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LATE SECRETARY TO THE CANADA COMMISSIONERS. LONDON : PRINTED BY L. NICHOLS, EARL*S COURT, FOR JOHN RICHARDSON, ROYAL EXCHANGE, CORN- HILL; JAMES RIDOWAY, PICCADILLY; AND ROBERT MACKIE, GREEK STREET, 8OH0. 1828. AN ENQUIRY, ETC. . SiNCG the publication of the Report of the Emigra- tion Committee in 1826, the subject of Emigration has excited a large share of the public interest. The miserable and hopelesFi condition of great numbers of our countrymen, the advantages offered in the North American colonies, even to the poorest settlers, and the moderate expense at which the destitute poor of these kingdoms may be enabled to settle comfort- ably in America, are the important topics of the Committee's Report, and well justified the interest it excited. During the last and present year, the distresses of the poor have been increasing. The most alarming accounts of their sufferings have been published. In Ireland, it is said, the growing numbers of the people, and the first effect of the new and very beneficial Act relating to the sub-tenants, have fearfully added to the numbers of the destitute. The miseries and the crimes of bitterness and despair are daily and hourly occurring. Contagious fever and starvation have be- gun their work in the cities ;* reckless insubordina- tion and ferocious crimes disturb and terrify the country, and are fast driving away the little capital, which former miseries have left in that unhappy land. The peasant, who has been so fortunate as to • See Evidence of T. Spring Rice, Esq. M. P. Question 4317 of Tiiird Emigration Report. B 4 ENQUIRY INTO THE es^cape the attacks of diseaHu and the connexion of the disaffected, emigrates to Great Britain. The easy communication now established with Ireland, enables him to come over at the most trifling expense, and consequently may be said to have almost annihilated the barrier of the sea, which otherwise might have kept the contagion of poverty from our shorss. He offers his labour in the British market. Labour, the ware he deals in, cannot, like other commodities, be kept back till its price is favourable. The destitute must ofter the sweat of his brow for whatever he can get, to allay the cravings of his hunger; his competitors in the market, must bring their prices down to his ; and the English and the Scottish labourer will be re- duced to accept the wages of an Irish peasant. In some places this result has actually come to pass. In the west of Scotland, the wages of labour are reduced by this cause, nearly to the bare means of existence. In the west of England, the same cause is in ope- ration, and the same consequence is beginning to be felt. At Manchester, the competition of Irish work- men has reduced still lower the miserable pittance, to which our own great competition had already reduced the wages of our artizans. '< The question of Emi- ^'gration as connected with Ireland," says the last Report of the Emigration Committee of 1827, '^ is '^ already decided by the population itself, and that ^' which remains for the Legislature to decide, is the "point to which the Emigration shall be directed; " whether it shall be turned to the improvement of " the North American Colonies, or whether it shall " be suffered and encouraged to take that, which " otherwise must be, and is, its inevitable course, to EXPBDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 4 « deluge Great Britain with poverty and wretched- *' nesB, and gradually, but certainly, to equalize the " state of the English and Irish peasantry." Of this miserable state of our population, the evi- dence attached to the Report of the Emigration Com- niittee of the present year, contains the most appalling particulars. That the consequences predicted from a' flow of Irish Emigrants into England, must take place, if that flow be not prevented, does not admit of doubt. But whether ^' all that remains for the Le- " gislature to decide, be the point to which Emigra- ^' tion shall be directed," requires rigid examination and careful consideration. Such examination and consideration are proposed as the subject of the fol- lowing pages. In order to ascertain, whether Emigration be the only effectual means of relieving our distressed popu- lation, we must examine certain other measures, which have been proposed for the same purpose ; and, if they should prove inefficient, we must endeavour to discover whether Emigration is likely to be effectual. But as any proposed remedy for our present dis- tresses, must, in order to be effectual, be suited to the kind and degree of the distress, it is necessary to pre- sent the reader with such Extracts from the evidence taken by the Committee, as shall put him in possession of its true description and extent. At the same time he is strongly recommended to examine for himself, the evidence attached to the Emigration Reports of 1826 and 1837, as affording a much larger induction of particulars, than it is possible to include in these pages. G ENQUIRY INTO THE Ih n Extracts from Evidence. Report 1827, No. 3. The rental of the parish of Shipley in Sussex, is .(?2,599 5s. The sum received for the useof th6 poor in 1826, £2,314 lis. Major Moody, Qn. 577 and 578. At Manchester, if a labouring man '< did not get "from 10 to 12 shillings a week, could then call '' upon the parish for relief, to make it up to ten or " twelve shillings, but not above that ; at least I un- *' derstood that to be the rule." Same, Qn. 307. In 1826, the number of individuals removed from Manchester, was 4029 ; in 1825, 698 ; in 1824, 610. Question. " How did they remove them?" Answer. "By paying them money to go to their *' parishes." Same, Qn. 333^ 332. Fifty years ago a single man received as wages, a sum equivalent to the allowance now made at Hor- woodj Bucks, to a man, his wife, and four children. Mr. Bradbury, late Overseer at Gt. Horwood, Qn. 1221. There is a great deal of theft and sheep stealing about the country, arising from that ; (distress of the poor) necessity drives them to it. There has been a wonderful number in Aylesbury goal for sheep steal- jng and robbing hen roosts, and those petty things. The goal has been thronged with them : it is distress that drives them to it. I know two or three who bore a very good character, but the distress of the times % I EXPEDIENCY OF EMIOIIATION. 7 has driven them to commit those things which they had never done before. Same, Qn. 1231. In the neighbourhood of Pulborough, between ^15,000 and £20^000 has been spent on the poor du- ring the last few years. The rates are likely to in< crease very alarmingly if we have such a winter as the last. W. Burrell, Esq. M. P. Sussex, Qn. 1154. The distress is general in the Weald of Sussex, ex- cept in a few small parishes. Same, 1147. The cost of a man» wife, and three children is about £^25 Ss. a year, that of a couple without children, £18 188. Same, 1149-51. There is an understanding, and I may say the prin- ciple is recognized, that 2s. 6d. a head for a family is necessary for their *' support, consequently a family of " six persons should be receiving 158. a week. If they " do not receive 15s. a week for their wages as *^ weavers, they consider that that sum should be " made up to them out of the parish rates. This is '' virtually the principle acted on, and I believe not " only in our parish, but in many of the large town- " ships near Manchester." Rev. I. M. Turner, R. Wilmslow Cheshire, Qn. 424. At Glasgow, " the hours of working are various ; " sometimes 18 or 19 hours ; and even all night is *' quite common one or two nights in the week : and, ^' on the calculation that we have made of the wages. ENQUIRY INTO THE B i " after deducting the necessary expenses, thej will " not amount to more than from 48. 6d. to 7». a week." Joseph Foster and James Little, Operative Weavers, Qn. 15. <'The wages which an artizan now receives are " not sufficient to procure a sufficient quantity of the '^ coarsest food that is used by human beings.** Same, Qn. 97. There have been public meetings of the landlords of cottages, inhabited by the hand-loom weavers at Glasgow. One landlord stated the fact, that he had about 160 weavers at a place called Springburn. I believe it to be a fact, that he has not received a proportion of Ss. in the pound for his rents for the last eighteen months. I know of another who has a mortgage upon his property at one third of its sup- posed value, for which he pays J^70 a year interest, and he has not received £20 for the last eighteen months. Mr. W. S. Northhouse, Qn. 637. I know that a portion of the population of the west of Scotland must have perished, had it not been for charity, &c. Same, Qn. 686. No language can adequately describe the misery of those unfortunate persons ejected (cottiers ejected from estates in Ireland), often in great numbers, with their wives and children, from their habitations, and without money or food, and scarcely with clothing, thrown upon society every where un- willing to receive them. J. L. Foster, Esq. M. P. Qn.3185. . EXPEDIENCY OF EMIOnATIOV. 9 The population has encreased very much, and is still increasing. The practice of dividing land among children is quite prevalent. The number of people employed is not large. There is a great want of labour in the country, and they cannot get employment. John Bodkin, Esq. of Galway. Qn.3762— 5. The population very far exceeds any demand for its labour : considerable distress is the consequence; I carried on extensive works last year ; hundreds flocked in to obtain occupation ; many of them had not tasted food for two days previously ; and, when at work, my steward informed me, that the generality of them were so weak, that I should be necessitated to feed them, which I did for six weeks, before they could execute men*8 work. J. M. Marshall, Esq. Qn. 4173—4. On one estate of mine, consisting of 1100 acres, there were not above half a dozen individuals living on the lands when they were let, when they fell into my hands at the expiration of fifty or sixty years, there were six or seven hundred. R. S. Tighe, Esq. Qn. 4308. " In the county of Limerick, the county of Kerry, ai.d parts of the counties of Clare and Cork, I consider the necessity of acting upon such a system " (i. e. of clearing and remodelling estates) to be uni- "versally admitted, and the systp;::! to he in progress '' or carried into effect in every case in which it is '' possible for the proprietor to attain such cbject." T. S. Rice, Esq. Qn. 4311. tt C( .n-i. inT»-.