Star.
London, England, 1828-03-05 00:00:00

who had given notice of his intention to move for
Committee to inquire into the increase of crime, he
would ask that Noble Lord, if he or any ether Hon.
Member could disagree with this Learned Judge, who
had said that lowness of wages and excess of population
bad mainly caused the increase of crime?- And how
was that excess of population and the lowne-s of wages
to be got rid of? He maintained that it was to be
effected by no other means than emigration, and the
alterations he had stated. He was happy. to- find that
the same opinions which he had expressed were enter-
tained in the Colonies. He found that resolutions had
been carried at Montreal, before the Report of the Conn
mittee could have arrived there, to this effect :—That as
increase of agricultural population was desirable, and
that it should be encouraged and assisted. By the
Upper Canadian Gazelle of about the same period, be
found that a want of a greater agricultural populatiop
was considered to be the incubus which restrained, the
Xolony from making that rapid march in improvemem
of which, under other circumstances, it would be ca:
p.ble. While this country complained an excess of
agricultural:population, the Canadas complained of a
deficiency, and therefore by encouraging emigration we
should be relieving °urn Ives and securing to thine who
emigrated a proportionate recompence tor their labour.
The area of cultivable land in the two Canadas was
about 111,000,000 of Briti,h acres, while that in Great
Britain and Ireland was about 77,000,000 of acres.—
The Canadian land was at least as fertile, if not more
so, than that of England. In Canada there was one
person to every 190 acres, while in England there were
57 persons to 190 acres. Now, that being the case,
it must be evident that the lal,ourer, whose great
care must be his own subsistence, would have a touch
greater prospect of success in Canada than he cculd
have by cultivating poor lands at home. Complaints
had been made that the Colonies were not sufficiently
productive to the Mother Country; but Ire put it to the
House whether it was not absolutely necessary for the
Mother Country, in the first instance, to supply the
means for exertion? He had beard Mr. Gallatin, who
was not an old man, say, that when he first settled in
America there was no European near the spot on which
he fixed, and that now, if a straight line were drawn
from his settlement, it would be feund that civilisation
had actually extended 800 miles.. and why, he (MI.
Horton) would ask, should not the same 'improvement
take place in our Colonies as in the United States? If
he were asked whether the Committee had prepared any
plan to prevent the return of a superabundant poit-
lation, supposing the present one were removed, he
should reply, that if the alterations he had alluded to
were made, he then would not fear of any return of the
evils complained of ; the same reasons would not exist
to produce them ; and he repeated that he foresaw no
remedy that could at present be afforded,otber than an
effort to give a rational assistance to -such parties as
slished to emigrate, in consequence of their inability
to procure a demand for their labour here. Nor
was it to the Canadas alone that the House should
look fur a field for emigration, but to our other colonies,
as New South Wales and the Cape of Good Hope.—
The difference between New South Wales and the Cape
of Good Hope was this—that the produce of the former
hatran exportable value, not only in this country but
elsewhere. fie felt thoroughly convinced that there
was a practicable possibility of removing a great pro-
portion of the superabundant population without, any
ultimate expense to the country. There were many
parishes In this country which would be very happy to
bear the'eXpense of sending Bogie` e' the popula-
tion to the;COlotiies, and a mime of productive wealth
might that lia•established with no very considerable out-
lay of capital:' The existing population of New South
Wales were very desirons that emigrants should be sent
rain to them upon this principle.: they were ready to
bear the expense-of the undertaking themselves. As it
was impossible for him now to go through the whole.
of the evidence taken before the Committee, he re-
quested the particular attention of:the House to it. The
evidence of Colonel Talbot ind other Gentlemen exa-
mined before the Committee' were quite sufficient to
bear him out in what he had stated to the House. All
he wished was to call the attention of the public to the
subject. it would be most unwise on the part of the
Government to take any unless they were first sanc-
tioned by public opinion. With respect to those who
thought that existing difficulties could not be removed
by emigration, and that there were, within the country
itself sufficient resources to give employment and sup-
port to the whole of the population,lncasuld not expect
that those Gentlemen. would. gotalong with him. With
respect to the P.r: tettgers'Acri.heltild nothing to do with
it, and he regretted-
that a new eVaie which he meant
to propose was to be opposed by the Hon. Gentleman
opposite (Mr. J. Grattan). Last Session he consented,
very much against his will, to bring in a Bill for the
repeal of that Act. It was certainly, he would admit,
an objectionable Act in some respects, but then it might
have been modified. Great evil had arisen from the repeal,
for emigrants were thus enabled to arrive in the Colo-
nies without being at all prepared for such an under-
taking. This appeared from .the accounts transmitted
by Sir Henry Douglas from New Brunswick, and other
accounts from other parts of Canada. Had these emi-
grants arrived in the United States in such a destitute
situation, the ship would have been confiscated. The
United States had very properly taken measures against-
having multitudes of emigrants thrown upon her shores
in a perfectly destitute state.; They should adopt some
precaution of a similar nature. ThO analogy of their
laws did not justify them in thus permitting numbers to
take their passage in a- s!rip bound to any of the Colonies
without any consideration of their present means or
future prospects. They legislated for the number of
persons to be conveyed in coaches or steam boats.—
Why not legislate in one case as well as the other? The
repeal of the Act was looked upon as a Matter of regret
by Sir 4,./Xernpt, Lieut. Colonel Cockburn, and others,
who had an opportunity of witnessing the state in which
the emigrants arrived. He had himself brought in a
Bill to establish a minimum of food, and also a mini-
mum of space,on board these emigrant ships,not wishing
by that to oppose any obstacle to emigration. It would
be most inconvenient if emigration wasrnot placed under
such restrictions as to prevent those who left their coun-
try froos arriving at the place of destination in a state
of dines', misery., and destitution. It,was too hard that
they. should be left to depend merely upon what.infor-
mation they could collect from their friends or ac-
quaintances who had gone out. before them. All he
desired was to introduce such regulations As might pre-
-vent fatal consequences. lf the House were to-follow
up the principle viewed by the Committee, he felt con-
fident that it wOold Atiamitell be Pro4l.4oT_Fpf.greet
.bucefit the xnuayry. .21. Light nuns, Gentleman
Concluded by mowing. for a .0011 of the. Report laid
before tbeColpnlal Dew py'Littitetseet Colooel
"COCltbett, Ma the st!hiftt,Migt4tiori, tageOet Wick
Coei the Inetissetiom iectitived tram the.ColOnial
:Department by limateaaat Colossi Cockburn oa Olt
-86th'Jan..l827. - •
-MtI,A)tliNG; jun:'s.ak.t. 0 the statement Abe
'l4,MoiiiibleGintlenran-N aa Made to the House he tras