Star.
London, England, 1827-02-16 00:00:00

EMIGRATION TO THE COLONIES•

M►. WILMO I-HORTON, in rising, pursuant to
notice, to move the renewal of the Emigration Com-
mittee, which sat last Session, stated, that in proceeding
to effect that object, he should address the House merely
in his character of Chairman of that Committee, and
with a view rather to explain the prrceedings of the
Committee, than to hold out the expectation of any de-
finite statement as to the course to be pursued by the
Government. On this consideration he should think it
necessary to stat. to the House the tircumstances.whcb
led to the apromtment of that Canarttee. In the year
1823 it was considered expedient to send a number of
persons from the South of Ireland to the Province of
Upper Canada, not under any expectation that the
wi:hdraaing of such a small number could produce any
material effect on the condition of the general popula-
tion in Ireland, but rather to ascertain, by an experi-
ment on a mails scale, the probable consequences of
adopting it on a Lager. In the discussions which took
place on the s .hject •t that time, several objections

nest
rity
'l4ll
Wes
.
tiarvests.—Such was the change wrought in the for-
tunes of those persons; but it may be asked, are they
happy and contented in proportion? Of this the fullest
assurance was given in the evidence of Colonel Talbot,
who states that he had gone, in company with Sir P.
Maitland, to examine the It ish emigrants, settled a hun-
dred miles below York. The Appendix to the Report
contained the Address presented by the settlers on that
occasion, and they stated that they were well pleased
with the old settlers, and that if a foe should have
the ptesumption to invade their common country,
mit as Irishman would stay behind, bat if they
Rod no better weapons, they would mow down the
revokers with their Irish abillelabs.—(Laughfer).—
stick, he would confess, was rather an odd weapon to
mow with; but, then, the national confusion of the
phraseology was a proof of the sincerity of their inten-
tions. The last set of emigrants had as much success
as the former; the accounts from them displayed
stiller improvement and alteration, from poverty and
misery, to comfort and prosperity, to an extent which
so other part of the world could parallel. That the
old inhabitants were pleased with the emigration and
conduct of the new settlers, would clearly appear (tom
the Address presented by the original settlers of the
county of Northumberland, to the Governor, expressive
of their satisfaction and gratitude to Government for
the introduction of the emigrants into their country.—
There were, besides this, five other addresses from other
places, to the same effect* and not one against the mea-
sure. The addressers founded their satisfaction on the
conviction which they held, that abundant elements of
improvement were contained in a large increase of per.
pulation, and that the introduction of the emigrants
would tend to give the Colony additional strength,
wealth, and prosperity. Several Colonial witnesses, who
differed from each other in their opinions on other sub•
jects, agreed in joining their testimony together ascot'se
advantage resulting to the Colony from the intrados**
of new settlers, and the probability that discerning of
their conveyance would, en another shape, be absinitive.
ly refunded to the State in the beneficial effects of the
system—for instance, in creating a new market for the
consumption of home manalactures; the benefits would
be reciprocal to each country. What was wanted its i
the Colonies was an agricultural population. The
price of agricultural labour at home was not such as
could enable the labourer to live in comfort. Thus the
surplus labour of the Mother Country might be made
to supply the want of labour felt at Canada—thus the
Committee was supported in their opinion, as to the
Mutual aids given by emigration to the advancement
ef the national prosperity.. It was a common assertion,
that no expense should be applied to the emigration of
labourers, beyond the amount of their passage out
wards—that they should be merely landed in the
Colony, and allotted to be absorbed in the general maul
of Society, and there to take their future fortunes, as'
chance may determine. This was an erroneous opinion,
and the very oppsite to the plan on which the emigra-
tion of 1825 had been conducted, when the emigrants
not only received lands, but were located on them; and
i!ie con.equ, nce was, that they made permanent and
prosperous settlements on them, and soon raised them-
sel►es ,tom the condition of labourers; to a station and

