Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-19 00:00:00

AMERICAN EMIGRATION.

IT would appear to be anything but desirable that
the tide of emigration should set in very strong
across the Atlantic at present, whether to the United
States or our North American Colonies,—if we ex-
cept, perhaps, British Columbia, where the gold
fields invest the place with a peculiar character. A
communication which appeared in our columns a day
or two since, from a reliable source in New Bruns-
wick, threw considerable light, as a previous one had
done, upon the state of things in that Province.
" An English labourer coming out would not readily
obtain employment, either in the woods or the saw-
mills ; for this simple reason, that the English
labourer is unaccustomed to handle the axe, and saw
Jogs." Such, is the statement with which our car..
respondent set out ; and he then very satisfactorily
explained how this is,--that it, and other branches-
of the staple trade of the country, require skilled
and experienced labourers, and that none others can
expect to get profitable employment. The principal,
almost the only opportunities emigrants of the usual
labouring class are likely to have of getting work,
appear, therefore, to be with the farmers. " And
among them, I am sorry to say." observed our cor-
respondent, "there is very little encouragement for
labourers : the farmers would gladly have workmen ;
but then the greater part of the farmers here are
little better than labourers themselves, and the
employment they have to give is mostly confined to
the hay season.". Wages,. too, when work can he
had, are very uncertain, it seems,—both as to the
amount, and as to the payment of them.—for, it is
stated, "it is very seldom money is paid for work,
either lumbering or farming." Our correspondent,
who, from his position, and his experience in the
Province, is eminently qualified to give a sound
opinion in the matter, has decided that he thinks
" the encouragement for an emigrant laliourer in this
province is poor, unless he has sufficient funds to
support himself. for a few years, until he can make
himself a clearing on_ lan-1 or his own purchasing ;
and those who bring out the most cash, and take
care to expend it pm botiv, are most likely to suc-
ceed in farming in New Brunswick. I lately," he
adds, "had some talk with two labourers, not long
out—one from Noreiumberland, the other from
Yorkshire. I asked them candidly their opinions as
to their position here or at home. They both ex-
pressed a preference for the position they had left
behind them." Now this, be it remembered, is the
information not only of one upon the spot, seeing,
and knowing, and judging by his own experience of
the real state of the case, but one whose own interest
it would he, were there any room for it, to import as
much English labour as possible, in order to contri-
bute to the progress and prosperity of the country.
Nor would the chances of success. at present,
appear to be any better in Canada. The same reliable

correspondent upon whose communication we have
been remarking, sent us an extract of a letter of
recent date from that Colony, in which it was stated,,
—" The times are very bad here. There's a regular
famine in some townships. They have to kill their
working oxen and eat them. There is no flour or
wheat to he got at any price, and there is no earning
to be had to get money. The crops were very poor
here,"—a state of things which we have had con-
armed from other sources.

Well, therefore, might our correspondent wind up
his interesting communication by saying,—" With
these reliable facts for the consideration of those con-
cerned, which I hope you will lay before your intelli-
gent readers, it seems to me there is much to discourage
emigration, at present, to any of the British Colonies
in North America, or to the-Uniced States, where,
I understand, matters are fully as unfavourable."
The only class of emigrants, we learn from other
quarters, who are at all likely to succeed just now,
either in Canada or the United States, is that which
is composed of persons of some pecuniary means of
their own, sufficient in amount to enable them to
enter upon some agricultural or commercial enter-
prise for themselves. Capital is wanted in both
countries ; and its employment may generally, by
prudence and care, be made- highly remunerative.

It is fortunate, therefore, that here at home work
is plentiful enough to render it not only possible to
get a living in almost every department of produc-
tive industry, but desirable to do so, in preference
to incurring the risk and the sacrifices of its pursuit
in a far distant land. England is in a prosperous
state, and would not improbably be still more so,
could only political agitation be put aside, and more
attention be given to.the still further developement
of our own resoUrces. Not that we would discourage
emigration, as a rule, by any means. We are too
sensible of the advantages it has conferred to do
that. But at present, to North America at any rate,
it would not seem to be at all desirable, either for
the interests of industry at home, or for the welfare
of those who relieve its market by taking theirs to
other and distant regions.