The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-23 00:00:00

MBE. CHISHOLM'S EMIGRATION SCHEME.
TER GROUPING SYSTEM.

lAA evening, Some 200 persona of both sexes,
principally of the work;ng chimes, but interspersed with
many of thoee dependent rather on the proceeds of trade in
a small way, than weekly wages, but all of them intending
ats, met Mrs. Chisholm in the school-room of the
Lastll lnstitution, Tabernacle-row, on her invitation, to
receive explanations and instructions for their guidance
daring the voyage. It is scarcely necessary to add that the
admission was tree, and that tbs audience evinced great
at
vteatioaye end gratitude for the valuable informatiou con-
d.
Mrs. CursitOrAt commented by stating, that as a large
number of those present were going to sea In a few days, she
was desirous to give them such information, the result of
much experience Sand watchfulness, as might be useful to
them. They were aware that she had established a system
of emigration, known as the " grouping system," which had
been forced upon her is the bush, in New South Wales.
Finding that she had there a large member of females who
required protection, several families, and persons of ell
creeds and countries, end with no police or paid agents to
assist her, she adopted that system. She had met with
some difficulty. As for instance, the father of three or
four children, daughters was anxious to sleep under the
same wagon with them, ;linking it was but natural that
he was the proper person to protect them ; but having
explained to him that loss of character would effect
all the females of the body, he gave in, and
he and others watched round the waggons and tents
without knowing under or in which their own children were.
The result was that out of 1,200 females only five bail lost
character. Having found the system work so advan-
tageously, she thought the same arrangement might be
beneficially carried out. The great question was should
they moralise emigration or not—should they make it safe
and respectable or the reverse ? It was found that every
ship which adopted the grouping system increased in cha-
racter end respectability. A moral restraint was exercised
over the young by the co-operation of the aged. On board
ship the messes are usually arranged in twelves—but the
grouping would take as many as 24 or 26. The arrange-
ment of the groups was voluntary—the parties forming their
own groups. The system was attended with die-
agreeables at first, but there was great advantage
in the end, notonly in the voyage out, but after wards in
the colony, for it very seldom happened that the grouping
formed on the voyage out was not carried out afterwards.
After recommending good temper, patience, and cleanliness
amongst the emigrants, Mrs. Chisholm proceeded to remark
upon the Amended Passengers Act, with reference to
which she said she had always found considerable difficulty
in the matter of water. It had to be paid for, and yet
when imperial measure was required some astonishment
was almost invariably expressed. In the new act both the
surgeon and the muter were directed to bear the supply of
water carefully in mind; but it was not generally known
that water was supplied always by the old measure, and
that if imperial measure was demanded an extra charge
was made. It would be well if the act specified that the
water should be supplied by imperial measure. Another
clause required a certain space in the ship to by set
apart es an hospital, under a penalty varying from
Al. to 501. It would boa great protection to the public if it
wore specified in what part of the ship the hospital should
be, for, as it was, it often happened that no hospital room
was provided at all. In one instance, lately a large ship
taking several hundred passengers had made, she found, no
such provision—and on inquiry she was told that the fitting
up having been done by contract the carpenter had it It no
wood on board with which to fence off a place for the sick.
There was plenty of room in the ship for the purpose under
proper arrangements. On asking the captain what he would
do if small-pox broko out during the voyage, he said ho
did not know, but supposed be must put the sick into the
long-boat. It was essential, therefore, that the emigrants
should see such provision made. Another clause in the act
referred to required that a fire engine should be kept en
board, but it did not specify the size, which it ought to do, as
it was obvious that an engine which would be sufficient for
• small vessel would be quite inadequate for a large one ;
sad she would further suggest that every emigrant ship
should be compelled to take out a license, and to exhibit
on board a statement of the number of emigrants ,ffic was
licensed to carry, and that a further license should be re-
quired for the sale of wines and spirits. It was essential
in engaging a passage that inquiries should be made, not
only as to the character of the ship, but also ea to the cargo,
and it would be well if the intended emigrants, instead of
paying attention to the decorations of the ship, the gilded
mouldings and carpetted floors of the cable, would look to
what wasstowed away below. In the Family Colonisation
Society's charter parties, neither patent fuel, nor smelting,
or small coal was allowed to be put on board. But coal
was a profitable cargo, and she had known instances where
the ballast had been removed in the night and coal substi-
tuted. For herself she always examined closely and walked
the deck before the ship sailed with chalk on her shoes, that
she might ascertain whether cods had been taken on board.
and she advised others to do the same. It was far better to
charge IL more for the voyage than to risk the lives of 200
or 300 people by fire while at sea. The government of
Adelaide attributed also much of the fever and sickness
which occasionally took place on board emigrant ships to
the nature of the cargo. She would not mention the namo
of the ship to which she had alluded, as truth was, she be-
lieved, a libel, sometimes; and she had no desire to get
into the hands of the lawyers : though she wished to men-
tion with gratitude the &Idaho had received from one lawyer
—Mr. B. Lowe, the new member for Kidderminster, who
had gratuitously acted as her standing counsel in carrying out
her emigration schemes. The Family Colonization Society,
which had supported her so long, and which Sou ably sup-
Midby some of the most influential City merchants,
thought it prudent, for the present, not to
salki away any more ships ; but many persons
einmested with the shipping trade, proposed to carry out
am improvements originated by hat society. Great im-
puswensais min still no doubt wanting, and it would be a
IWO agematermoto have the merchants fighting against
NA other la urable competition instead of with her.
She never expested to do any good in improving the cha-
ncier of oar emigrant ships until such men as Mr. Gibbs
Bright, of Liverpool, and Mr. Green, of London, would
compete against each other in this dais of trade. All that
was required was that they should take up emigration in a
National spirit, and carry at out in • humane and effectual
Wilealit • and if they did a, they would find it pay them
fir better than it had hitherto done. It was a great draw-
back in this country that there were no honorary distine-
' Mons for men to look forward to, to whom wealth was not
tie primary object, and who, therefore, had no inducement
W benefit the public. The spirit of wholesome competition
carded for the emigration trace, she feared, would not be
illelesd in our shipowners until they saw a few foreign ships
Om into the docks; and she was going to the Continent
bouNif almost immediately to look cut for some. After
tegbq various suggestions for the conduct of emigrants
*gig their voyage—as procuring water for themselves in-
Mead of depending on the esilors--assisting each other in
sickness—practising and compelling if necessary others to
practise extreme cleanliness, end other practical detail%
she told her hearer, that they must not expect lodgings
at Port Phillip, but must provide themselves with tents,
and that unless they joined together, each group making
prevision and hiring Men for its own luggage, the cost
of removal from the ship would be enormous owing to the
high price of labour.