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

THE EMIGRATION TRADE.

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LTTER. .
Sta,—ln my last
.I endeavE
oured toII
show that by the wholesale-
charges brought against the lodging-house keepers much in-
justice is done to a very large number of them ; and that, in
fact, the mass of Irish emigrants pass through Liverpool with-
out experiencing any of those cruel deceptions and heartless
robberies about which the Albion is so eloquent. I propose, in
my present letter, to consider the case of the passenger-broker,
(on whom, of course, when the whole system is so mercilessly
denounced, a vast amount of odium must necessarily fall,) and
the owner or charterer of the emigrant ship.
There are somewhere about thirty licensed passenger brokers
in Liverpool, but of the 206,000 emigrants who have been for-
warded from Liverpool during the past year, nine-tenths at
least have been booked by six or eight leading firms, 40,000
having been sent forward by one house alone. Now, among
these six or eight firms there has been, if I recollect rightly,
but one solitary case of complaint brought before the magis-
trate, and that a case of compensation merely, involving no
moral culpability on the part of the broker. This is a fact
which reflects the highest credit on these firms, for it shows
that, amid much to harrass an . annoy, and I may add much to
tempt, they conduct theirbusiness with an honesty and straight-
forwardness that might be creditably copied in some other
branches of trade. I have said the passenger-broker has much
to harrass and annoy him. With the American passenger law
on the one side, and the English passenger law on the other—
this telling him he can put in but so many passengers—that
telling him he may put in so many—the government enigra-
tion officer ordering him to serve out stores to the passen-
gers—the Custom-house officer daring him to do so at his
peril the passengers clamouring for detention money—
the captain refusing to allow it, since it is not his fault
the full stores are not served—tl ese are some of the vex-
ations to which the passenger-broker is exposed. But he is
also frequently made the object of gross frauds by the emigrants
themselves, who will frequently book a youth of 15 as a child,
or a child as an infant, or wi reprsent themselves as sound, when one of the party is a crll ipple ;e or will leavel a balance of
the passage money unpaid, and when the ship is in the river
declare thy cannot pay, and leave him to suffer the loss. Be-
sides this, the broker's charity is often laid under heavy contri-
butions. Some unfortunate owes for a week's lodging, and his
box is detained : the broker must pay the two shillings—here
are three or four poor children from the union in Ireland, whose
passages are paid in America : they have no hat, shoe, or
stocking, nor a biscuit for the voyage, nor a penny in their
pockets—the broker must lodge them and feed them, and get
them some provision for the ship, or the " authorities" will
take the matter up ! All these cases are of weekly occurrence,
and might provoke the tender sensibilities of the Albion and
the emigration commissioners, if either the one or the other
knew anything practically of the emigration trade.
It is said that the government intend putting some severe
restrictions on the passenger business, early its the coming
session. If so, they will certainly raise a barrier against that
numerous class which the Poor-law Commissioners are so
anxious to get rid of—the candidates for workhouse accommo-
dation in Ireland. The average rate of passage money to New
York, paid by poop, second-cabin, and steerage passenger., in
1851, was about £3. Out of this the owner or charterer had to
pay the government surveyor's fee, the government medical
inspectors' fee, the broker's commission, and the commutation
money (a dollar and a half per adult) in New York, to erect
berths, and to furnish provisions, water, coals, and medicines,
for seventy days—leaving perhaps 255. a head for the cost of
working the ship. Now, it is quite clear that the rate of pas-
sage must have reached its minimum, and that ships cannot
continue to take passengers on such terms ; but if the govern-
ment officer is coming forward with greater powers and further
restrictions—with a demand for cooked food, and a more liberal
dietary—for separate cabins, and better superintendence—in
short, for first-class accommodation in a parliamentary train—
the shipowners must look to some other quarter for a freight.
Indeed, several American ships have already been withdrawn
from the Liverpool trade, and others are expected shortly to
follow. Instead, then. of discouragements and restrictions, it
would be wise in all who wish well to the port of Liverpool to
endeavour to promote the passenger traffic in every honest and
straightforward way. It is useless to attempt to bolster up
other ports at the expense of Liverpool, by pretending that
emigrants meet with less abuse, for it is certain that while it
really costs them from ten shillings to a pound a head less, the
accommodation and the ships are far superior. lam told that
ships that would not pass survey in Liverpool, meet with no
such obstacle in the Irish ports, and the assertion is some-
what countenanced by a fact mentioned in the Dublin Com-
mercial Advertiser, of January 12, as follows :
"Three vessels, with nearly 1,000 emigrants, which left Dub-
lin for New York early in October last, have not since been
heard of, and very serious apprehensions are entertained for
their safety."
Now, all the Liverpool passenger ships that sailed early in
October have, I believe, without an exception, been long since
reported safely arrived ; and surely there is no evil to be endured
in this town equal to an addition of three or four weeks to the
Voyage, and the greater risk of not reaching the port of destina-
tion at all !
The case of the shipowner or charterer (who is usualiy a pas-
senger broker), as affected by the man-catching system, is one
of far more hardship than that of the emigrant. The average
amount of commission paid to the man-catchers is 64 per cent.
This on 200,000, at £3 per head, will amount to the enormous
sum of £37,500, a sum which comes entirely out of the pockets
of the owners or charterers, and goes to pay enormous rents,
enormous rates, and enormous taxes, and to support scores of
those moral and social pests—the public-houses—which abound
to such a disgraceful extent in every part of the town. That
something should be done to deliver the shipowner from this
most unconscionable burden is earnestly desired ; but how this
can he accomplished is a difficulty which no one yet has been
able to solve.
If to the above sum we add ..4.10,000 paid to the same parties
(the lodging-house keepers), as commission on stores for the
voyage, we shall probably arrive at the extent of the "plunder,"
except the occasional booty that is made at a dollaring shop
out of a runaway debtor or thief, or a ninny, with snore money
than brains, which we may roughly state at £2,500, and we get
£50,000, instead of a quarter of a million sterling., as the me-
morialists to the Dock Committee have ludicrously stated.
Let us sum up. The lodging-house keepers, runners, and
touters, make something like £50,000 per annum. Of this,
.e 37,5011 is borne by the shipowners, at no extra cost whatever
to the emigrant.
£lO,OOO is borne by the emigrant, in the increased cost of his
provisions.
£2,500 is borne by swindlers, absconding debtors, thieves, and
simpletons.
If the two first could be relieved from their most grievous ,
burdens, the last may be left to their fate.

AMUSEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC, GRATIS !

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SlR,—One or two persons have in vain called attention to the
bell, or rather want of a bell, on the great Lauding-stage. As
I cross the river regularly four times a-day, I have pretty good
opportunities for judging of the capability of the arrangements
which have been mace for foggy weather.
Some months ago, during the summer, when there was no
likelihood whatever of fog, the large bell hung there without
being of the slightest use. In due time winter, with its fogs,
came on, and the first or second time the bell was used, either
it was cracked or found inefficient (it certainly was the latter),
or something else was the matter with it ; at all events it was
removed, and has not been heard since, save by rumour that
it was gone to be " re-cast ;" some months have elapsed
and we have had several very thick fogs, but no bell has made
its appearance ; true, a gong was put up, which was very well
for those who reached the stage, and was by no means unplea-
sant when you were a few yards from it, but when you got only
a short distance from the stage, I defy any one to have
heard it ; indeed, a greater farce than the aforesaid gong has
seldom been "played" on any stage.
But, monstrum liOrrendrum, an article, I know not what to
call it, has to-day made its " first appearance on the stage,"
which looks something like one of the "new patent knife
cleaners," and emits a sound somewhat like the horrid squeal
produced by a wheelbarrow when in want of oil, occasionally
degenerating into a sound very like the last groan of a pig!
I assure you, sir, it caused a very hearty laugh on board the
Woodside boat, this morning, when we came near enough to
hear it ; and if any of your readers wish to have a little amuse-
ment gratis, they should proceed to the Landing-stage some
foggy day.

Suffice it to say, that the present horrid whistle, or whatever
they call it, is by no means loud enough, and it is to be hoped
that another and more successful attempt may be mad► to im-
prove.—l am. Sir, your obedient servant, F.W.
Liverpool, Jan. 13, 1852.

THE SPRING CIRCUITS.—The Judges assembled on
Thursday morning, to select their respective circuits.
The final arrangement was as follows : -Norfolk Lord
Campbell and Mr. Justice Patteson.—Midland : Lord
Chief Justice Jervis and Mr. Justice Maule.—Home :
Mr. Baron Parke and Mr. Justice Coleridge.—Northern:
Mr. Baron Alderson and Mr. Justice Cresswell.— Oxford ;
Mr. Justice Wightman and Mr. Baron Platt.—Western :
Mr. Justice Erle and Mr. Justice Talfourd.—North
Wales ; Mr. Justice Williams.—South Wales : Mr.
Baron Martin.—The Chief Baron will remain in town
and attend Chambers.
GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH.—At the Court of
Windsor, the 10th day of January instant, Her Majesty,
having taken into consideration the report directed to be
made by the General Board of Health with respect to the
township of Kirkham, in the county of Lancaster, bath
ordered and directed that from and after the above date
the Public Health Act, with the exception of the section
numbered 50, shall be in force throughout the entire
township of Kirkham aforesaid, and that at the first elec-
tion of the local board T. L. Birley, Esq., shall perform
the duties of chairman thereof, and in case of his inability
or refusal to perform such duties, Richard Moore, Esq.,
jun., shall perform them.
A FAMILY OF SUICIDES.—A man, named Nash, the
son of a blacksmith, of Sunning-hill, has committed
suicide by throwing himself into a stream near Virginia
Water, Windsor. The deceased had written on the wall,
" Good bye, all—J. N." No immediate cause is assigned
for the rash act, but the annals of the deceased's family
show a remarkable predisposition to self.destruction on
the part of its members. About twelve years ago, a
brother of the deceased threw himself off the same
bridge, and was drowned. Twelve months ago, a cousin
drowned himself in the same water. Many years ago, an
uncle hanged himself in the adjoining wood • and, about
seven years ago, another cousin hanged himself in a plan-
tation on the Silwood estate.
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MATRIMONY.—The Arbroath
Guide announces the first distribution under the will of
Mr. Oir, of Brigton, by which he left £9OO to be invested
in good security, the yearly interest of which to be divided
on new Christmas-day by the minister of the Established
Church of St. Cyrus into five prizes, to be awarded as
follow :—" The youngest, the oldest, the tallest, and the
shortest of the brides belonging to the parish, married by
the parish minister during the year, to have a prize each ;
the fifth prize to be invested in tea and sugar, and pre-
sented to the deserving old maids belonging to the same.
The ages of the various claimants had accordingly to be
ascertained ; and on the 25th ult. the very interesting pro-
cess of measuring the damsels took place at the manse,
in the presence of the parish minister and other gentle-
men. There was a good deal of anxiety manifested, and,
as may be supposed, by the fair candidates ; and as each
nymph was subjected to the gauge the scene became parti-
cularly exciting. The result we give : —Th e tallest measured
five feet six inches, the shortest five feet, the youngest
was twenty-three, and the oldest twenty-nine years of age.
The prizes were then handed over to the blushing com-
petitors ; and, after having resumed their bonnets and
boots, they each, with a curtsey and a `thank ye,' retired."