The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-16 00:00:00

Tnem be rs.

THE EMIGRATION BROKERS.—We have frequently
endeavoured to excite the public sympathy on behalf of
that class of society who, driven from their nati%e shores
.by adverse Gnome, are led to seek an asylum in. foreign
elands.. The frequent impositions practised upon these
individuals by the passenger brokers, with but very fetv
.exceptions, called for the interference of our local au-
Ilnirities, and application was made to the Colonial
Offi.ce for the appointment of a go% eminent agent, w bo
Abould soperinteud the fitting out of 51iips for the emi-
gration service, and afford a powerful protection to the
unfortunate emigrant. The choice fell upon Lieut. Low
arr qficer who had served with distinction in her Ma-
jesty's navy for several years, and who was strongly re-
,comirrended by the various officers under whom he bad
b'erved. The appointment of a rtsid-ent govei muent
lagent naturally excito the jealousy of the pas4.nger
ibiokers, and from that period se% erarof them continued
p dirirat:eful'opposition, and endeavoured' Lb.:create-a

prejudice against Lieut. Low. It will, however, be sa-
tisfactory to the public to know, that this gentleman has
received testimonials of approval from thelocal authori-
ties, who have had the best opportunity of iodizing uf
his conduct and estimating the value of his services.
We intimated iti our last that a pamphlet has very
recently been published, under the title tat- " A Letter to
Lieut. Low, by a Passenger Broker." Ef this pamphlet
is intended for a vindication of the conduct of the emi-
gration brokers, it is a miserable failure. The records
of the police-court, as well as the books kept at the go-
vernment office, prove beyond all controversy the guilt
of many of these parties. During the year 1837 no le:ss
than 2366 complaints were lodged at
.the gov(rnment
office, and redress obtained for 894. Now, how does the
wilier of this pamphlet meet this charge? Simply by
declaring his belief that the 894 cases were the only ones
requiring redress! This. appears a very convenient
mode,of getting rid of the charge; but ail who are ac-
quainted with the nefarious system adopted by many of
these brokers know that conviction is-only obtained by
the most careful and persevering inquiry. In many in
stances the restitution of the money wrested from the
poor emigrant has been enforced by the authority of law.
The sum of £523 Is. 84d. was recovered between May
7, 1833, and December 31, 1837, during which time two
prosecutions took place at our assizes, on both of which
convictions were obtained. This speaks volumes in fa-
vour of Lieut. Low's administtation, not to mention the
advantages and comfort secured through his interference

to the unfortunate emigrants.
We must now proceed to notice the pamphlet more
particularly. The writer appears most anxious that the
mist which has so long obscured the perception of the
public through the fahacious representations of news-
paper reports slitinld be dispelled. Now we claim for
ourselt es and our contemporaries the public confidence
with regard to the various statements which have ap-
peared on the,subject of emigration. We have endea-
voured to act impartially, and in this spirit we have, on
several occasions, opened our columns to both parties.
Our reason for discontinuing the practice was, that we
found the various charges made against Lieut. Low were
quite groundless, and that the complaints made by Lieut.
Low. were confirmed by the records of the police court'
and other incontrovertible evidence. These books are
open fit die inspection of the public, although this is
denied by the writer of the pamphlet before us in the
following paragraph :
" The Standard newspaper stated that Lieut. Low's books
were open to the public, and, in consequence of that declaration,
a person called at his office and politely requested to see th
lie as asked by, what authority he called there, and rep
that he had a friend in the emigration business, and that, if he
could discover that his friend had been guilty of the crimes at-
tributed to the passenger brokers, his friendship for him would •
be immediately annibi4ted. He was then informed ‘hat if he
had come with a note from a newspaper office he might have
had the permission to see them; but, as he had no authority fur
seeing them, he could not be allo,%ed that privilege. This is
only a part of the same system. So then, the people connected
with the press may see his libellous books, in order that the
libelling systetn may still continue in full force against us. But
why are we, or our ft lends, who are most deeply interested in
the matter, to be deprived of a sight of them? Here is justice.
Why not reveal to us the secrets of those mystical books, which
reseuib:e Pandora's box, with all manner of evils therein, but.
not like hers, with hope at the bottom ? Why not allow us to
real our crimes in their most hideous aspect and with their
must fright fultrappings, that so he may cherish the hope of ''u
amendment ?. But the misfortune is. that, if we all amend theme
will be no need of his services. nos, the system is admirably
concocted, and has hitherto worked well. If we see the books,
"the cat might-get out of the bag." But we wish for an open
investigation of those books; not a partial extra nation, but a
minute scrutiny. If they have been fait ly kept, theme is no cause
of fear."

The statement here made is. in our opinion, false
from beginning to end, arid for this simple reason, that
in a conversation we held with some of the brokers con-
cerned in the publication of this pamphlet, they allowed
that the hooks were kept for a public inspection. But
these men know the general indifference of the public to
these matters, and hope for concealment through such
neglect.. Wo had our attention called a short time since
to a paragraph which appeared in the STANDARD, repect•

ing a summons which had been obtained against one of
these brokers for swindling. sonic poor emigrants. The
paragraph was headed "Swindling Emigrants." The
broker, in consequence, paid us a visit, in order to re-
monstrate with us on the impropriety of prejud;ing the
question. He stoutly asserted his own innocence--
boasted of his moral integrity, and stated that he never
even had been suspected of such base conduct. He shod.

tiered as he related a scene which occurred at his Own
house, wheit the charge was understood, and described

in glowing ter is the indignation of his amiable wife,

and the sympathy of his children. This most affected
narrative naturally moved ns to pity, anA we regretted

that so'.worihy an individual should suffer unjustly.

a few hours banished this feeling ; fur on our visit to
Lieut. Low's office we were surprised to find the name

a ibis:individual in almost every page of the book of
complaints. He has since deemed it necessary to enter

an action against us for the better vindication of his cha-
And yet such men are loud in their outcry
against being exposed to the public censure ! They tell
us they court inquiry—full inquiry—minute inquiry—

racier.

an impartial, patient scrutiny. And to give strength to
their assertion, they challenge Lieut. Limr to produce a

single instance of direct swindling, anti to name the per-
sons who were swindled. Now this appears very fair

and honourable, but we doubt if the publication of these
facts would be unattended with injury. Let these brokers
who ha-le written the pamphlet accept our challenge,
and testify to the world their wish to have the matter

fairly in% estigated. Let them give us a guarantee that
we shall not be subject to legal prosecution for the pub-
lication of the facts, and we will produce numerous cases
of fraud, and name the parties who have been defrauded.
Further, we are anxious to do justice to those brokers
who are not engaged in this system of villanous imposi-
tion, and therefore we will throw open our columns to
publi,h any instance of fraud practised by the emigrants
upon the brokers, provided they be confirmed bY un-
doubted testimony. We must, however, dismiss the

subject fur the present. The approaching season of the

year in which emigration takes place to a very considera-

•
ble .eXtrnt. 1132 led us to notice more particularly the

pamphlet before us. And We would urge it On the at-
tention of our friends to recommend emigrants to the

office of the government agent, where they are sure of

protect ion.

There are several cases for trial.at the en-

suing as•ize.s connected with this question, which will
afford the public the opportunity of judging more cur•
redly of the character of the pretensions put furth in the