independence which enabled them to give mployment
to labourers; and if those settlers shall hereafter be able
to pay back to the State advantages equivalent to the
expense of their emigration and 1 cation, who can fix a
linsit to the colonization of the fertile wastes of Canada,
until every foot of land shill have been inhabited?-..
An emigrant population may be compared to the acorn ;
plant it and it will take root, and be matured, in coarse
of time, into a body of marinade ao4_strength; scut*
it, and it may perish. This was the &arctic* between
mere emigration and location. See, then, the difference
between theirish peatant at home, and in the Calmly.
la the one place, witllbut sobstaace, Without consfott,
without independence, without even a beam of hope '
to cheer his gloom of pauperism; in the other, '
'ndustrious, [nippy, and independent; his children,
who before, were his curse and burden, now because
Wining *ad but hair. (Near, hear.) Wet it ant '
Welleioit4 ihenttefition or the House, then to
Whither trui •isteages of elnigratibn might not
fro d with* iiispod ridilifioetal burden on die!
fort*? 14111111 K he bad' no await he
Wil; that, inioneo 'sheet deb*, the' emigrants weal"
able to. payback all the expeaset of their anigratidire
end locauln. He 'was sire that when the rase Wal
clearly eiplrined to them, they would hot-objeet to pay
back a share, and even a large one; of those explaillio
by instalments proportionate to the increase of their pitilsta
perty. To emigration founded on that principle, there
was no objection, on the'Part of some, but on the ='7
of expense ; While others contended, that it would
oeither•the Mother Country nor the Colony. The Meth*
Country its'setied a large labouring population. Now,
taking it for 'rioted that the price of labour' in this
country wet not suth as could afford the poor menthe •
ccisoforfs of life, what was the effect of that cheapness
of labour? It equalized all classes • of labourers, and
spread patiperism over the land; like a mildew, to
blast whole provinces at once. Convinced then, that
emigration brought benefits •to both this country and
the COlonf, hewas still further prepared to provvbefere •
a Conimittee, that the speculations about the forced cep
tiustion of waste lands at home, and other such tempo-
rizing plena vrodld not only fail of ameliorating the con-
dition of the peasantry but tend to perpetuate tad ago
gravate the evil system under which they wee*: now
sulk-ring. ' But, even if the consideration of his -plan •
should bate no other result than in turning away the
public mind Irons the contemplation of these tempotary?
and injurious speculations, he should consider that melt
alone would justify the report of the Committee. The
House would be surprised to hear that be had 'eidetic**
to prove to them, that emigration could be effected
from England without any outlay of the public money;
and only without outlay, but that there were many
would be relieved and benefited by
at parochial expense ; for instants,
7, in Sussex, that single parish,
. his assertion. The rental of that
while its poor rum eassmeted to
asked what was the cause of tbisilto
_ high prices of labour, which, in the
war, brought in an overflow of labourers, who, by the•
laws of settlement, were afterwards unable to leave it.
The number of cottager. that payed rates was forty.
one; the number which was unable was forty-nape;
there were sixty-seven labourers employed in breaisaig
stones for the reads, an unnecessary and inperiloone
employment ; 147 were maintained in their ownbouseir
and 70 in the poorhouse; 233 labourers were= sen«
ployed by the landholders in their turn ; those who ptiet
101.111. or 121. employed one; those who held fumes •
at 1001. rent, were obliged to occupy nine, though they
wanted but six; nine shillings a week for 233 labourers,
made 5,4321. from this, 33 per Cent. deducted for super.
Buoys labour, made 1,8171. this added to the poor rates.
was 4,1311. from which the rental deducted, lets an ex-
cess for wages paid for superfluous labour, amounting,
to 1,6321. 'Would the agricultural Gentlemen of &go
hiad tolerate such a system? Would it be denied that
such a parish would be benefitted by emigration? Are
reerleyen prepared to lie inactive under that load of
Muileassary expense? There was not one rate-payer in
!leery
parish that was not ready to contribute SOL out of
!leery lOW. to be expended in the emigration of able
bodied paupers; there were 67 labourers uselessly eab.,
ployed, and 77 et useful labour. Suppose the number
'of able bodied paupers reduced to 100, each of whom,
with his family. to cost the parish 251. a year, making
altogether 2,5001. a year poor .rates; non, it the tate
pqusa would consent to defray the expenses of sham&
reties of that number of their paupers, their paroctsia4
burdens would be reduced from 2,6001. by 6471. What
She landholders of England were informed of this, wan
b not natural to. expect they would be anxious to
time themselves from the expense of superfluous
Boar, by encouraging the system of emigration to out
? The result of the former experiment chewed
the hoe& which was eanierved opus the einigrant,-•s
He had seen Yuen fees these which were went
oot fro diotOntiniee eoptheir friends in Ireland ens
pteediegi disk .tatisiketies at the. change .is that
inside*, vied calling open them to petition Government
Mating forward sake plan for them to go out also. The
eyeestion then was, would it not be expedient to remove
men who were now languishing in poverty, an evil. td
dint country, to a mere favourable soil, where tbei#
keen would make them comparatively rich, and
hem* tee their native land ?• He had a letter frorn.ese
of thetweemigrants, of so late a date es the 18th of Des
comber last, addressed to Mr. Robinson, the Gentleman
who had the superintendence of the arrangements foi
their colonization, which would prove the assertioo he
had made with regard to their happiness. The Hen.
Omulento here read the letter, which thas.ked
adialins for the cars he had taken of them, and as-
suenilhiie that the calumnies which bad been uttered
rdorm would be disproved by the event, an 4
tillhey would prove as happy and as loyal subjects
a any on that side of the Atlantic. This, continued
the Hon. Gentleman, was written by desire. of the
Emigrants of 1823, by one of their own Cumber. Wrist
the present situation of these men was contrasted with
that in which they were in Ireland, bordering en dev
spair, scarcely clothed or fed, addicted to came, as
a prey to agitators, at whose call they were Away,
ready for any work of violence or tapinel-wbee,

iterate calculation of minute details, that in seven and not Oily without c
re. its value would amount to 90.0001.—Tbes these Finishes which woult
e people were, in a short time, raised float wretched. seeding. out paupers at
i and degrAdatioi in their own cottony, to rasps. the wish of Shepley,
end independence, intends ea which bismanbetaggs wailfully bear out k
never before set their foot...lands so-rich *ad 'ler- Pea* las OWL .1
that they respired Merely to be scratched with the 2,1241. it he was ask
to enahte them to prof:luso the Melt abundant would answer, the big
• r__ nine. n an nu