The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-01 00:00:00

EMIGRATION.

THE WANT OF LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA AND
EMPLOTERNT AT EONS.
(From tie Da* Nam.)
WHILE nobody denies the immediate necessity of
promoting emigration to Australia, very few know
how to set about it. This is the complaint which
comes up from all sides. Hundreds of the gentry in
various parts of the country are willing to act, and
thousands of workers are ready to go; but, for want
of knowledge and of concert, nothing is done at all
in proportion to the emergency. Few are disposed
to dictate on a subject which is, in a practical sense,
so little understood; but there most be very many
qualified to make suggestions, if encouraged to do
so. The emergency Is so new, that there is no dia-
gram to any nation in being unprepared for it. The
disgrace would be in carelessness or indolence, when
the need is proved and admitted. There has been
no disgrace hitherto; or, if fault is found with the
apathy or slowness of the government, it is as well
to let bygones be bygones, and to suppose that the
disgrace is to begin from the present hour.
There ought to be no feeling of despair because
emigration should take place within a few weeke, to
save "this year's clip." Let those who can act
within three weeks do so ; but the need is one which
will last for three years—for aught we can see, for
throe hundred years. Australia is more than twenty-
eight times as large as our own islands. As yet
there is only a very bare sprinkling of inhabitants
in its most peopled parts, while unmeasured
tracts lie unexplored and wild. In England we
have tens of thousands of strong men and decent
wives and maidens, who, if not paupers, are kept
from being so more by their own virtue than by the
comfort in which they live. In Ireland there are
tons of thousands of workers living on means which
an Australian would call starvation. In Scotland
there are tens of thousands who are actually pining
in hunger—keeping life in them by a mere handful
of meal, or tottering along the shores to pick up
shell fish and sea-weed for food. The few weeks
being over, three years of strenuous exertion will be
a mere beginning of the equalisation that is required,
and three hundred years may not see it finished.
Those, therefore, who shrink from a spasmodic effort
Gan take their time—not in beginning (for the need
is very urgent), but in maturing plans for a great
national work which must be prosecuted for succes-
sive generations.
The time is put for saying that this is proper
government work, and government must do it. It
is too large a work for government to do, this month
or this year ; and government will do all the more
in future years if the people precede it. The govern-
ment is already mending its ways under the stimu-
lus of popular reproof and urgency. But lately the
commissioners refused to send (at the low rates) men
above 35 years of age, or with more than two
children. Now the age fixed is 45, and three
children are allowed. What we have to do in regard
to the government, is to see that the land fund—the
money sent over by the colonists themselves—is all
used, and without delay, in sending out labourers.
If, through parliament, larger methods can be pro-
posed, be it so ; but there is no need to wait for the
new parliament. Let the ventral operation be as
large u it may, local efforts, such as might, and
ought to be made, must be of far more effectual
importance.
' Let the residents of all our towns and vilhigee set
; to work to ascertain whether there are any among
them fit and ready to go to a laid where labour
' meets with a sure reward. In every town there are
publio-imirited men—certainly benevolent clergy—
; who ascertain this. There can hardly be a
hamlet in our islands where there is not at least one
man or woman who would lessen poverty if possible,
and take some little trouble to proportion the eaters
to their food. If, in all our communities, large and
small, there are not some who would like to go to
Australia, it must be because they do not know what
Australia is. Let the better informed residents
tell them about it, By familiar lectures, by
weekly meetings for conversation about it, by
giving information from house to house, the
eau will at least be made clear whether
any or none an ready to go. Let it not be pleaded
in ter of such a that in one place the needy
I people are all of the manufacturing class; in another,
all-mechanics; and in the greater number, that there
issoliody who understands sheep or tillage. Though
; wool and wheat are wanted in the first place—though
, it is to secure wool and wheat that spasmodic efforts
, are required at this moment—it would be ruin to the
colony to regard them alone. Let the Dorsetshire
, labourer be told that the Australians are paying very
high prices to the Americans for corn and flour; but
r let the Newcastle men be told also that there is
smother Newcastle. over the sea where the purest
drift sand lies ready to the band, while the colonists
prise the commonest glees as Europe has prized the
Venetian and Bohemian, and all because it has
come 16,000 miles in a ship, and is very dear accord-
ingly. lie will find sod too; and so will the snap-
maker, Who is sorely wanted there. And the
fine sand lies over the coal measures, which are call-
to oat for the Durham and Staffordshire pitmen.
Ask the Bradford weaver whether it is reasonable
that the wool of Australia should all come over here,
16,000 miles, to go back again as cloth, for want of
looms on the spot. There are men enough there
now, wanting coats, to employ many weavers, and
there will be more every month. There is an
im-
mense consumption of calico there; and it will soon
' be got from Massachusetts if our Lanesehire opera-
tives do not make baste to weave it on the spot.
' Let the FABOX paper-maker. be told that, while rags
are burnt or thrown away by tons weight
every sheet of paper used in the colony PP
i fmpotted, and s scarce and dear enough at
punt to pay well for setting up mills. Let the
Birmingham men understand how urgently tools
I and utensils are wanted in Australia, and
how the materials for making them abound. Let
' the Sunderland and Liverpool- men bear how the
Australians umplain of the deficiency of ships and
smaller eraft,as mappling their commerce. Do the
filistlambes know of the whales that lash the waters
of those shone Do the mechanics know what their
valise would belt the new country? Have the small
gil heard of the rate of profits there P
t:94e' quince of the ffaoion of such in-
' hematite in all neighbourhoods would be that
' the enterprise of capitalists would be turned in that
abrades. If there were enough of Yorkshire and
Laneuhire weavers ready, an employer, here and
there, with his power-looms, would not lag behind.
Many a clergymen would with his people. Many
a governing would thankfully Fake an engagement
with a fondly or under the promise of a school. Front
Mash* years before Californian geld was heard of,
there emu a my for "a continual stream of gover-
nesses and one who had courage to obey the cal
ere long, with a little fortune of 1,0001. of
het awn savings. There is no more urgent need in
the colony than of educators. Who can doubt that
there are, among oar poor ladies, in this "hugest
and saddest nunnery that the world has ever known,"
many brave hearts and richly-furnished heads that
would frin go out, and work where their work would
be mat valuable, if they did but know how—if only
the stimulus were given by a kindling of enterprise
among those to whom they are personally known.
The game is no doubt trim of our clergy. There are
many who feel, as Dr. ARNOLD did, what a vocation
it would be to establish a high standard of morals
and manners in an incipient empire. If he had lived,
he might have gone out u bishop for this work.
They would be content to go as humble priests—too
thankful if, by the organisation of a part of their
flock for emigration, a way out were opened, without
; the mapping of all ties which connect them with
' their old home.
As for the method, if the government commission-
ers will convey some, let them go that way. But
that is a email resource. Cannot the villages com-
municate with the towns, so as to form an organise-
bon ? Cannot the towns of a county, or of any kind
of district, do the same? Cannot they enter into
treaty with shipowners for the means of conveyance ?
The shipowners must surely see that a new era is
opening for them. If they have ordinary business
sagacity, they must see that Australia will soon be a
great centre of commerce, and that if we do not esta-
blish plenty of shipping there, the Americans will.
Twenty years ago the Americans were whisper'!ug
to each other that Singapore was, in view
of the future, the finest commercial centre in the
' world; and everywhere within reach of Singapore
, will they plant themselves, if permitted. Whatever
our shipowners may think of this, there can be no
doubt that, if applied to for passage to Australia

