The Express.
London, England, 1857-09-07 00:00:00

31116RAVON SHIPS.

(From thelrosmases Journal.)

There are few to whom the benevolent exertions
of Mr. Yere Foster, our countryman, are not known. He
has devoted him time to the emigration question, and done
much to smooth the difficulties which interposed between our
emigrating countrymen and the objects of their pursuit.
We know of few gentlemen who have laboured so emerge-
neatly and sueoesafully in destroying the crimp system, and
otherwise improving the emigrimes condition before and
dozing the long sea psapage. Seine time ago Mr. Foster col-
lected in Louth, Meath, and the neighbouring countimanurn-
bar of young girls of unspotted reputation, to the number of
one hundred and twenty, with a view of providing
for them in the Western States of America. Having
shipped them at Liverpool on board the packet ship, City of
Mobile, and marls all the neoessary arrangements for their
safe conduct, se he imagined, Mr. Foster preceded them by
steam to New York, both to receive them on their snivel
and conduct them to their future settlement. The City of
Mobile duly arrived, but for some reason or other Mr. Footer
found • general reluctance on the part of his protlyees to go
further. Ultimately not more than a dozen out of the 120
consented to leave New York, with whom ho went westward
end placed in good situations. What became of the 100
who left their homes under such promising swims,"
and who characters were so pure before the pollution of
the emigrant skip ? Nothing was known of the poor ma-
tures—how they lived or died.—until some time after, when a
kind-hearted gentleman was struck with the appearance of •
wretched object in the most fashionable thoroughfare of New
York. She was Irish girl—one who had suffered end was
suffering much in mind and in body. Her face was covered
with bruises and her body with rags. She told a wild and
pitiful story to the Commissioners of Emigration—that she
mune to New York to the City of Mobile, tinier the

care of • gentleman whom she i'fterwards requited with
ingratitude—that she had since lived • life of crime
and trifferisig, and was now a wanderer in • strange
land without a home, friends, or money. Susan Smith. the
Broadway outcast, was one of the girls who went out under
Mr. Foster's are, and had been seduced from the ship by
sellers and others to houses of ill-fain., where their min was
The wretched girl was too weak at the time
111."=lilbitall statement, but subsequent) y she deposed to
the fallowing facia, of which there is no doubt, and which
enfold mother chapter in diabolical history of Liver-
cle=ration hd eas:Tater affidavit
or is
the to
ftlhme:fffechtet fedi:L.4l4e
par
singers were on the same night taken on shore by • boat's
crew of the ship; next morning five others were taken of
by "the quarter-master;" at noon the Mlle day the depo-
nent and another girt were taken away toe brothel, where
they remained for six weeks; that the other females were
taken to Castle Garden, the regular point of disembarkation
at New Yea. end landed. There is ;little room, however, to
doubt that all or the mejorlty were subjected to the stuns
profligate influences and consequences. Here is • whole
cargo of virtue—before it was subjected to the contamination
of sailors—lost for the want of ordinary care. We never
heard or read of such a sad story. Out of one hundred and
twenty, who left Ireland in safety, with their characters
vouched by their clergy, only twelve or so were uninfected,
the rest having been ruined in the short epee of one month.
Emigrant ships, in truth, are floating hells. Little or no
care Is taken by the owners to provide proper officers, and
the viciow persons who are invested with command are just
as wicked as the crew. It was the duty of the owners to
select suitable officers, end to prohibit, by every possible
means. all intercourse between the passeugers and sailors.
In this particular are, where such • number of unmarried
females, without control or protection, were embarked for a
long sea voyage, every are should have been taken to pre-
vent intercourse with the crew. How they condoned
themselves while on board we have no information—
but it Is very evident the officer of the City of Mobile neg-
lected the ditty which the law imposed. For every wa-
llower not landed at Castle Garden the captain was liable to
• fine, and yet he permitted the crew to secrete some of the
passengers in the kmastle, who afterward. smuggled them
ashore, and carried them to the terrible dens where their
destruction was consummated. Hero is at least a wilful viols-
tion of state law by the officers of the ship, and we tenet the
state authorities have dealt vigorously with the legal and
moral infraction. The horrors of the City of Mobile are not so-
litery instances of depravity. Unprotected females, of whom
hudreds annually leave our shores in quest of friend, or of
fortune, are sacrificed in this loathsome middle passage. The
officers are just as licentious ea the crew. Both deuce are
equally intent en the ruin of their victims, and, if o
ties be wanted aboard, the disgusting dens with wtiart;:liw-
York, like Liverpool, abound., are directed to have their
emissaries prepared, on the arrival of the remelt, to take
chargeof the paseengir, and convey them to " p and
comfortable lodgings. We need net dwell on the results.
A New York journal lately stated and we believe with
truth, that more women are prostituted every year in
the packet ship. from European ports to New York
than in London, Pare, and New York taken to.
gether. From information which has reached ourselves, we
ace satisfied this amount is not so much exaggerated. Fe-
males without protection are in most instances lost either
afloat or ashore. After all the noise about emigration officers
and passenger acts, there is really little done to insure the
moral safety of passenger. Unrestricted intercourse ia the
general rule on beard. We are reluctant to ay • word de-
precatory of Mr. Footer's conduct. We are convinced he
used every exertion, and exerted every promise that the pas-
sengers would be duly taken care of in his abeence. We
immune they were in charge of a matron, who appoint to have
ill-understood her duty, or not to have bad sufficient influence
to counteract the wicked designs of the debauched crew.
We think Mr. Foster should have been with them during
the voyage. Perhaps his engagements rendered that course
inconvenient or impracticable. At any rate It was highly
dangerous, as events proved, to comwit such a number of
innocent girls to the temptations of a free intercourse with
depraved mem, with no other restraint than the presence of a
matron, who could exercise no tepee:sive authority in the fen
of such dangers. We presume the friends and relatives of the
sad freight per ship City of Mobilo an already in poeueseion of
the facts to which we have advertel—if not, they may dis-
cover in the subjoined deposition of poor Susan Smith food
fee tear and lamentation. Better let the whole sad history
be known. It may produce ultimate good is wholly stay-
ing that national madness for emigration of which we have
well nigh seen the end