-i-m»f.Hg.>.jt^...,l^ ,,;,^..„— ■ I 'r 10 ENQUinV INTO THE The cottager, dislodged, . endeavours to settle on the next estate ; if unable to do that, he has recourse to the nearest town, with the little property his landlord may have yielded up to him ; and when that property is exhausted, *^ the distress in the towns '^ increases in exact proportion as that in the country *' diminished." Same, Qn. 4316. This transfer of the population to the towns, in the first instance, lowers the wages considerably in those towns ; in the same proportion it diminishes the means of comfortable sustenance and support. By degrees, not only is the mode of living lowered, but all articlcu of furniture, bedding, and clothing, become sacrificed ; and, as the ultimate consequence, disease and fever of the most contagious nature, though not very malignant in its consequences, prevails. Out of the population of the city of Dublin, consisting of more than 200,000 inhabitants, 60,000 passed through the hospitals in contagious fev^r during the last year. This is by no means confined to Dublin. " The ex- pense of providing for the returns of calamity and disease, — these extraordinary establishments for the cure of fever are almost all supported at the expense of the state.'* Same, Qn. 4317. Whilst the population of Dublin has increased, the number of houses has diminished ; which shows that the increase of numbers is connected with cir- cumstances which prove the increased misery of the people. Same, Qn. 4318. EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. II <' There is scarce any means by which a poor man, ^'who loses his former habitation and farm, can '^ acquire a settlement elsewhere." Same, Qn. 4315. At Cork, " subscriptions have been made for the transport of the distressed poor to England ; and the facilities of transport are so great, that I have no doubt it will be extensively acted upon.'* Same, Qn. 532b. See also Dr. Glmore, 4412. This emigration has greatly increased of late years, and has assumed an entirely new character. Form- erly the Irish labourers who came over to England, came over for the harvest and returned again; but the persons who have lost their farms, come over, if possible, to fix here and remain. The number of these persons will annually increase, and will lower the rate of wages in England to a level with those in Ireland. Same, 4327. In 1826, the money paid for employing the poor in public works in Ireland was d^546,922. Sir H. Parnell, 4346. There are from 15 to 20 steam boats pass daily between Ireland and England, all of them bringing over poor Irish labourers. It is therefore utterly im- possible, the wages in one country being five or six times higher than in the other, but that it must end, in so great a multitude coming over from Ireland, as to reduce the wages of England to a very low rate, and introduce a potatoe diet in the end, and all its consequences Same, 4349. ' "•'•'^^i^mmmmmmmmm 19 ENQUIRY INTO THE The number emigrating to England increases every year from the district I am acquainted with, and I believe they bring more and more money from England every year. Jerrard Strickland Esq. 3539. Every decrease in the number coming to England every year, would add to the probability of starvation in Ireland. Same, 3552. 1 should apprehend there are from sixty to seventy thousand Irish in the county of Lancaster. Bishop of Chester, 2293. '* Are you not decidedly of opinion, that if land- « lords dispossess their surreptitious tenantry^ the '' effect will be to produce a very extensive emigration *' of Irish labourers into England ? Unquestionably." J. M. Marshall, Esq. 4240. The influx of Irishmen is in fact driving the popu- lation of the country out of their employment, by working at a cheaper rate than the natives from their habits can do. It is a great evil. It tends to the depreciation of the moral habits of the people. H. H. Drummond, Esq. M. P. 250-1. The tendency of the present system is to substitute an Irish population for the original Scotch population. Same, 274. After there have been disturbances in Ireland, there is always an influx into Scotland. Same, 280. You have stated that the wages of your labour are M EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 13 insufficient to support you, and that you have turned your attention to other branches of labour; and you have stated that you have found none, in which there was a demand for your services. Do you not attri- bute that very materially to the number of Irish peo- ple, that have come over and been employed as la- bourers, which has lowered the wages of labour ? We do. Foster and Little, Weavers, 72. It would be no advantage to us, (i. e. were food to become cheaper than it is) our masters would say we can get it wrought by others. There are three work- ers for every one that is needed. He would say. This man will do it for a trifle less, and I must em- ploy him instead of you, and a few months would bring it to the same thing. Same persons, 89, 90. The expense of removing Irish paupers from Lan- cashire back to Ireland, amounted, in 1836, to d^4000. Wm. Hulton, Esq. 2122 — See also Major Moody, 307— Archibald Campbell, Esq. M. P. 211— and Alexander Campbell, Esq. Sheriff substi- tute for Refreoshire, for other instances of Irish sent back at the expense of this country. In these Extracts, we have not included any ac- couhts of the distress in the neighbourhood of Black- burn and other places, where it might be supposed to be aggravated by temporary causes. We have ex- tracted the evidence of different people, relating to parts of the country distant from each other ; and, it is painful to observe, so little difference 'n their accounts. The reader ^ill see that, the observations 14 ENQUIRY INTO THE already made, are amply borne out by the testimony adduced. In England, parishes are oppressed by the burthen of their rates, and the labouring population are almost entirely reduced to paupers. They have lost their character with their independence, and both their industry and their honesty are fast diminishing. The state of Ireland seems hardly to be conceived, and crowds of its miserable inhabitants are pressing to Great Britaini, to the great injury, and if their course be not turned, to the ruin of our labouring population. It is plain from the evidence above, that the sup- ply of labourers exceeds the demand for them, and that this fact is the cause of our distress. To the ex- cess, that is, to those for whose labour there is no demand, we will here restrict the meaning of the term redundant population. Besides the distress which has been described, various particular evils proceed from a redundant population. I. That the redundant labourer is wholly unpro' ductive, is evident from the fact of his being redun- dant. For, if he produced any thing beyond his own consumption, his labour would be profitable to bis employer, and there would accordingly be a demand for his labour. Question 3240, to Mr. Malthus. If it be an ad- mitted fact that there are a great number of labourers for whose labour there is no real demand, and vt^ho have no means of subsistence, does not it necessarily follow, that as far as the wealth of the country is concerned, those labourers are of no advantage? Certainly. Question 581, Major Moody. According to the » '■^ EXPEDIENCY OP EMIGRATION. 16 testimony of Mr. Richard Martin, one of the farmers in the parish of Shipley, which was agreed to by all the others) both in that parish and the neighbouring one, a man that held a rental of d^lOO, being obliged by these means, (i.e. necessity of employing the re- dundant labourers) to employ nine of these people, was considered to be overhanded to the amount of three labourers at least. See to the same fact, evidence of Mr. Bradbury, Great Norwood, Bucks. Qn. 1216, and that of Alex. Hunter, Esq. Writer to the Signet, Edin- burgh, to the same fact in the island of Rum, Qn. 2939. II. The employment of redundant labourers in a district, diminishes the total return to the labour of that district. Question 3871, to Mr. Cosway. You admit that if eight able labourers were to be employed in a parish only seven eighths of the year each, or in other words, only executed seven eighths of the labour, which they were able to execute, in consequence of there being no real demand for their labour, that they would be equal to one labourer in complete redundancy ? In figures it would be equal to that ; but I think the redundancy is greater than that proportion, because I do not think that the other seven would do what I consider an English labourer's days work, in conse- quence of that redundancy of labour. Question 1614. Mr. J. Taylor, Overseer of Fel- tham. Do those men work that are put upon the roads or gravel pits? They do not earn even the money they get of the Surveyor, in a general way ; they get 16 ENQUIRY INTO THE into a low degraded way, and seem not to care whe- ther they do it or not, and it is with difficulty we can get them even to do that. Question 1617. Same person. People will not em- ploy men who have been a good while on the parish, they suppose them to get an idle habit and careless of every thing. Question 4146. Rev. J. T. Beecher. The farmers know so well the superiority of a free labourer at ISs. a week, even in winter, over a pauperized labourer at lower wages, that they cheerfully give the full hire. III. Redundant population causes a mode of farm- ing to be adopted unsuitable to the land. '* Exhausting crops are necessary to employ the *' people. They draw a great quantity of lime, and '' make compost heaps, and force a course of white ^^ crops of wheat and oats twice in four years, other- *^ wise, in the opinion of the whole of the Shipley " farmers;, they would not have been able to pay the '« rates." Substance of Major Moody's Answers to Qn. 582-4. Question 2798 to John Bodkin, Esq. Would there not be a reduced demand for labour if there were an improvement in the mode of husbandry ? Certainly. IV. A redundant population causes unproductive works to be undertaken. Several gentlemen in the neighbourhood of West Grinstead have been expending very large sums of money in making roads and canals for the purpose of employing the poor. Next winter this canal will be X EXPEDIENCY OF EMIOATION. 