The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-01-20 00:00:00

EMIGRANTS' HOME, AND GOVERNMENT
'STATION AT BIRKENHEAD.

Until the present time, the free passengers sent out by
Government to our Australian colonies have been collected
in London, and shipped from that port for their destina-
tion ; which, as a large number, if not the majority of
them, came from Ireland, necessarily entailed considerable
inconvenience on the passengers, and much waste expen-
diture of the public funds. The attention of the Commis-
sioners of Emigration having been called to that tact, they
have resolved to establish a station in this neighbourhood,
at Birkenhead, as a more convenient locality for persons
proceeding from the sister island and from the north of
England and Scotland, than the metropolis. With the
view of carrying out their intentions in this respect, they
have chartered the Mangerton, (Stephens, commander,)
belonging to Messrs. Barton arid Brown, of Cook-street,
in this town ; annexing this condition, however, to the
contract, that the commissioners should not be at any
expense in providing such a depot as they required for the
proper accommodation of the emigrants till the period of
their embarkation.
This home has accordingly been fitted up, in one of the
dock warehouses, at the south-eastern corner of the great
float—the free use of which has been kindly granted by
the Birkenhead Dock Warehousing Company—by Messrs.
John S. De Wolf and Co., through whose courtesy
we have been able to inspect it. The lower floor contains
a number of tables, forms, and other conveniences for a
great hall, or general living room ; but as yet it has only
a brick floor, and as the wood partitions around are still
rough and unpainted, the place has somewhat of a tempo-
rary, naked, and cheerless aspect. If the experiment—
for as yet the thing is necessarily only an experiment—
should succeed, it is intended to lay down a boarded floor,
to increase the accommodations at present afforded, and
to give it a greater appearance of comfort and stability.
This applies, we understand, to every part of the "home,"
which, till the contemplated improvements are effected,
will continue to look " raw" and uncomfortable.
On the floor above are large dormitories—one, for
married persons, containing 74 berths, with bedding and
bedroom requisites complete ; another, for single females,
containing 50 berths, each intended, we believe, for the
accommodation of two persons ; and the third, for single
men, about the same size as that for unmarried women,
and capable of accommodating as many sleepers. The
whole of these looked clean and airy; and the rooms
seemed to be well warmed and ventilated.
Within the building, on the ground floor, is an emigra-
tion office, where the business of the emigrants is tran-
sacted under the superintendence of Mr. Smith, whom
the Government commissioners have deputed to manage
the embarkation by the Mangerton ; and who also under-
takes the duty of exchanging all moneys belonging to the
emigrants, where reqnired, for colonial currency,—an
arrangement which cannot fail to be highly beneficial to
the parties concerned, who might otherwise he liable to
the notorious fronds so frequently practised by disrepu-
table " dollaring" agents in this town, upon the unwary.
Moreover, the emigrants, in order to prevent the risk of
their being duped by sharpers, are not allowed to leave
the "home," until the sailing of the ship, without his per-
mission ; nor are strangers admitted to the building with-
out an order for that purpose from authorised parties. To
enforce these regulations, a police-officer is constantly
stationed at the entrance gate. Adjoining the office
alluded to is a provision store, whence the daily rations

are served out in conformity with the dietary appointed
by the commissioners ; and in front is the cooking estab-
lishment, excellently fitted up, and conducted in the most
quiet and orderly manner. There is a washhouse and
drying-shed adjoining the building, in which we saw
several of the female emigrants busily engaged in pre-
paring for their approaching departure.
The Mangerton, which is to convey the emigrants to
South Australia, is a substantially-built, full-rigged ship,
of 960 tons old, or 1,100 tons burthen, new measurement.
She was constructed at Quebec : is classed A 1 for six

years ; and is nearly new, having been previously out but
one voyage. She has a poop deck, and is roomy and
commodious throughout, her between decks being nine
feet high, and measuring about eight to the beams.
Her berths are constructed to carry 166 married males and

females In the mid-ships, 90 single adult males in the
after deck, and 80 females forward. We understand that

the whole of these berths are engaged ; and, reckoning
upon non-adults in the usual way, it may be estimated
that the ship will carry about 340 persons.
All the internal arrangements are admirable ; and the
accommodations superior to those generally provided in
emigrant ships. Every precaution has been taken for
the due separation of the sexes, to preserve decorum, and
to secure the efficient protection of females during their
long voyage ; and for the sick, two excellent hospitals, for
males and females, have been furnished with every requi-
site which experience could suggest.
At our visit we saw a considerable number of the emi-
grants, who looked cleaner, better clad, and more healthy

and cheerful than persons 'in similar circumstances ordi-
narily appoar. We were informed that they are chiefly
from Ireland, and must have been drawn from the most

vigorous and desirable classes of its population. Several
of the passengers, however, are from different parts of
England, who havebeen sent down to the "Home" by the
Emigration Commissioners. On Monday last, all who
had arrived were mustered, and a dejeuner was given on
the occasion by the owners and agents of the Mangerton.
Captain Stephens, the commander of the vessel,
is very intelligent and obliging, and readily supplied us
with all the information in his power. The officials ap.
pointed by the government commissioners were less cour-
teous, and seemed anxious to avoid troubling themselves
to do or say more than their duties absolutely required.
We may add, that besides the steerage passengers, nine
were engaged for the cabin. To-day is appointed for
the vessel's sailing.