"OtrOSITION 07 SUSAN OMITH.
"City and County of New York.—Sumn Smith, late of
county Meath, Ireland, being sworn, deposes and says
that she is 21 rare of age, end came passenger to the
Fort of New York in the ship City of Mobile. Mere:tall,
master, from Liverpool, and armed on the 30th of It=
last ; that after the vessel had mat anchor off Coeds
Gerdes, Margaret Bloody and four other paseengers of
the ship were oa the seam night, at about eleven o'clock,
taken off the Tomei by two of the sailors belonging to the
ship, in one boat, and brought to the city ; that on the next
morning, at about eight o'clock, the ship having meantime
been taken round to a pier, five passengers, awned Mary
Malone, Mary Kelly, Ann Donnelly, Jane Crawley, and a
girl named Margaret, were taken off by the quartermaster,
named Bill Mooney, who was away', so far as dynamic:a
knows, at the wheel during the voyage ; that at &best twelve
o'clock noon, on the same day, Wednesday, deponent apd
girl named Ellen `teary , who wee a pmeenger. were taken
off the vessel by two sailors. named Jame. and Thema, sad
brought to the home of Kit Burnt, No. 32, Water-street,
where deponent has remained up to the present time ; says
that the other yammerers were takes off the valid In •
steamboat on the day of arrival, at about six o'clock p.m.,
and brought to Castle-garden, as depnent believes, ended
meantime deponent and the other males, as above stated,
were °marled is the forecastle ot the ship by the *lore
until brought ashore, as above stated. bet
SUSAN I SMITH.

"Sworn to before too this 4th day of Aupst, 1857,
"BERNARD CASSERLY, COODItiESIORet of Dude
Tho Cosamirdonar, by the oonsent of Justice Osboes,
sat on dim to No. 32, Water-alma, and satostod Won
Neap, and sent bar to Ward's Island."

ELECTION EXPENSES IN ESSEX.—The election
auditor for Itsbion has jar* returned the expenses of Mr. T.
Sutton Western, M.P. (who is about to be entertained by We
cenetitnents at • ;Wilk dinner), at 4221. 12s. a • thawed
Mr. Bramby Moore. M.P.. at 4201. 10e. 9a. • ad those of
Mr. Peacocks, at 4141. 19e. 9d. In North Bearinorhere tams
was no contest, Mr. Bamford, M.P., expended 631. Is. ; end
Du Ciao, 901. 7e.

Oral DAILY =WI =
LONDON NOBNINO
241411
..14.7.0
14a:1r vamp lb
onifted to se e. mew. =now midis
.11;1011.13•11 Pll,l PI MIAMI AID IMPAIIPIAL
oadmhoty aely oTreo darsties the ladlas ties le yeAlsa
• le be ebellrtgebri LIMO =SG more.

elrjun
• IT newton ALL Winning ADTTILTT'AMAIITS.
It le aft* ImAre••••.=••
P.M Ay OP Of NW,
NW Awl? Inheram. • skew*, pailleri
iskAor so A*
w of fee *Oaf Of INNW, infighloolOn ;Of
fleuHliest
%It •• :4**/* Mr paw * Amid*
Mill • POOO•Oh. poblidier • tomilh Ihe
.t 0=1.4 ••••••14 SY ;ATI: =INA PIN II
tie ORM

WILE DAILY NETS &timid to all of
as wi++.4 se sw, Ler s
=Mr ~re at por imam. ea& IN ad•
=WWI wit nia
17 W. L

etde Oxpreoo.