17 Qn. completed, and ^e shall have' expended d^IO,000 upon it. Substance of a statement made by W. Burrell, Esq. M. P. Qn. 1146. See also statement made by the same gentleman, Qn. 1178. From these four propositions, it is evident that the redundant labourer lives upon the return to capital or profits of stock, and not upon the return to labour. V. In parts of Ireland, the redundant population prevents rent from being paid. Question 3548-9-50 to Jerrard Strickland, Esq. Is not all the ground held by such persons, (i. e. un- der-tenants) applied to the production of their food ? It is. And they consume the entire of that produce gene- rally speaking ? When they have only one or two roods or an acre, there is no doubt that they do, and probably more than that, and the rest of their food and their rent is provided for by the money they have earned in England. Would it not be absolutely impossible for them to produce any rent out of the ground they actually oc- cupy, inasmuch as they consume the whole produce of it? Distinctly so. See also Qn. 3156. VI. The redundancy of labourers is not confined to one or two classes of employment, but all kinds of employment are so over supplied, that a man, whose labour is not wanted in one kind, cannot get employ- ment in any other. There is no possible mode of relief to which those persons (i. e. the unemployed weavers) could resort. n ii! 18 ENQUIRY INTO THE They could go to no trade in Scotland for every trade is filled up. Extract from answer 783, Mr. W. S. Northhouse. Question 1971. W. Fielden, Esq. Do you con- template that this redundant population will be left without hope or remedy (i. e. the hand loom wea- vers)? I see no prospect of relief being afforded them — it appears to me to be a permanent evil. VII. In parts of Ireland the redundancy of the population prevents the employment of capital. Answer 3808. John Bodkin, Esq. The capitalist is not in Ireland ; and the capitalist of this country will not venture his capital in Ireland, until he is satisfied of a security ; and until the country is in a state of tranquility, no capitalist would venture to embark his property in it. See Qns. 3334-9. From these facts it appears, that a redundant popu- lation, while it continues to aggravate the miseries of the people, has a tendency to prevent their escaping from those miseries, and to impede the introduction of relief by capital. When the extent of the distress is considered; as well as its intenseness, we might ima- gine it caused by a redundancy so enormous, that all attempts to remove it, by relieving the redundant part, were vain. But there are some facts and rea- sonings, which prove the actual redundancy to be much less than might have been expected. The effect of a very small excess of population, to distress the district in which it might exist, has 1)een illustrated in a very just, though very homely, man- ner. If ten men, it has been said, sit upon a bench, on which there is room for only nine, all are crowded BXPEDIBNCY OF EMIORATION. 19 I iind uncomfortable. But take away one, and there is plenty of room for the rest. It is stated, by Alexander Campbell, Esq. Sheriff substitute for Renfrewshire, that it is the opinion of many, that if the influx of Irish could be prevented, there would be no permanent redundancy of labourers in Scotland. Qn. 1774. At Wilraslowe, in Cheshire, the rector states that very few agricultural labourers receive relief. Qn. 552 Rev. I. M. Turner. The quantity of labourers where I live i^ about one third more than can get employment. Qn. 1316, Mr. Bradbury, late overseer of Gt. Horwood. At Oundle, in Northamptonshire, the population is about two thousand five hundred, the redundant part from forty to sixty. Qn. 1048-51, John Smith. Esq. banker. At Chertsey, in Surrey, the rental of the parish is from twenty to twenty-two thousand pounds. The general outgoing (\. e. for the poor) is about three thousand pounds. Qn. 1588-9, Thomas Lacoste, Esq. At Headcorn, near Maidstone, the population is one thousand one hundred and ninety. All the labourers could be employed in profitable labour, if the parish were relieved of forty persons. Qn. 1682. 1688. Mr. J. Homewood. At Thurgerton, out of a population of three hun- dred and thirty, there is but one resident pauper. Qn. 4138, Rev. J. T. Beecher. **'>.' so ENQUIRY INTO THE t'i Extract from answer of same gentleman to Qn. 4155. I do not conceive that when wages undergo a diminution to any extent, suppose to one fourth, that it becomes necessary to take one fourth of the labour from the market ; because it is well known, that an abatement of wages, creates a competition for employ- ment among the workmen, which depresses the price of labour more than its due proportion. At Shipley, where as has been stated before, the poor rate is nearly equal to the rental, the farmers only complained of having one in three too many. Qn. 581. It appears from these Extracts, that where the re- dundancy is greatest, it does not exceed one third of the labouring population ; that so great a redundancy is very rare ; and that over the country in general, the excess is very much less. The distress we suffer therefore, intense and exten- sive as it is, is produced by the redundancy of a very small comparative number. Such a number, it is ob- vious, we need not despair of relieving. Consequently the question we have to solve is. What is the best provision which can be made for these redundant labourers? How can they be prevented, with the greatest advantage to the country and to themselves, from glutting the market for labour ? Various schemes have been proposed for profitably employing the redundant population. The plan of alluring capital into certain channels by means of bounties, is now so generally condemned, that it is needless to enlarge upon its impolicy and inefficiency. The cultivation of the waste lands of Ireland and EXPEDIBNCY OF EMIGRATION. 91 England, is another plan which has been suggested, as a means for providing for tho redundant popula- tion. We will now consider the efficacy of this plan. There is a considerable quantity of bog land in Ire- land capable of being reclaimed.* The process of reclaiming it, would employ a great number of la- bourers, and, when reclaimed, would produce a return to the capital expended.t But, at present, capital does not exist in Ireland, and the insecurity of pro- perty prevents it being transmitted from England.;): Whatever capital, therefore, would be required in order to bring the waste lands into a state of pro- ductiveness, must be advanced by Government. But as in this case Government would be sustaining the risk, which is sufficient to deter the private capi- talist, it would seem that some preparatory measure, by which property should be rendered more secure, ought to be tried, before Government should risk its capital. But, if Government were to advance the necessary funds, let us enquire what would be the consequences. The draining, the road making, the conveyance of that calcareous manure which is neces- sary to render the bogs fertile, and the other opera- tions of reclaiming them, would be employment for great numbers of the distressed peasantry. They would receive for their labour, just that degree of renumeration, which would alleviate their present sufferings,^ without raising their desires of improve- ment, or altering the habits at present found so mis- chievous. The effect of their being thus employed therefore, would probably be an increase to the po- * Evidence of Mr. Leslie Foster. t Same. t Evidcuce 2800. ^ Evidence of Mr. Nimuio, 3471. m ' !l m ENQUIRY INTO THE pulation greater than that which would have taken place, had they remained in their present sitnations. The result of their labours would be the creation of a considerable quantity of cultivated land.* Upon the use therefore which is made of this land, will de- pend the benefit which the paupers will receive from its being reclaimed. Now it is the universal desire of the Irish landowners to prevent the sub-division of the land into small farms, and with this view, an Act of Parliament has lately been passed, to facilitate the throwing of very small farms into larger ones. The na- ture too of land reclaimed from bogs is such, as to be most fit for grazing ; and, the most competent judges are of opinion, that it should be thrown into meadow farms,f upon which, little labour would be required. It is evident therefore, that a very small portion of those employed, in reclaiming the waste, would con- tinue to be employed upon it when reclaimed. Still its cultivation is an advantage to the country, in supporting some portion of the labourers who re- claimed it, and in introducing capital into the country, and improvements amongst the farmers. But great difficulties besides the want of capital impede the cul- tivation of the Irish bogs. Mr. Leslie Foster states, in his evidence before the Emigration Committee, Question 3585, That the proprietors who have estates adjoining the bog, are proprietors in fee of the bog also, but the boundaries of their properties are not marked out within it. A still more serious obstacle arises also, from the rights of the tenants against the landlords. The tenants, upon the contiguous terra firma, are usually entitled, not only to turbary * Evidence of Mr. L. Foster, 3584. t Same 3507. A •^ i RXPBD1BNCY OF EMIGRATION. upon the edge of the bog, but to a summer pasturo upon the interior. The boundary upon the former is accurately defined, but with the latter t!ie case is widely different. The tenant will not improve the the bog, owing to the shortness of his term, nnd t 'c impossibility of defining the limits of his property ; nor yet has the landlord the power, if he were so dis- posed, because the tenant is both able and willing to prevent him. Mr. Leslie Foster thinks however, (hat the claims of the tenants might be estimated in a money value. Qn. 3593. It is considered that the only way of overcoming thoHe difficulties, would be to procure an Act of Par- liament, forcing the minority of those, possessing rights in bogs, to receive a money value for those rights, should the majority wish the bogs to be culti- vated. These means would add to the expense of reclaiming the bog. But, there is an instance, on the property of Lord