The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-29 00:00:00

THE EMIGRANTS BY "THE CHALMERS."

An aggregate meeting of the emigrants, upwards
of 200 iu number, proceeding to Australia by the Chalmers,
which sads on Sunday next, took place lust evening at the
llritish Institution, Cowper.atreet, to hear ar. address from
Mr. Sidney, a gentlemen who has resided for some time in
the colony. Mrs. Chisholm, under whose superintendence
the ship has been fitted and provisioned, was present, and
addressed a few words to the parties assembled as to the
arrangements yet necessary before leaving Englund. Sbe
stated that the medical inspection of the passengers would
take place on Saturday morning, and urged the importance
of all being present —Mr. Sidney commenced hie address
by remarking an the numbers now rushing into emigration
who were quite unfit for colonial life. Those whom he
designated the " white-handed class," who had hitherto
lived rather by their heads than their hands, were doomed
to disappointment ; for Australia was a colony where the
great demand must be, for a long time to come, for hard
labour intelligently directed. (Hear.) Hitherto the great'
industry• had been aheep•reering; in a comparatively few
years the number of sheep hod risen from a few nuns
to fourteen millions; and the increase was at the rate
of 35 per cent. per annum. (food wages had been paid to
shepherds, and there was a constant demand for that species
of labour ; but the gold discoveries had upset all the exist-1
ing arrangements, and it would be impossible for the sheep-
owners to go en paying the wages now given ; their trade
must be ruined, unless fresh hands could be obtained at
more moderate rates. lie believed the gross returns of the
Fuld raised were nut at all exaggerated ; the average earn-
ings might be from 10e. to 20s. a day ; but the labour was
very sever'-, quite as bad as digging up the streets of Lon-
don; and numbers would find themselves unequal to it.
Still there would be abundant openings for them, either by
investing small capitals, if they had thorn, in land, by en-
gaging themselves profitably LIS shepherds, or by renting
from the owners of sheep a certain number of their flocks—
a system which was fast gaining ground in the colony.
None who were sober, and seining and able to labour indus-
triously, need despair of obtaining a comfortable position in
two or three years. (Hear, hear.) Still, he would entreat
those who thought of going not to do it in a hurry. Emi-
gration was as much a business as taking a house, entering
into a trade, or even getting married. (Laughter.)
When he saw such persons emigrating as bankers'
clerks, or nice young men from government offices,
who never did a day's work in their lives, sad
would be ashamed to be seen carrying a box
along the Strand, he was sorry for them, and he re-
gretted it on account of the colony; for it was certain
they would writo home melancholy letters complaining of
how they had been deceived. (Hear, hear.) Referring to
the requisites of emigrant vessels, Mr. S. observed that the
first consideration was space, the deficiency of which inevi-
tably caused disease. He disapproved the system of tint,
second, and third clan passengers; the two former being
accommodated at the expense of the latter. It was to ob-
tain sufficient space and ventilation, and decent accommo-
dation in the vessels, that Mrs. Chisholm had mainly ex-
erted herself. So great was the desire of colonists for their
friends to join them, that in seven weeks Captain Chisholm
had received nearly 3,0001. from gold diggers, to be trans-
mitted to this country and applied to sending out their re-
lations. One apprentice from Loudon had sent as much
as 501. to pay fur the passages of his father and mother.
(Hear, hear.) Thus, a moat extensive system of emigration
had arisen front the unobtrusive exertions of Mrs. Chuhelm,
who was content to sit in a back room and wear a shabby
gown that she might do something to benefit her fellow
countrywomen. (Cheers.)