The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-04-26 00:00:00

MRS. CHISHOLM AT LIVERPOOL.

This persevering lady, who on Friday met with nume-
rous intending emigrants, at the Mechanics' Institution,
for the purpose of furnishing them with counsel, addressed
a large public meeting at the Concert-hall, Lord Nelson_street, on Saturday evening. It was announced that the
ordinary con •ert would end at nine o'clock, when Mrs.
Chisholm would make her statement. Whether to the vocal
powers of Mr. Henry Russell, or the prospect of hearing
a lady-lecturer, or more probable still, to both induce-
ments combined, there was a crowded house—many hun-
dreds being unable to procure admittance. The parties
connected with the meeting were led to admit more than
the hall could properly accommodate, and the atmosphere
was heated to a truly painful height. The chair was
occupied by the mayor, Samuel Hot roe, Esq., who, after
the concert, introduced Mrs. Chisholm to the audience in
a lengthy address.
The MAYOR, in the course ef his observations, referred
to the dreadful mortality which had taken place on board
some of the Australian ships. Much had been done to
improve them, he admitted; but much stilt ought to be
done to make those vessels as comfortable as possible.
No one was justified in sending out, under the plea of
cheapness, vessels which lacked those conveniences which
might result in their being so many coffin ships, where
very many of the passengers might have to be thrown
overboard.—(Hear, hear, and applause )
Mrs. CHisHonm, in her opening remarks, observed that
from the very decided opinion expressed by his worship
the Mayor, as regards the horrors of the voyage to Austra-
lia, she had but little hope of finding him take part in the
Exodus. She should not make any attempt to take him
away, however; rejoicing rather that they had in Liver-
pool a gentleman like him at their head to watch kindly
and attentively over this great movement; she set out by
laying down, as a principle, that, with proper manage-
ment, a ship bound for Australia might be made a very
comfortable dwelling.place for three or four months;
quoted the mortality returns of ten emigrant ships, :com-
paring the same with the much smaller rate of mortality
which had taken place on board the ships sent out under
her management, where there was an unusually large pro-
portion of infants and old people, but where more roomy
berths and better convenience for cleanliness existed. She
deprecated the idea of cheapness prevailing upon people
to enter those ships, where their children would perhaps
be thrown overboard ; where married women would either
not have the opportunity of observing cleanliness, or have
to wash themselves in the presence of a miscellaneous
company of many worsen and children ; and where, when
the tired and exhausted passenger wished to turn himself
in his close and confined berth, he would have to get out
while his companion enjoyed the luxury of turning, and
then get into his miserably contracted bed again. She
reterred to the statements of the medical men of certain
emigrant ships, to the effect that disease had been nurtured
and ageravated by the uncleanly habits of the married
women ; and in regard to those repents she thanked God
that her fellow-countrywomen were not what was com-
plained of, and that they lied not yet lost all their native
sense of modesty and shame.
W. RATHBONE, Esq., in proposing a vote of thanks to
Mrs. Chisholm, said he sincerely hoped the mayor might
be induced to call a public meeting in Liverpool, for the
purpose of requiring the government to alter the present
emigration laws. (Hear, hear.) They were there assem-
bled professing to be Christians, and it was consequently
a part of their duty, as a Christian community, to remedy
the existing moral evil. They had heard from Mrs.
Chisholm how easy it was to make such arrangements on
board these emigrant ships as would prevent the frightful
number of deaths which had taken place on board the
government vessels. Mrs. Chisholm had also shown
them, that not one single woman had lost her moral cha-
racter on board the ships over which she had had control,
and they had heard what had been the demoralization on
board those vessels where Mrs. Chisholm's rules had not
been attended to. He, therefore, hoped that they would
profit by what they had that night heard. He urged
upon the public to demand from government an altera-
tion in the present regulations ; so that the shores of
Australia might not be polluted by females arriving there
from this country, who had been reduced to a state of
moral degradation during their passage, in consequence
of the abominable regulations at present sanctioned by
the English government.

Mr. BARCLAY seeonded the resolution, which was car-
ried amid great applause ; and a vote of thanks to the.
Mayor haring been likewise passed and carried with great
enthusia,-,m, the company joined in the national anthem;
after which the proceedings terminated at a few minutes
to eleven o'clock.