Palmerston,* of one reclaimed at at the rate of £7 per acre. Ten pounds per acre, in the opinion of the very able engineer, Mr. Nimmo, who stated the fact just mentioned to the Committee, is the rate at which most bogs might be reclaimed. Were any farm, therefore, as small as twenty acres, allowed to be laid out on the reclaimed bog, it would have cost the sum of £200^ before any rent could be paid to the proprietor. The magnitude of this ex- pense, and the small number that could be benefitted by the outlay, put the reclaiming of bog land quite out of the question, as a means for providing for the redundant population. * Mr. Niiuuiu's Evidence, 344-i. "nil 94 ENQUIRY INTO THE The waste land of England is generally of a ver} ste- rile kind. The value of land is well known to decrease in proportion to the vicinity of a forest ;* and every traveller on a stage coach, who can remember the inclo- sures which took place during the war price of corn, must have observed the same fields now utterly neg- lectcd, and returning to the original forest. An esti- mate has been formed, by Mr. Tredgold, a civil engi- neer, of the expense of establishing a family of five persons on thirty acres of land in Dartmoor. This es- timate,f which includes << partial support" for the first four years, amounts to considerably more than ^330. Another estimate, of tte cost oi settling a family on waste land, states the expense to be £15.X According to this plan, the family is to be scf tied on four acres of land, which is to be cultivated with the spade : — intro- ducing thus, a cottier system into England, at the very time Acts of Parliament have been found neces- sary to expel it from Ireland. Those who think the waste lands of Great Britain sufficient to support the redundant portion of its po- * Lands covered with valuable timber are not, of course, here included in the name waste lands. Nnmerons instances of the fact stated, will occur to the reader who is acquainted with the agricnl- tare of this country. The forests of Ashdowne, Tilgate, and St. Leonard's, all within a short distance of the metropolis, must have been observed by many who cannot be supposed to be conversant with agriculture, and are all instances of the fact here stated. Tlie neigh- bourhood of the saiLe forests also, affords instances of land being now uncultivated, which was enclosed during the war. In particu- lar, East Orinstead Common and Ashurst Wood Common are still uncultivated in many parts, although almost entirely enclosed, and although the country around them is greatly improved. t Included in Emigration Report. t See Mr. Couliog's Evidence in Report. .'IjiiS il-u. ni>«i EXr«DIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 35 pulation, do not appear to have considered that those lands are a fixed quantity ; but that the population supported on them would be a growing quantity. What is a hundred acres to day, will be no more half a century hence j but the twenty«five families who might live on them, would greatly increase their numbers in a very few years. The one hundred acres, which sufficed for the twenty -five families, would ther have to be divided amongst their nu- merous children. The endeavour therefore, to sup- port the redundant population on the waste lands, is much more unreasonable, than the ancient sophism of setting the tortoise to catch the hare. But not only are the waste lands utterly inefficient as a means of relieving us from our redundant popu- lation ; — there are cases which show, that settling them with paupers would greatly aggravate the evil. Mr. Arthur Young, in his travels through France, observes, *■ That in districts which contain immense quantities of ' waste land of a certain degree of fertility, as in the ' roots of the Pyrenees, belonging to communities ready ' to sell them, economy and industry, animated with the * views of settling and marrying, flourish greatly ; in ' such neighbourhoods, something like an American ' increase takes place; and, if the land be cheap, little ' distress is found. But as population increases ra- < pidly under such circumstances, the least check to ' subsistence is attended with great misery ; as wastes < becoming dearer, or the best portions being sold, or ' difficulties arising in the acquisition ; all which cir- 'cumstances I met with in those mountains. The ' moment that any impedient happens, the distress of ' such a people will be proportioned to the activity and ■i" ^m ^ 26 ENQUIRY INTO THE << vigour which had animated population.'* — In another place — "You presently arrive at the limit, beyond " which, the earth, cultivate it as you please, will '< feed no more mouths ; yet those simple manners, *^ which instigate to marriage, still continue ; what '^ then is the consequence, but the most dreadful mi- '< sery imaginable ?" See Mr. Young's Tour in France, vol. I. ch. XVII. p. 409, quoted from Malthus on Population. Vol. II. p. 387, sixth edition. The consequences of a division of the waste lands amongst the poor, are also strongly illustrated by the state of the sub-tenants of Ireland. Mr. Nimmo, whose evidence has been already quoted, states that, the people, particularly in the country of Tipperary, have subdivided their lands amongst each other to such an extent, that the cultivator consumes all the produce of his land. 1st Emigration Report, Qn. 1988. Of course, in this case, there is no rent for the landlord, and no prospect for the children of the tenant. It is the practice with the small proprietors and tenants in Ireland, to divide their land equally amongst their children. What was sufficient, when entire, barely to support a family, must certainly be quite inadequate when divided, to support several families. The most squalid poverty and the severest distress are the necessary consequences. See the Evidence of H. Gabbett, Esq. Qn. 1226, of Lord Ennismore, Qn. 2193, and of T. Odell, Esq. Qn. 2273, in the 1st Emigration Report. Yet such is the inducement to marriage, which the possession of even the smallest modicum of land affords, that the practice here men- tioned, is considered by those best acquainted with Ireland, as one of the most powerful causes, not only EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 27 will of its poverty, but of its redundant population. See Evidence of W. Wrixon Beecher, Esq. M. P. Qn. 2039. 1st. Report. Even in America, plentiful and fertile as the land undoubtedly is, the same consequence has resulted from a similar cause. Amongst the French Habitans of Lower Canada, an attachment to their place of birth, to the manners of their countrymen, and to the old French law of inheritance, is so strong, as genr- rally to prevent their leaving the neighb(»urhood to which they are accustomed, and obtaining any of the new land which surrounds them. In their case there* fore, the population increases while the land remains the same. The reader shall see the result in the evi- dence of W. B. Felton, Esq. a member of the legis- lative council of Lower Canada. 1st. Emigration Report, Qn. 487-8. The disproportion of the pro- duce to the population of Lower Canada, " is princi- " pally attributable to a minute subdivision of landed " property, which occasions a very imperfect system " of agriculture to be followed." — ^' The French po- " pulation of Lower Canada is confined to the banks '^ of the St. Laure^ n and the lands which that po- '' pulation occupies, are exhausted and subdivided in " such a manner, that they furnish very little more ^' than food for the support of the inhabitants. They '' furnish scarcely any thing for the conveniences and " comforts of life ; and, every year, the condition of <' the (French) Canadian cultivator is deteriorating." Together with these objections, many of those which have been urged against the capability of the bogs of Ireland, to alFord a provision for the redun- B i m M 28 ENQUIRY INTO THE dant population, apply with equal fbrcc to this last mentioned scheme. Having examined the principal plans which have been suggested, and found them quite inadequate; it now remains to enquire into the expediency of Emigration. The expediency of having recourse to Emigration, in order to provide for the redundant population ; depends upon its expense ; upon the probability of that expense being repaid ; and upon it^* being prac- ticable, to prevent the Riling up of the vacuum made by the Emigrant's departure. We will therefore now proceed to ascertain the expense of Emigration. The evidence befbre the Committee of 1826, dis- tinctly shows, that Emigration to the British provinces of North America, cannot be carried to any great extent, unless the Emigrant be enabled to settle as a Colonist. Indeed, in the present state of our North American Colonies, Government would not be justified in encouraging the Emigration of mere labourers, seeking subsistence by wages. Nothwithstanding all the obstacles of the Passengers' Act, the number of labourers and of persons, who Emigrate for the pur- pose of hiring themselves as such, was sufficient to supply the call for labour in the North American Co- lonies, where comparatively little capital existed to employ them. Now that these obstacles are removed, the number of Emigrant poor has actually overstocked the market for labour. Were Government therefore, to provide transport f: ?e of expense for as many as wished to Emigrate, the numbers Emigrating would be so much greater than the colonies in their present EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGUATION. 