from every district of our islands, each pow will
beirtTomtiliemeroy, money has never been wanting
reNrulf°ropadystiTabrtecunliattyotireqfokasnadus
assisted to go. The thing tZlifht, perhaps, be done
by local associations raising a szten, If once the resi-
illinui.noesciltilias:lfreilts lettirreißeadtririnsPecsecgt;Lourifina gttihoTtosehhhee
dents in various localities were sulieintlY intemted.
If it were done by a mere charitable stilwription,
that would be better than its not being done
at all; but the more independence is consulted, and
charity repudiated, in a case where charity need
not be invoked, the better. Capitalists, carrying out
looms and other apparatus, might carry out their
workmen with them. Manufacturing and trading
associations, such as we seem likely to be having,
will send out the people they will want to employ.
Residents in the colony, if matters were organised,
would thankfully transmit fund, otherwise than
through government, for the hire of service of every
kind. The flocks will bring out the pastor, when
the system is once in work, the mistress the maid-
servants, the customers the shopkeeper, and so on
Only let people meet in every district and consult, to
ascertain the amount of knowledge and of will, and
we answer for it that there is will enough to make
a way.
Australiswill assuredlybecome to this country what
America has lately been to Ireland—the lode star to
draw off a host of people. Freights have risen ; berths
are at a premium ; and hundreds only wait the need-
ful opportunity for following those already on the
move. The majority of emigrants seem tempted
to Melbourne, and it is likely there may be a
glut of people at one port, unless some steps be
taken rightly to advise those on their way to the
new land of promise. The Skye Emigration Society,
the Emigration Commissioners, and tho people in-
terested in the woollen factories of Yorkshire, will
doubtless do what they can to equalise the supply of
labour to the real needs of different parts of Australia.
But this is scarcely enough. Societies should bo
started to advise and to assist the thousands
of independent emigrants now anxious to get
out. There is room for all who will go,
and the wealthy and the benevolent amongst
us could do no better service to the community than
by organising associations for affording facilities for
emigration. The City of London, usually so prompt
in liberal works, might set a good example in this.

