The native American., 1838-08-11

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and Aldermen of the city of New York, it is
stated that during the last seven years 296,259
foreigners arrived at the port of New York. In
1885, the whole population in the city of New
York was 27O, ,Os9. Thus it will be seen, that
in the short period Of seven years, the number
of foreigners who congregated in the city of
New York was 26,l7O more than the whole
population which that city contained in 1885.
In the memorial it is also stated that 'on the
lst of January, 1897, 9S2 foreigners and 227
native American citizens had been admitted to
the hospital at Bellevue the preceding year. On
the lst of May last, there were in the alms-house
,437 paupers. Allowing the same proportion of
foreigners as in the hospital, and there would be
,O6S foreigners and 800 native citizens in the
alms-house.
at appears from the report of committee
monthly appointed by the Board of Aldermen of
this city, that there were, at the date that report
3,07O paupers in the alms-house, more than three
fourths of whom are foreigners. How many
more Of this class live upon private charities, let
the swarm of mendicants who daily and nightly
infest our streets attest"
At recent date, it appears that the number of
convicts confined at Sing Sing, New York, was
800, of whom 6O3 were foreigners.
In the year ending in August, 1886, there were
received into the Boston House of Refuge S66
paupers, 5l6 of whom were foreigners From
the lst of January to the 25h of April, 1887,
there were 264 paupers admitted to the same
House of Refuge, l6O of whom were aliens.
1T must be born in mind says this report that
those foreigners only who arrive in vessels of
forty tons burden and upwards are registered and
taken into the account above stated. There are
hundreds, nay thousands, who come in vessels
of less size, and by the way of the Canadas. 1t
| is confidently believed that the whole number of
foreign emigrants who have arrived in this city
since 1880, amounts to more than 0,O0O."
In 1907, the foreign population in the United
States bore proportion to the native of about
| to forty; now the proportion is about one to
nineteen.
This unnatural increase of population, COM
bning in social intercourse strangers possessing
different habits, speaking different languages, many
of them unable to either read or write, not capa-
bic Of duly appreciatng their own rights, or their
obligations to the municipal regulations of the
! country which protects them, with habits estab-
lished for duplcity, idleness, and crime, would
naturally, if not necessarily, produce Interrupt
ton to that unity and peaceful interchange of
kind Offices which SO peculiarly characterize the
American people.
of the city Of New York, it is stated, "The ex-
tent Of the influx of foreigners of the lower classes
seems not to be fully understood. There are al
least, from England and Ireland alone, more than
hundred and twenty thousand emigrants who
yearly reach our shores by direct indirect
ses. Sixty-fve thousand emigrants came directly
to New Y York and its neighborhood last year; and
as many reached the States north of the Potomac,
in the same space OF time, in some way or an
other. This is moderate calculation. The En-
cvclopedia Amercanna, translation and enlarge
ment of the German Conversations Lexicon, edit
ed by foreigner, states, that from thirty-fve
thousand to five hundred thousand emigrants ar
rive in this country (meaning the Canadas and the
United States) every year. But few of them it
is well known, stay in Canada; they prefer our
Government to the colonial. This statement is
corroborated by the London Encyclopedia which
urges the British Government to send out mil
lion of emgrants a year, until proper deple-
ton is made of the swollen body of their popu-
laton, and reckons up the cost, making it over
five pounds sterling head, which is double the
amount they pay for landing the inmates of their
alms-houses and jails at the present time. They
now pay about five dollars head for passage
money and their provisions costs about ten dol
| lars EACH"
Inc consequence OF sucn an amdlgamauon
must be dissatisfaction, if not violence, and ex-
tensive violation of personal rights; these pro-
duce litigation, criminal prosecutions, and con-
sequently large disbursements of the public mo-
ney. An examination Especially in the towns
where this foreign population assembly of the
calendar of criminal prosecutions, will show the
alarming extent of this evil. If, in time of
peace and tranquility, such consequences flow
from mingling in our community such discor-
dant materials, what security can there be in a
state Of war, when concert and cooperation be-
come essential to national security.
The Mayor of the city of New York COM
municated his annual message to the Common
Council of that city on the 18th of May 1898,
from which the following extracts are taken ::
:. Your early and most serious examination of our
entire pauper system, including the contemplated
removal of the alms-house to Blackwel's island,
or to Randal's island and the establishment Of
work-house, is daily becoming more necessary.
1t is believed that, by laborous investigation,
and upon consequent new arrangements of the
various departments, the enormous expenses may
be diminished, or at least prevented from being
increased, except in few absolutely unavoidable
leases.
If the addition of numbers and cost of mainte-