99 last t ^iv li M ii state require, that multitudes must fall victims to disease and starvation. This fatal result actually happened to great num* bers of pauper Emigrants, before the passing of the Passengers' Act, and inflicted great miseries upon the ports at which they disembarked. The following Extract from a Report of the Joint Committee of the Senate and Assembly, upon a Memorial of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonality of New York, in the year 1817, will show how severely the evil was felt in that city. " Many foreign artizans land in the city of New ^- York, disperse themselves amongst the various ma- *' nufactories established through the country, where " they seldom earn a settlement, and when reduced to '^ want, are returned to be supported by that city." *^ That many foreigners who support their families *^ during the summer months, when employment can '^ be readily obtained, and the necessaries required " for the support of life are few and easy to b? pro- *' cured, abandon their families in the winter season, '^ and leave them a charge upon the public benevo- " lence." " That one fourth of the population of the said city, '^ is computed to consist of foreigners, who, having ^' no relatives in this country, are liable, upon the *' least reverse of fortune, to become a public bur- '' then ; that the Emigration from Europe, during the *' last year to the city of New York alone, amounted *' to upwards of 7000 foreigners, most of whom are *' in indigent circumstances, and that from the total *^ stagnation of mercantile business in that city, and '* the suspension of its large manufactoriug establish- '1 30 f^nquihy into the *^ ments ; many of those Emigrants, must, during the " present winter, be destitute of employ, and depend *' entirely I'pon the city for relief." It is evident that, if the evils complained of in the memorial just quoted, could affect a city whose population is more than 120,000, and whose commercial capital is very great, they would occasion incalcuL.ble distress in bur colonial ports, in which capital is comparatively small, and the largest of which does not contain S0,000 inhabitants. The greatest distresses indeed, not to the Emi- grants only, but to the colonies, might be confidently predicted, were Government to send out labourers merely, without enabling them to settle. There are few ports in the colonies, in which any considerable number could be landed at one time. No place could supply employment on the spot for many labourers. The Emigrants themselves would therefore, suffer all the effects of want ; would have no parish to recur to for assistance ; and fevers, ague, and famine would make their situation truly deplorable. The unfortu- nate inhabitants of the place, would be reduced to the alternative of taxing themselves for the support of the new comers, or of suffering the extortions and riots of their despair. Many of the Emigrants would be allured to distant parts of the colonies, where some speculative person might require the temporart/ labour of a considerable number, and when that la- bour was finished, would be left to perish in the woods, or to live on the property of other people. These are consequences which have already occurred, do frequently occur, and must always occur, where great numbers of men, in want of employment and EXPEDIENCY OF EMIORATIOX. 31 ifi^nornnt of the country, seize the first specious offer of emplo^^ment that is made to them. But waving the consideration, that this country hns no right to relieve itself of its own burthens by cast- ing them upon the colonies, let me ask, is it conceiv- able that the colonies would submit to it? The members of their legislatures would be immediate suf- ferers from a great influx of pauper Emigrants, and it cannot be doubted, that they would thwart the £mi- gration by every means in their power. The state of the colonies therefore, would be extienely disagree- able, the situation of the Emigrant extremely misera- ble; and, when the news of his situation reached home, it could not fail to discourage the poor from Emigrating. The poor man would prefer the state of a pauper amongst his friends, to that of a pauper where he was not welcome. The arguments here brought to show, that if free transport to America were furnished to the Emigrant, the supply of labourers would soon become greater than the demand for labour, are equally applicable, whether the part chosen for Emigration, be the Bri- tish Colonies, the United States, or both. In the case of the United States, the opposition which is here anticipated from the Colonial legislatures, has actually occurred. In the year, 1819, Mr. John Quincy Adams published throughout Europe a paper ex- pressly intended to discourage Emigration ; and the state of New York requires every owner of a vessel bringing out Emigrants, to enter into a bond for sup- porting them, should they become distressed during the first year of their residence. This responsibility, though for many years past Emigration has not taken 32 ENQUIRY INTO THE 1^ ; place to 8uch an extent, as to glut the market for labour in New York, is yet sufficient to deter many ship owners from conveying Emigrants to that city, where a small addition to the numbers of Emigrants would produce redundancy, and to divert some part of the course of Emigration to the neighbouring state of New Jersey. Any extensive Emigration therefore, in which the expenditure of Government should be confined to providing a passage for the Emigrant, is quite im- practicable. But it has been suggested, that if a few pounds were given to the Emigrant upon his landing, he could support himself until he should find a de- mand for his labour, or he might travel in quest of it. This plan, like that which we have just quoted, is conceived with a very imperfect knowledge of North America. It assumes, that labourers are to find em- ployment, before the farmers are established to employ them. The number of farmers requiring labourers would indeed increase, but it is under the supposition of an influx of settlers as small capitalists^ not of labourers^ that such an increase will take place. The demand for labour in the various public works, whe- ther in the Western United States, or in Canada, on the Ohio canal, the Erie, or the Welland canal, is, in its nature, limited both in extent and in duration. It is besides supplied, at present, by the casual Emigra- tion. This plan too, provides for young, active, and able-bodied men alone. It can hardly have been conceived as a means of providing for pauper^mf7ic5, or even for women. It is impossible therefore, that an extensive Emigration upon such a plan can suc- ceed, while the demand for labour in America remains EXPEDIENCY OP EMIGRATION. 58 as at present. All the objections against the scheme of providing mere transport to the Emigrant, apply with nearly equal force to this plan. It would be alike cruel to the Emigrant, injurious to the colonies, and while it would be more expensive, it would be equally fruitless and hateful at home. The only kind of Emigration therefore, practicable for the British North American Ccilonies, is that, by which the Emigrant is enabled to settle immediately as a colonist and a small capitalist. All that now remains to be couHidered is, the expense at which such an Emigration can be effected, and whether it is for the advantage of the nation to afford such an expense. It is one great advantage of this plan, that paupers, who are married and have families, are the persons most fit for settlers. Thus those, who themselves suffer most in this country, will receive the greatest benefit from Emigration ; and those, whom it costs the country most to keep, are the same as it will cost it least to be relieved from. The number of persons composing a family, taking one family with another, may be computed as being five; a man, his wife, and three children. Whenever the family is less than this, the number five may always be made up by some child related to the Emigrant, going out under his protection, or appren- ticed to him ; or if one family consist of less than five, another may be expected to consist of more. The number of souls in a family may, therefore, be consi- dered as always five. Now any number of families composed in this manner, may be conveyed to any part of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward's Island, and New Brunswick, at the expense, including medi- 34 ENQUIRY INTO THE cal attendance, of aomething less than i?17 IGs. 4d. the family, or less than £3 ISs. the individual. To this must be added, transport to the place of settle- ment, .£1, making in all, i? 18 ITs. 4d. the family, or less than £3 IGs. the individual. Upon this item of expenditure it must be remarked, that the rate of passage per head, for such a family as has been described, is much less than if the five per- sons were men, or even adults of both sexes. With respect to the tonnage of the ship, the two younger children are estimated to occupy the space of one adult only, and with respect to provisions, the woman costs two tiiirds only of what the man costs, and the two younger children one half of the same sum each. In order to establish the Emigrant as a settler, he must be supported on his location, till, in the course of the seasons, his crops come in. The lowest esti- mate of this time is six, the highest fourteen months. The latter estimate is made, to meet the case of an Emigrant placed on his land in the autumn, and supported through the winter, in order that he may be enabled to begin his farming operations with the first spring weather. But in point of fact, the ex- pense of preparing the land for the Emigrant, is much less than that of supporting him through the winter. It is therefore, much better to place him on his loca- tion in the beginning of spring, having before-hand prepared the land for his crops. By this precaution, he will find the first difficulties he has been led to an- ticipate removed, his first labour light and pleasant, and will feel cheered and encouraged by the luxuriant vegetation, and delightful weather of an American spring. ! t esti- nths. of an and EXPEDIENCY OP BMIORATION. 35 Wc consider therefore, that ho will not require a supply of food to be found for him, for a longer pe- riod than six months, and the remaining expense of his settlement is estimated as follows : See Instructions from Secretary of State to Colonel Cockburn, and his letter detailing the execution of them, with Appendix. Provisions for six monthii, char|Dri>{l at the rate at which they cull be tui-nishcd upon the spot 17 15 Tools of HuHbniidry and Household UtensiU .... SOU A Cow, or to assist in building a House, or otherwise, during the tirst year 1 10 Seed, Corn, Potatoes, &c 1 lu U ForSurveys, Roads, Public Buildings, and Clearing Land around tbcm (each family's share) 10 Clearing Three Acres of Land, and making the same in all respects ready for the Settler on his arrival .... 7 10 Sundries 10 5 Expenses of Settlement . £37 3 8 ? Add expense of Transport. 