Foreign Protestants Naturalization Act 1708
Status: Repealed | |
|---|---|
| Text of statute as originally enacted |
| Naturalization Act 1711 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 10 Ann. c. 9 (Ruffhead c. 5) | |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 February 1712 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 |
Status: Repealed | |
The Foreign Protestants Naturalization Act 1708 (
British Subjects Acts 1708 to 1772.[5]
The Whig majority in Parliament passed the Act with the support of both Houses of Parliament, despite some opposition concerning a "conflux of aliens that would be invited over". A counter-argument is presented in the preamble of the Act, that "the increase of people is a means of advancing the wealth and strength of a nation".
The effect of the Act was that all foreign Protestants could be naturalised, provided they swore allegiance to the government and received
Palatines, Suabians, and other German Lutherans arrived in Britain between May and June 1709, owing to war in those places. Some German Catholics who arrived were sent back, and some immigrants were sent on to Ireland, New York and Carolina
.
The Act was largely repealed by the
10 Ann. c. 9).[6] The section dealing with naturalizing the children of British subjects born abroad was, however, not repealed.[7][8] This section says "3. ... the children of all natural born subjects born out of the ligeance of her Majesty her heires and successors shall be deemed adjudged and taken to be natural born subjects of this kingdom to all intents constructions and purposes whatsoever."[9]
References
- short title was authorised by section 1 of, and Schedule 1 to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Owing to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- ^ These words are printed against this Act in the second column of Schedule 1 to the Short Titles Act 1896, which is headed "Title".
- ^ The Laws of Scotland: The Stair Memorial Encyclopedia. The Law Society of Scotland. Butterworths. Edinburgh. 1990. Volume 19. Page 9.
- ISBN 9780801471179.
- ^ The Short Titles Act 1896, section 2(1) and Schedule 2
- ^ Index: N, O, Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 27, 1713. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1955.
- ^ William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, Vol. 1, p. 363 (Oxford, The Clarendon Press 1765)
- ^ A Collection of the Public General Statutes passed in the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Years of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, p. 400 (1867)
- ^ H.S.Q. Henriques,The law of aliens and naturalization including the text of the Aliens act, 1905" , p. 168 (1906)