IRELAND.

Drll.lll, 11101 MAT.
Sentence was paned on Birch to-day—Twelve
iambs imprisonment ; no fine.

The proceedings connected with the laying down
of the subm*ginec telegraph from Holyhead have been
hitherto cave oped with the peofounillst secrecy, the
object being no doubt to take the public, and more
especially that portion of it interested in the other
telegraph companies, by surprise, with the sudden
and unexpected completion of the work. The hill
of Ilowth was crowded all day yesterday with spec-
tators, anxiously directing their telescopes to the
offing, on the look out for the Britannia and the
Prospero, which were expected with the electric
cable, but it has been since ascertained that • hitch
occurred at Holyhead which has caused some delay.
A length of about four miles of the cable had actually
been sunk, when the wire broke, and it was found
nect•stiary to return and raise the cable again,
for the purpose of connecting it. The wire
has been laid down from Howth to the rail-
way station in Dublin, and all the necessary
reparations have been made on this side of the
Channel for the completion of the chain of communi-
cation. There are it appears three companies now
at work to carry out the intercommunication between
the two countries—the Irish Electric Telegraph
Companv, the British Electric Telegraph Company,
and the Magnetic Telegraph Company. Tho Irish
Electric 'Telegraph Company are represented in the
undertaking, which is expected to be earliest in the
field, by the eminent firm of Ncwall, Milues, and
Gordon, of Gateshead, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and in an
incredible short time the connecting cable has been
completed. It is a single wire of copper, coated with
gutta percha, and outside • network of wire to
strengthen it, and at the same time giro it pliability.
Mr. 'Woodhouse, engineer of the company ; Mr.
Harty, engineer of the Dublin and Drogheda Rail-
way; with Mr. Culverwell, on Friday last, saw the
wire placed on the Howth line. '1 ho submarine
cable will come in at the north-west side of Ireland's
Eye, and reach the railway station near the
first level crossing of the railway. At Holy-
head it starts from Soldier's Point. It is said that
the first message will be communicated to the Lord
Lieutenant on Tuesday evening, at which time the
connexion will be complete. A letter has been re-
ceived from Holyhead this morning, stating that it
is possible the work may not be completed before
Freday. The first experiment will he made to-day
on the electric telegraph to Galway.
It is now very generally believed that the Queen
will visit the south of Ireland this summer. The
Cork Constitution says : " We understand it is now
pretty certain that his grace tho Duke of Devon-
shire will pus the greater portion of the summer
at his romantic residence on the Blackwater ; and
front the very extensive alterations and additions
that arc being made to the castle, it is conjectured
that Lismore is likely to be honoured with a royal
• pit t issummer."