18 16 4 Total expense .... £50 o It appears by the evidence already cited, that 3s. 6d. a head is the amount of weekly subsistence allowed to the destitute poor in many parts of England. More generally however, that amount is estimated at from £25 to £26 a year for a family of five persons. It having been proved that a redundant labourer is wholly unproductive, see page 14, et seq. it is evident that the sum just mentioned, is the return to an amount of F 36 HNUUIRY liNTO THE cnpital rendered wholly unproductive, by its return being conHumed by hucIi u lubuuror. According to the estimate just given, two yeurs* amount of that return, n«*arly equals the whole expense of Emigra- tiouj and three years amount of it^ will more than cover that expense, and will render productive an amount of capital, whose return is X'25 per annum. In comparing the two modes of providing for the re- dundant poor, it must be remembered that the larger expense keeps the poor man in a state of poverty, discontent and degradation ; the lesser establishes him in comfort and independence. The advantage therefore, effected by Emigration is very extensive ; — not only the substitution of a payment of £!)6 for an annuity of £'35 per annum, but the redeeming of our poor from that wretched and demoralizes state, which causes so much misery at present, and threatens so much mischief in future. We have now to enquire into the Emigrant's ca- pability of making a return for the capital expended in effecting his settlement. The Emigration Committees of 1836 and 1837, make this capability the subject of close investigation. None of the colonial witnessess examined, enter- tained any doubt, that such a return could be made. In the year ]83^, an experimental Emigration took pluce from the south of Ireland, and was conducted by Mr. Peter Robinson. The expense of that Emi- gration, which was directed to Upper Canada, was nearly double of that in the estimate here given ; but it appears, that in the month of March 1836, about two years and a half after the arrival of the Emigrants, their property, valued at a saleable rate, was worth :'h'. EXPRDIBNCY OF CMIOATION. 37 .f ■■M more than hnlftho 8um expended on their Emigration, ^rd Emigration Report, p. 30. Another Emigration under the name guidance^ took place ill 1825. The Emigrants, as before, were utterly destitute ; but in one year, the produce of their labour, valued at the market price, amounted to one fourth nearly of the whole cost of their Emigra- tion. Same Report, p. 31. The country is aware, from the speech of Mr. Peel on Emigration in the lust session of Parliament, that Colonel Cockburn, for many years at the head of the Quarter Master General's Department in Canada, who had personally established the military settle- monts at Perth in Upper Canada, was sent to Amrrica by (iovernment, for the purpose of making enquiries on this, and other subjects connected with Emigra- tion. The closest investigation was entered into, as to the Emigrant's capacity of repaying the money advanced him, and no difference of opinion existed amongst the numerous persons of whom enquiries were made. Many of those persons were Emigrants, who a few years ago had gone out utterly destitute, and had effected their settlement with very few ad- vantages. But all were now become comparatively rich men, all declared their capacity to repay any money which might have been advanced for their location, and all wished that such advantages as are here proposed had been obtainable by them. The result of Colonel Cockburn's investigations has just been printed, by order of the Secretary of State ; and as no reasonings or evidence of any other description, can be so satisfactory to the reader, as information from such a source, he is here presented 'I; 'jl II? ■':■! 4 38 ENQUIRY INTO THE with some extracts from that simple statement of authenticated facts. *' As far as I saw {says Col. Cockburn), or could " obtain information (at Perth, in Upper Canada), *' all was prosperity, happiness, and content ; and I " was particularly gratified, at finding that so far from '' the assistance originally afforded, being forgotten, *• it was invnriablj/ referred tO) and gratefiil'y ac- " knowledged. Amongst other farms, 1 visited, were " some, on which the settler:, taken out by Mr. Ro- *' binsoi. in 1833, were placed. I found them in '' possession of property, nut only sufficient to place " them far beyond the reach of want, but to offer *•' ample security for the repayment of any sum that ^' might have been expended^ in establishing th'^m. " The twenty-two statements herewith transmitted, " seem to me to put at rest all doubts respecting the " caoability of settlers to make repayment. The " twelve first were taken down without the least pre- ^^ vious notice or arrangement of any ki.iu, in the " following manner : — I went to the house of Mr. " Morris, a Merchant at Perth, and Member of the ^' Provincial Parliament for the Bathurst district ; '' and as the Settlers came to his warehouse adjoining, " they were invited to an intevviuw. Their answers '' to my enquiries are either in their own Land wri- " ting or taken down in their very words. I can (r safely assure yo'i, that you may consider the state- " ments alluded to, as conveying the opinions of the *' whole settlement." Substance of the str.tements alluded to. James Young, late serjpant in the lOSrd regiment, was placed on his land when his regiment was dis- EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 39 banded, and supplied wi»h a years' provisions and implements. He had not a penny in his pocket. At the end of five years he had a good house, barn, and sheds for cattle, a yoke of oxen, three cows, and other live stock; and would not have taken £150 tor his property. That property now worth £300, ^"'illiam Mc. Gee was located in 1819. Flad not at that time " five cobs." At present has thirty-two acres under cultivation or ready for it, a yoke of oxen, two cows, a bull, twelve hogs, and a potash kettle, for which he paid £Q3 Ijs. .John Donald was located in 1820. Received no assistance, h^d no money, was one of the Lesmahagow society. Has now two good cows, a tw year old heifer, a yoke of oxen, five sheep, a number of swine and a calf. Sergeant W. Watson, late 103rd Regiment, re- ceived, when discharged from the regiment, a grant of land with a years' provisions and implements. Did not 1 ossess a shilling. At the end of five years his property was worth 1 00 ; having a yoke of oxen, two ccws, p. house and barn, with twenty acres cleared. Has no doubt that settlers can afford to pay j£5 a year at the end of 5 years. "In answer to your qu-stions relative to settlers, " I beg leave to state, that most of the settlers who " were located here ten years ago, ave now prosperous " and contentcJ, with from twenty-five to sixty acres " on an average cleared land ; and possessing a yoke *' ot oxen, from two to four cows, from six to ten ** young stock, pigs and poultry in proportion, and *' many, a pair of horses." — " In my own neighbour- " hood, and within my own knowledge, many of the 1 ,, 40 ENQUIRE INTO THE ''' discharged soldiers and Emigrants have purchased "an additional hundred acres, or when that could " not be accomplished, taken on lease the clergy " deserves." Signed Ghrisr. J. Bell, Justice of the Peace. 1 abstain from giving the substance of more of these statements, because it would be only reiterating proofs of a fact already sufficiently established. The statements given are fair samples of the remainder, and the reader has seen Mr. Bell's assurance, that they all correctly describe the general state ol the settlement. " V/ere any thing further required," says Colonel Cockburn, " to est .'^lii he soundness ** of these opinions (I.e. those lasi quoied from him), '' I would offer to your consideration, the important *< and corrobating fact, that the Lanark settlers sent " out in 1820 and 1821, who received a loan in money " from Government, under an agreement to com- <' mence repayment at the expiration of ten years, '' have, in many instances, notified their anxiety to " commence repaying at onccy if Government will " take produce delivered in Perth or Lanark." — " I " also enclose a population return, and an aggregate " account of the rateable property in the -i iTh'irst "district; and when all these documents ; ■ citen " into consideration, with the recollection tiit.. ih ut " thirteen years ago, 1 visited this part of the ccunts j , <* passing through the woods (for not a stick had " been cut at that time) to seek for a site on which to " commence ; and that the town of Perth has now '^ three handsome churches, a goal and court house, " and trades of every description established in it, '' the result may 11 think tend to satisfy c vciji the most EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 41 ihurst a ken M " cautious, of the benefits which may be expected «' from a well regulated system of Emigration." - After mentioning that some individuals have been induced to part with their lots, in consequence of family changes, or failure in mercantile speculations, Colonel Cockburn observes, "That the purchasers " have been persons belonging to the settlement, vho '* came to it money-less ;" and adds, ** that at the ' present time many were prepared with the means of " purchasing, but he met with none who were in- "clined to sell." Should Government direct the Emigration, to co- lonies nearer to England than Upper Canada, the fertility and advantages of those colonies may be es- timated from the following Extracts. They abun- dantly prove, that the same hopes may be entertained of New Brnnswick, which have been realized in Upper Canada. The plan (transmitted to the Secretary of State) is stated by Colonel Cockburn to show the extent of the old settlements, with which the new townships are surrounded ; and the precise direction, in which the great line of communication between Nova Scotia and lue Canadus will be opened : and a reference to the map of New Brunswick, will show in how easy and connected a manner these townships may be extended over millions of acres eligibly situated for settlements, and consisting of lands reported fit for cultivation. " The plan also shews the courses of the numerous '^ and beautiful rivers running through them, and " their very short distance from the harbours of " Shediac, Cocagne, and liichibuctoo, all of which '' are annually made me of, to a considerable extent, "¥ 4S ENQUIRY INTO TIIR " by the ships coming out for timber. During