The native American., 1838-09-01
FOREIGN PAUPERS AND NATURAL
l#t, ZATION LAWS.
ITO accompany bills H. r. Nos s7s and s74l
july 2, 1898.
From me Native american .Associnfion of The
United States, in Washingfon Cify,
[CoNCLUDED.1

from He VuteUe J1neertcnn .7SSOctM10n 01 ne
United States, in Washington City,
[coNcLuDED.]
1t has long since been foreseen in England that
the United States would furnish, not only the best
asylum, according to the notions of that people as
regards our fitness for such associations, but the
cheapest mode by which that Government could
free themselves from the burden Of mendcity
Accordingly, in 1882 instructions were framed
by the central board Of poor-law commissioners,
and directed to all assistants which contain a
special article upon this point.
ARTICLE 5.-Emigration.-"Th assistant
commissioners will, therefore, pay particular at
tention to emigration. He will endeavor to as
certain all the facts connected with every case in
which an emigration has been effected, and its
influence OH the rates Of the parish, and on the
wages and character of the remaining laborers.
He will inquire what sort of persons We're sent
ouf and how many, and of what character, and
within what period, have returned. Where no
such attempt has been made, he will ascertain
whether the omission is to be attributed to the
absence of redundant population, land, if SO,
how that absence is to be accounted for to any,
and what difficulties or objections on the part of
the rate-payers or of the laborers. And he will
collect facts and opinions as to the propriety of
enactment enabling any and what majority, in
number and value, of the rate-payers, with or
without the concurrence of any and what ma
jority, in number aud value, of the propretors, to
raise money for emigration, in what, if any de-
finite proportion to the rental or rates, and as to
the period within which such money should be
repaid and the portion, if any, which should be
paid by the proprietors.'' .lu ~
The report from one Of the towns, acting in ac-
cordance with the directions Of this particular
section, uses this language: a:@.
EM1GRAr1oN.-Ma vessels sail from this
port to New York with emigrants, and some
American vessels have put in for the same pur-
pose four families have been sent out By the
parish, and are doing well; the expense was paid
ut once out of the rates, and the cost OF one large
family was saved in two years. Ma r..
This return corroborates the suggestion before
made, that the whole cost of transportation of all
the poor Of England, as compared with the cost
of maintenance, might be saved in two years.
No one who looks at the multiplication of this
evil in our country since 1890 can suppose that
Europe is idle in this matter. And no one who
is disposed to do justice to the natural industry
Of our own people can suppose that the paupers
could have increased from 29,l66 i'll 1915, to
lO3,l7s in 1890, without great aid from foreign
countries.
The people Of the United States cannot imagine
the degraded state Of paupers their ignorance, and
immediate connexion with crime IN Europe, or
else they would pronounce them not merely per-
sons not contemplated by our laws as worthy OF
citizenship, but as lepers, whose presence would
contaninate society, and whose deeds spread ter
ror among the good. Pauperism in Europe is
not, as with us, mere poverty, which the disabled
Al tho mi m
feel: but it is looked upon as species property
which individuals have in the funds of the rich,
and which is a transmissibe or inheritable right
that descends from age to posterity, until i'll whole
families, the very history of any other occupation
is lost. 1t is not state of society founded upon
the axiom that community is bound to support
those whom Providence has disabled from adding
to the general stock; but it is artificial system,
which has grown up from mistaken benevolence,
and has atlengh become licentiousby its strength,
and irresistible by the ease with which it has
continued to enforce its demands upon a willing
public.
Mr. Chadwick, in his report on this subject,
says: There is no hope Of disappearing any
Of them with the present generation" We have
cases Of three generations Of paupers.
Formerly the system was so encouraged that
there seems to have been no other plan left in
the wisdom OF the ricD, than 10 make new rule
in ethics by almost inviting crme-to be punish
ed by small penalties in distant land, Botany
Bay,] where TIE support Of the convict should be
better than that Of the pauper at home. In this
way thousands have been induced to change con.
dition; and there is by this mistaken Legislation,
continual temptation kept up between the pride
and wants ofthe poor laborer to forego the scanty
snnnly Of his Independent toll, to live better in
the degraded condition Of pauper or still bette
when stigmatized as felon. The graduated
scale Of supply, collected from official returns
shows this state
The independent laborer is enabled to get o
solid food per week only l22 ounces. .e
''rhe soldier, by law, 1853 ounces. -,
The able-boded pauper is furnished with lSl
ounces. Hs s.H...a ia. .@#~ .#s.
The suspected thief receives from Goyernmen
lsl to 2O3 ounces. ..... II. ..s...
The convicted thief 239 ounces.
The transported thief, 330 ounces. ..
The whole history Of pauperism in Englan'
shows that there is SO immediate connexion be