The native American., 1838-07-28

the respective cities of Boston, New York, Phila
delphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Is. CO. and New
Orleans, and TO the Presidents of the Native
American Associations in the city of New York
and in the District of Columbia:
lst. What number of foreign emigrants arrive
at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore
J, Charleston, and New Olleans, respectively, IN
each year, and have done fer tic last ten years.
i I'd. What number have arrived within the
United States each year, within the same period
and what in each State?
| Sd. From what countries have they emgratedl
i 4th. What proportion bring with them the
means Of subsisting themselves and families!
5th. What proportion are paupers.
9th. How is the expense of transportation
hilher of such as are poor betrayed, and by
whom! sg .
| 7th. Are there, within your knowledge, or
have you been informed, of any frauds practiscd
| in procuring certificates Of naturalization under
thc present laws Of the United States! And, il
so, how and by what means such frauds prac-
tiscd; and what remedy can you suggest for their
prevention?
| 9th. Is the emigration of any particular class
| Of foreigners into the United States at this time,
prcjudical to the interests of the citizens, or
dangerous to tho institutions Of the United States?
| If so, what class, and what remedy can you sug-
gcst for avoiding the evil apprchended!
| 9th. What, proportion of the inmates Of poor
houses and penitcntiarics arc native American
citizens!
10th. What is the expense per week of main
tanng an adult pauPer!
The prompt answers which have been return
ed to these intcrrogatorics from the Native Anne
rican Association in the city of Washington, and
the Mayors of tho respective cities Of Boston and
how ~ l,l,,<. ~
the committee, and present combination Of facts
which cannot fail TO attract the attention Of the
American people, and to establish the necessity
of immediate Legislative action, not only by Con
grcss within the sphere of its powers, but also by
many Of the States in theirs, that, by an harmo-
NOUS corporation, existing evils may be rcmcdi-
| cd, and impending calamlics avcries.
| There is probably pauper population in the
United States of about O5, 900 who are supported
at public expense; and it is estimated that more
than one-hall the number (and these the most
helpless and cxpensivc) arc foreigners. On the
! 18th OF June, 1887, there were in the aims
house, i'll the city Of New York, 3,O71. of which
number threc-iourhs were foreigners; and of
200 admitted into the ams-house at Bellevue,
9S2 were aliens; and during the year preceding
the 10Th March, 1897, there had been supported
| or relieved at these establishments, 6,S74 for
eigners. On the lst Of May, 1897, there were
| in the Bellevue alms-house 600 men and TAT
women; and by the report of the resident ply
sician of the hospital, it appears that Of 1,209
which were admitted into his department during
the year ending the lst Of January, 1887, 5O2
were received into the maniac department.; and
that of The whole number only 206 were born in
America. In 1896, there were in the alms-house
at Boston, Massachusetts,, SOC Americans and
673 foreigners and in that Of Philadelphia, 1905
Americans and l,2GG foreigners. The average
expense OF supporting pauper in the United
States is estimated at about $42 a year. If the
estimate of numbers and the expense of their
maintenance be correct, it will be seen that the
ciizens OF the United States are paying annually,
for the support of their paupcr population,
400, 900, onc-half of which, at least, is paid to
support foreign paupcrs; or, in other words the
citizens of the United States are contributing an
nuay $2,20O,0 900 to relieve foreign governments
from the support of their own poor.
| LIN communication to the Common Council oil
the city of New York, the late Mayor, in relation
to this foreign population, remarks that, "oul
streets arc filled with theseGwandering crowds
clustering IN our city, unaccustomed 10 our eli
mate, without money, without employment with
out friends, many nc' speaking our language, ant
without dependence for food, or raiment, or fire
4 Sluc w nat is I'd DeC0ne OF tneIn. Is QueSClOI
Of serious import: our whole alms-house depart
mcnt is so full that no more can be received with
out manifest hazard to the health of the inmates
petitions signed by hundreds, asking for work, arc
presented in vain; private associations for relie
aIc almost wholly without funds; thousands mus
therefore wanerto and fro, filling every part Of ou
happy land with squaid poverty and pronigacy.'
The tax for the support of paupers in that
city has more than doubled in seven years; ant
this remarkable coincidence will be found, that
in the same period of time. the foreign population
in the city will have fraction more than doubled
From this it is evident that, in proportion to emf
grafton from foreign countries, pauperism is in
creased in nearly an equal degree with population
from abroad. ..s
4 The population in the city of Washington, il
the District of Columbia, is $4,000. During lh'
five preceding years there were CTS paupcrs ad
mitlcd into tho in6rmary in the city of Washing
ton, and 1885 committed for disorderIy conduct
The average number of paupers per year is 1875
and the average number of vagran,s for the same
period is 277, making aggregate of pauper
and vagrants Of 172, or one paupcr and vagran
to every DC inhabitants. .,.
The number of resident paupers for the las
lten wears was 2,l25, and of foreign alien palpcr