the *' short time I remained at (he latter place, upwards *' of twenty vessels arrived from England, their pas- " sages averaging from twenty to twenty-five days." The neighbourhood of a settled country, of nume- rous rivers, and of harbours from which there is a large and frequent communication with England, might make indifferent land valuable for a settlement. But the tract of Land extending from the Petecoudiac river to the Richibuctoo, and from thence to the Miramichi, is of excellent quality, salubrious and beautiful. *' Having gained the summit of the mountain,'' says the Report of Mr. Smith, surveyor of the province of New Brunswick, " I found it formed a most excellent " table land : examined it, and found the good land *' still continue. From the Northern brow, the wide "growth, yet scarcely budded, formed an opportu- " nity of viewing an immense body of fine land every " where around." In another place, " Soft woods " from the base to within half a mile of the top, when " a beech grove begins. Further on, a fine grove of " maple, allowed a most interesting view of the hills, " table lands, and valleys, meeting the eye in every " direction ; interspersed with ever-greens stretching " into the deciduous tracts, like promontaries and "bays." Again, "Having been almost cloyed these " two days, with repetitions of the most delightful " tracts for settlement, nature seemed here deter- '' mined to furnish us with a rich treat. The soil is " of the finest alluvial deep dark mould, and the " underbrush presents a great variety of flowering " shrubs, amongst which, the bush cranberry was EXPEDIENCY OF EMIORATION. 43 *' every where hung with clusters of its ripened ^' fruit/' — <' As a summary of the whole, I may say that *< the whole tract is a continuity of superior land for *' settlement." — ** There is no barren whatever, no " swamps but such as are highly desirable, and on " almost every stream may be found a mill site." — '< The highlands are early — not subject to blight and " early frosts." Another most important part of the information collected by Colonel Cockburn, relates to the expense at which Emigration may be effected. His estimate has already been given. It need only be observed here, that Colonel Cockburn's estimate is not founded upon theories, or wrought out by conjectures. The things estimated for, are those which are actually re- quired ; the estimated expense of them, is that at which they can at this moment be actually procured. All doubt therefore must vanish, of the provisions made, falling short of that which may be wanted ; or of the expense to be incurred, exceeding that which may be expected. It is concluded therefore, that no doubt can exist of the Emigrant's capacity to repay any capital, ad- vanced for the purpose of enabling him to settle. Of the willingness of a debtor to repay a loan whi'^h has been of the greatest advantage to him, to those who have laid him under the deepest obligations, it may seem impertinent to offer proof. Yet it may be worth stating that, the repayment of the money advanced to the settler may be insured, by withholding the grant of his land till the whole or sqroe portion of his debt be paid. But supposing the Emigrant to be both able and G 44 F.NQIJIRY INTO THE willing to pay his debt, its collection has been con- sidered a matter of difficulty. Yet the merchant to whom he remits his produce, has only to pay its value to the person authorized to collect the debt, instend of to the Emigrant, and the difficulties of collection are at an end. Money transactions at present are managed in this manner, and no difficulty is experienced. But were the debt collected from farm to farm, the ex- pen**e of collection would be quite trifling. The cen- sus of Lower Canada in 1826, was taken at an ex- pense of from 3d. to 6d. a house, the former being by far the most common charge; and there is no reason why the collection of the Emigrant's debt should cost much more. These two methods are mentioned, not to recommend them in practice, but only to prive at how inconsiderable an expense the collection might be made. The settlement of the Emigrant, probably, cannot be effected at a much cheaper rate than that in the above-mentioned estimate ; but even this rate need not continue. Our objections to the plan of provid- ing transport merely, or to that of landing the Emi- grant in North America, with a gratuity of a few pounds to enable him to seek employment for himself, arose from the small demand at present for mere labourers. But it is evident that such a plan as that we have been considering, cannot be long in operation without creating a much greater demand than now exists. It is difficult to estimate precisely the time which must elapse before mere Emigrants can be sent out with safety. Settlements must be scattered over some of the provinces, and probably the whole of the North American colonies ought to be settled before T- EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 45 the latter course could justifiabl)' be laken. But were settlements established with spirit, and conducted with prudence, there can be no doubt that the plan of mere Emigration might be acted upon in a very few years. At this period the expences would be reduced to the cost of transport. Still, however, careful super- interidance and guidance would be necessary. But in a few years more even this expense might be saved, and a considerable Emigration would go on at the Emigrant's own ctist, or at that of his connexions and the colonial landowner.* All that now remains is to enquire whether it is practicable to prevent the filling up of the vacuum made by the l<]niigrant's departure. It is obvious that the same inducement which now actuates the people to emigrate, will continue to actuate them until it is removed. While men know that they may be, beyond all comparison, more com- fortable in the British colonies than they are or can be in this country, they will continue Emigrating thi- ther. While the present redundancy of labourers exists in this country, the labourer will be much better off in those colonies than in Great Britain. While therefore the redundancy of labourers remains, the inducement to Emigrate will remain. Emigration therefore will certainly go on while it is desirable ; and going on, will prevent (he population from becom- ing again redundant. That if any considerable number of people were once properly settled in North America, a very strong desire to Emigrate would actuate the distressed poor • Evidence of Mr. Solicitor-Genl. Boiilton, Qn. 5<), and of Mr. Attorney-Oenl. Uniacke, Qn. 329, et acq. in Ist Report. Iwl 46 ENQUIRY INTO THE in this country^ is clearly proved by the evidence before the Committees of 1826 and 1827. It is evident that such a desire will continue while the prospect of increasing their comforts by the change remains. As a settled country presents many advantages to an Emi- grant, over one in a state of nature, it is equally evi- dent that the advantages which the British colonies hold out to the settler, will, under a regulated system of Emigration, keep constantly increasing. We may therefore confidently expect that the desire to Emigrate will continue to actuate the people of this country, and will increase as North America becomes more known and better settled. Let the advantage of set- tling in the British colonies be once clearly shown, and proper facilities of Emigrating given, and there can be no doubt that Emigration will continue while our distresses at home continue. Let a channel once be opened, by which our redundant population may flow freely to the British colonies, and it v/ill continue to flow till an equilibrium takes place, and then it will ceaHO to be desirable. A well regulated system of Emigration, therefore, would reduce the population to such a state that all able bodied persons might find a demand for their labour. The considerations which we have just ofi*ered, prove that it will not be a relief merely temporary. The country will continue to re- lieve itself while it requires relief. The poor man will carry his labour from a market which is over- stocked with it, to one where it is in great demand. It is evident that such a continued Emigration must necessarily keep down the fearful increase in our popu- lation. It will do this in three ways. A continued Emigration will be equivalent, as far as the numbers of EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 47 the people are concerned, to a corresponding increase in the ratio of mortality. The rate of increase in the population, therefore, which is the excess of the pro- portion of births over the ratio of mortality will be diminished. But while the ratio of mortality is thus virtually increased, the proportion of births will be diminished by the number of children the Emigrants would have produced, had they remained. The rate of increase, therefore, will be still more diminished. There is a third way in which an extensive plan of Emigration may be expected to affect the popula- tion. Happily for our ancestors, they would have been sceptical, had they heard that a people's distress and destitution could cause their rapid increase. But the anxious investigations which the state of the poor has of late years occasioned, seem to have proved the truth of this apparent contradiction. The moral cause is soon explained. People are reckless of con- sequences, when their condition cannot be made worse. We see too plainly the liability of our poor to the operation of such a cause. All the industry, all the ingenuity, all the prudence, of a poor man will not make him independent. With all his respect- ability, he is suoject to the favour, abuse, or tyranny of the parish officer. With all his frugality he is a beggar. Without industry, and without prudence, he is no worse than a beggar. Can we wonder that in such a state his mind subsides to a state of slavish imbecility, and his nature " partakes more of sensa- tion than reflection ?" Without a prospect in futurity towards which to labour, he is the slave of his im- pulses; he seizes, of course, whatever will solace the passing minute, and marries from the same cause 48 BNQUIHY INTO THE which induces him to get drunk. Whatever increaue therefore in our morbid population is produced by the destitute condition of our poor, will cease when their destitution ceases, and be diminished in proportion ns their condition is improved. It has been said that enabling people to Emigrate from a parish will make an opening for strangers to settle, and for young people to marry there. The state of the parish, therefore, will continue the same. In the first pluce the objection that strangers will settle in the parish, vanishes when Emigration is con- templated as a national measure. In the second, the payers of poor rates are at present quite on the alert to prevent improper settlements, and the success which attends their activity is a sufficient proof that no danger need be feared on this ground. See Mr. Bur- rell's Evidence, Third Report. With regard to the apprehension that the Emi- grant's vacant cottage will induce the young people of the parish to marry, I beg to offer these brief con- sideration. It seems to have become an extensive practice with landlords to pull down their cottages when they become vacant, as those cottages are found to cost more in the form of poors' rate than they pay in the form of rent. Let it be remembered too that the Emigrants would have been prolific had they re- mained. The probable increase of the Emigrant's family must therefore be considered as balancing that of the newly married pauper ; and when we remember that some of the children of the former will b? advanc- ing to a marriageable age when those of the latter are born, the least we can infer is, that the two increases will balance each other completely. The parish gains # EXPEDIENCY OF EMIORATION. 