The native American., 1838-09-08
$l,300,02l As
Total amount for 8 years

Estimating the expenses for the support of the
foreign poor in the proportion of their numbers,
(Which will he seen 10 average, perhaps more
than three-tourths OF the whole there will have
been expended in their behalf $975.0l6 10 since
1880; and but $325,005 36 for the support of
our own poor! Considering this amount in
the proportion of the numbers coming To other
places IN thus country, which has been estimated
as equal TO those arriving at this por and the
amount expended for foreign poor within this
time is 81 ,95O,O32 20, while our own country
men have realized but one-fUnrh nart of this vast
sum. Yet even this is bv no means the amount
expended for such poor; for the 5000 which
have been assisted "oul of DOORS and all those
supported by twenty other institutions, and by :
private charities, are not estimated. Besides, !
doubt much whether 1t lsteasv 10 arrive Ut the
exact expenses. The commissioners otthe aims
house assure me that the expenses of the aims
house, brldewell, and penrleniiary, were S25o,000
for tn. year 1896.
| have not now al hand the expenses of the
hospital and the various other charItnhe nsiltn-
lions, in which foreigners eniov abonl he same
proportion mentioned. AMI which nohlv charac-
terlze the liberalitv Il might ill-atSrsed lhe-
ralv) of our citizens. "l In fact, ITO use the
language in the report Of a committee OF the
Common Council of this city. appointed to in
public charities are principally ior he benefit of|
these foreigners Again: '.the immense num-
Der of persons arriving at this port. fleeing from
the poverty. starvation. and oppression of Eurone,
is calculated certainly not onlvto excite our SYM
pathv, but to create a we-tounde, alarm as to
the results of our municipal prosperity. as well as
the character and morality OF onr population.
'Fhe greater number of those EN- grants are abso-
lutey pennless. and. reeking with the acrumu-
lated filth which long confinement on shlp-hoard
and an habitual want of cleanliness produce. they
almost all, immediately y on their arrival, roam The
streets band of hou>eless mendicans. or apply
to your alms-house for succor. Crime succeeds
destitution; yonr prisons are fHed, your hospi-
tails are crotcde| 7rift them, nnd y3ur p"bHc
treasury IS spent upon hose irho neuer confriJu-
ted cent to the general meiforer'
There are numerous facts which might be here
introduced, and other opinions of our public an-
thorities to show the extent of ''this intolerahe
burden upon u.s. but time does not now permit
me to detail them.
The average number Of those who receive the
charity of the alms-house "out door, for the
public buildings have been so much crowded as
TO exclude the majority of applicants,) during
1878, was 5000, more than two-thirds of
whom were forei gners. During the past winter
the applications for charity very numerous,
as may be seen from one week, i'll which 2,744
heads of families were applicants, or 100 indi-
viduals, three-fourths of whom were foreigners.
"What proportion Of the inmates of poor
houses are native American citizens?" In reply
to this, in addition to what has already been
stated, the commissioner of our ams-house in
forms me- (to use his own language. Il think the
average number not over one-thrd: and ! have
found on examining the poor-houses of other
cities and towns, that this proportion is about
kept up" He further says, ''the native citizen
will not 90 to the alms-house unless his cir
cumstances admit Of no Improvement: while. on
the contrary, an lrshman wants to 90 there Whe,a-
erer his toe aches; German is somewhat averse
t, going there; Englishmen are The most impuden,
and troublesome inmates: Swcdes, Norwegians
French, and Spanish, enter in limited numbers
1t is to be observed. Continues hc,) that very
considerable proportion of our fore ign paupnrs are
introduced through the Canadas. New Jersey
and the Eastern States; and we have TO support
them without receiving bond or communication
money"
1t NAV also be stated, in passing. that the re-
lative number of for igners supported AT the aims
house is reported BY a committee Of the Board
of Aldermen greater han that suggested above.
They say, '.The alme-honse is fu-rontanng
at this moment, 3,n74. Of which, about three
fourths are foreignars.'
On the lst of January of LAST wear. oS2 foreign
ers and 227 native Americans had been admitted
to the hospital of Bellevue. Admitting the same
proportion in the alms-honSe. and the relative
number of foreigners. compared with that Of
our city population, will be seen as before stated,
as one to every As. and that Of Americans MS to
every 1923. ''How many more foreigners live
upon private charities (savs a late report Of the
Native American Association.) let the swarlns Of
mendican,s who daily and nightly throng our
streets attest
Of the $50 pauprrs received into the Boston
House of Refuge in 1896, SIG were foreigners:
and of the paupers admitted into the House of
Industry in that city, within something less than
six months during the past year, there were bu,
So Bostonians to lG0 foreigners. The moral
character of these was equally cXcep,ionable: for
il is stated that four-ililhs of the men and three
fifths of the women had been intempera,e, as
were also the parents of nearly all the children!
Relative to the question, 9 Arc there within
your knowledge, or have you been informed Of.
any frauds pracrsed in procuring certificates OF
naturalization under the present laws of the United
States! and if so, how, and hv what means, are
sucb frauds nrac,ised and what remedv can you