Document Information

Date: 1868-03-19
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, Senate Debates, 1st Parl, 1st Sess, 1868 at 157.
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[Page 157]

ALIEN LAWS AMENDMENT.

On motion of Hon. Mr. Campbell, the House went into Committee of the Whole (Hon. Mr. Bureau in the chair), on the above Bill.

Hon. Mr. Campbell said that observations had been made both in and out of the House that we had not power to legislate upon the subject. The Legislature of the Province of New Brunswick up to this time have objected to the passage of a law of this description, the people of that Province not being satisfied that it was for their interest to allow aliens to hold and transmit land. If we have the power, it is a matter for consideration how far we should force that legislation upon them, which they have upon several occasions pronounced against. Under these circumstances he had thought best to give way upon this point, and would make such changes in the bill as related to aliens holding and transmitting land. In reference to ai the Provinces in the Dominion, except New Brunswick, the state of aliens would remain as at present. In New Brunswick they will retain the law they have thought most conducive to their interests. Hon. gentlemen would of course differ as to the wisdom of the course pursued in New Brunswick in regard to bringing in persons who would not otherwise come and spend their money in enterprises in that Province. Whether they are right or not they have pronounced against the principle of this bih on several occasions, therefore he had omitted from the bill all that part which related to aliens; as the bill now stood, it was simply a Bill regarding naturalization. We enact a Bill by which when a person becomes naturalized in one Province of the Dominion, he will have the same rights in al the Provinces of the Dominion.

Hon. Mr. Wilmot approved of naturalization laws which alowed foreigners on coming into the country to become naturalized, but he did not approve of allowing them to hold property while they continued to be aliens.

Hon. Mr. McCrea thought the object they should have in view was to facilitate the naturalization of aliens. He believed the law they had in Upper Canada, in reference to this subject was a very judicious one.

On motion of Hon. Mr. Campbell the Bill was ordered to be printed and taken into consideration on Friday next.

The consideration of the 5th report of the Select Committee on Contingent Accounts.

On motion of Hon. Mr. Seymour the consideration of the report was deferred until Thursday next.