49 ?-?• therefore by the Emigration of a family the cost of at least all the members of that family living at the time of Emigration. Let 118 add to these reasonings the expectation that improvident marriages will become le^js frequent as the prospects of the people improve ; that the poor will be less careless when they have more to care for; and we must be quite satisfied that no increase of po- pulation will take place in any parish in consequence of the abstraction of some of its inhabitants. After the proofs we have offered, that the redun- dant part of the population is really unproductive, it is hardly necessary to remark, that no capital would be lost to the country by being expended in facilitating the Emigration of that redundant part. If no return were ever to be obtained for that capital, we could not be said to lose it, for it is now unproductive, and unproductive capital is the same to the owner as no capital at all. But the sum proposed to be expended on Emigration is much less than that now rendered unproductive by being employed on a redundant la- bourer. Even, therefore, if there be no return, there is an immediate gain of the difference. Moreover, we have the most ample proof that the money advanced will be restored with interest. The whole of the capital, therefore, on which the redundant labourer now subsists, will immediately, on his Emigration, become disposable and productive. But this is not the only return which the country will obtain. It is most erroneous to suppose that the American provinces are now without a market for their produce. On the contrary, their need is a suffi- cient number of producers to render it an object with 50 IvNQVIRY INTO TUB ! the consumers to purchase of them. With the popu ' lation of the colonies, therefore, their market will increase, — with their market their wealth will increase, and their wealth will make them large consumers of the manufactures and merchandize of their native land. But these pages contain the most kmple proof that even without the aid of any extraordinary foreign commerce, the condition of the Emigrant must greatly and rapidly improve. His desires therefore will ex- pand ; and we cannot look forward to the time when there will be manufactories in the colonies to supply them. At any rate, therefore, a new and increasing market will be opened for the manufactures of the mother country. Under the pressure of the existing distress, the capitalists of the country have an indur-^ment to Emi- grate. There is no doubt whatever ^ redi ndant population is one great cause of absemceism from Ire- land. See Sir H. Parneirs Evidence, 4343. The small farmers too are tempted to leave a land where, if they avoid pauperism themselves, they cannot ex- pect their children to escape it. What is of still greater importance to the country, the skill and acti- vity of its artizans cannot be retained in a place where that skill and activity will not save their possessor from want. Accordingly the most skilful and enter- prising mechanics often leave this country for France, Germany, and the United States, and deprive us at the same time of their own skill, and of the custom of these nations. It is obviously not the most skilful artizans who would be most anxious to Emigrate to the colonies, where their peculiar knowledge would be useless. The removal of our redundant population fM IS Til EXPEDIENCY OF EMIGRATION. 51 therefore will at once take away the indacement t6 EmigraiP, which actuates these three classes, and will retain in the country the capital of the one and the talents of the other. To these arguments we may add, that should the proposed plan fail of carrying oflT the redundant popu- lation, it wilt still be an advantage as far as it goes. For every family, to whom it is proposed to offer assist- ance in Emigrating, costs the country at present, and will continue to cost it, much more than the amount of the assistance advanced. No risk, therefore^ is in- curred by adopting this plan. If it fail, still an advan- tage will be gained proportionate to the extent to which it may have been effected. If it succeed, its advantages are gainrd ut no one's injury, at no one's cost ; — are incalculable in extent, unbounded ioi dura- tion, and equally beneficial to the country relieved^ the Emigrant befriended, and the colony peopled. " Plantations," says Lord Bacon, '* are amongst '* ancient, primitive, and heroical works,*' and certainly the relative condition of Great Britain and her colo- nies, makes them equally important in our own times, ;ind amongst ourselves. We have ascertained that a well regulated system of Emigration would afford an immediate means of relieving the appalling miseries of our labouring population. The distressed people have been led to expect relief from this means; the interest of the colonies has been excited to the same subject ; great expense has been incurred in the necessary en- quiries and preparations, the which have been delibe- rately sanctioned by Parliament ; — and have produced a result favourable beyond the hopes of the most sanguine. The first expense has been ascertained, u I 53 t.Nil!HBy iSTO THE >"^'}! \> ■>' a. J and found lower than any one expected. The settler^iE^ capubility of repaying both principle and interest, haa been proved by the facts a! iieady q uoted. There is there* fore little of any pecuniary risk. Should a syitomof Emigration be acted uponiGovernment is able to stop it the moment it becomes incocpedient, or even doubtful. There is therefore no danger of any political incon-^ venience. Together with security from loss or incon« yenience, there is the certainty of advantage, as far as the Emigration may have been effected. It is therefore earnestly to be hoped that bo delay will take place in establishing: a system of lEmigration. Such' a system alone will prevent the patieAce of our suffer- ing poor from turniqg to despair, and the. hopes of.th» colonies to discontent ;— will preserve hi^ profit to the capitalist) his rent to the landlord ; and will sav« from totul waste the great labour and errpense which have been already incurred, ?ud have fully evinced the adequacy, the benefit, and the safety of Emigration. After incurring such expense, and proving the perfect facility with whi^h Emigration may be effected, fur' ther delay cannot be called wisdom ; after exciting the hopes of our suffering and patiert labourers, delay in relieving them will not be icalled justice ; after rais- ing in our colonies grp^it expectations of improvements in tb«» ''"loiiial system, delay will not there receive, the name of wisdom, or justice, or policy ; nor will it excite either gratitude or respect; — and after can- vassing, making public, and recommending a mea^ sure* so beneficial to the country in so many rela- • That the reader may see the industry and caution with which the Question of i Jiilt;rution has been investigated, he is ai;aiu earnestly requestctl to examine the Report of the Comraittee of 1827, tog-ether with the evidence attached. lit ('(le List of the Committee sub- I i EXPEDIIiNCV Ot EMIGRATION. 53 tions, we greatly fear that any further delay will be thought throughout the country to evince that there is a great difference between what is beneficial to the empire, and what is regarded by the administration. joined he will see that the recommendation of the meanure proceeds from persons, than whom, had the country been ransacked for its ablest minds, men better qualified to judge of such a measure could not have been found. LIST OF THE SELECT COMMlTTEt: ON EMIGRATION, 1827. Right Honble, R. Wilmot Horton, Newcastle-Undei-Liiif. Sir James Graham Carlisle. Lord Castlereagh County Down. John Smith, Esq Midhurst. Stuart Wortley, Esq Bossiney. Lord Ashley Woodstock. John Maxwell, Esq Renfrewshire. Honble. G. E. Staiiley .... Preston. K. Douglas, Esq Dumfries. Col. Wood Brecknockshire. Lord Brecknock Bath. Frankland Lewis, Esq. .... Ennis. Sir Henry Parnell Queen's County. Charles Brownlow, Esq County Armagh. Spring Rice, Esq Limerick. Lord Morpeth Morpeth. E. S. Denison, Esq Hastings. Lord Oxmantown King's County. A. Campbell, Esq Glasgow. — Laboucherc, Esq St. Michael's. Leslie Foster, Esq. ..... Louth. Lord John Russell Bandon. Bingham Baring, Esq Thetford. Sir Thos, Aciand Devonshire. 'j:r M JtNQUIRV, Sec, Right Honble. Ruburt Peel . . . Oxford University. Hart Davis, Esq Bristol. Lord F. L. Gower Sutherlandshire. Right Honble. Maurice Fitzgerald . County Kerry. Leader Maberley, Esq Northampton. Alex. Baring, Esq Gallington. Lord Binning Yarmouth. Lord Valletort Lestwithiel. Honble. P. Gust Clitheroe. Lord Sandon Tiverton. Charles Wood, Esq Grimsby. Phillips, Esq Sir Hugh Innes, Bart Kirkwall. Walter Burrell, Esq Sussex. Honble. James Abercromby . . . Calne. Nichols, Priatcr, Earl's Court, C'ranbourn Street, Soho. II il