declared a general disapprobation of his political conduct. Till now he had never understood that there was, among those with whom he had been accustomed to act, a general difference of opinion from him, and a disposition to support the present administration. He would call no man to account for his conduct; but he would say, that they had given him the most distinct assurances that there was nothing which made them more unwilling than they were formerly, that they had expressed no disinclination, to follow the same plan they had before adopted. He had, indeed, on the first day of the present session, seen gentlemen go out into the lobby whom he could have wished to have staid in the House; he had heard an honourable friend of his (Mr. Windham) speak with that powerful eloquence which always distinguished him against what appeared to him to be the right and just course of proceeding, and he had heard him with pain; but he saw no such difference of opinion as made it impossible for those gentlemen, or his honourable friend, to preserve that connection in which they had so long acted.

With respect to himself, all he could say was, that he was as much devoted to that connection as any gentleman in that House; as any man of honourable and independent feelings could be. He said also, it was the pride of his heart to think, that the union and exertions of that connection had kept alive every thing that deserved the name of the spirit of liberty in that country. He wished not to call to mind particular expressions; but he could not but recollect, that the difference between those with whom he had acted and the present ministry, was formerly called fundamental and irreconcileable; and he did believe that this sentiment still pervaded the majority of them. Whether his opinion was or was not consonant with the opinion of that majority he did not know; but this he knew, that the cause of his country would not suffer him to say he could support an administration which stood upon

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The Speeches of the Right Honourable Charles James Fox, in the House of ...