American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-01-17

should at once pass laws for the protection, tn,
} necessity Of which all sections of the countr,
will soon bitterly feel? And if the Fedora
Government should fail in its duty in this re
spect and we should continue to be overrur
by the worthless and the dissolute of other coun.
tries, we must do what we can as City to pro-
tect ourselves, and TO compel them, by rigid
enforcement of sautary municipal laws, tc
seek other quarters for their depredations, and
to throw themselves upon other charities FOL
their support.
We are ready to afford an asylum to the
honest and industrious of all nations. The
humble and the oppressed are freely welcom.
cd to our shore, the poor as freely as the
opulent, when poverty does not shrink from
labor But we protest most strongly against
the free admission to our territory of the out
casts and vagabonds, whom crime has rendered
terror to their own governments, or whom
dissolute idleness has thrown upon those gov
ernments for support. Such a policy is fatal
TO our peace, our sef-respect, our interests as
a people, our honor as nation. The interests
of all American citizens, of foreign as well as
native birth, are alike involved in arresting and
correcting it.
The number of immigrants committed and
bonded arriving in this city the past year, ex-
ceeds 10000, and we hear Of arrangements in
, Pc T"- -. Expectations tnan nave ever
before been made. We may expect thousands
ofpaupers and felons thrown upon US this year,
at an earlier period than heretofore. Agents
of the spectators are abroad, and scattered
over England, Ireland and Germany, to in
fiuence emgrants to come in certain vessels,
bargain for their passage, and generally aid in
the enterprise.
1t is frequently alleged by European writers,
that the Americans, as people, exhibit a
greater proportion of crime and ruffianism than
any other civilized nation. If this be true, why
is it so' To what arc we indebted Tor this
state of things? Let Great Britain, who fur
nishes these ISLANDERS most abundantly to the
world, furnish the answer to them Great
Britain alone supplies subjects for our Peniten-
tiary in the proportion of $50 out of ll9S, and
for our City Prison and Aims House, a CORES
ponding proportion. Can we not then well
turn back the foul calumny upon its authors?
And if they continue to speculate as they do
upon our dishonor as nation, let them point
to any act in the history of our state or nation
al governments that equals in turpitudo and
atrocity, the Infamous system of exporting their
paupers, ruffuns and convicted felons to the
shores of a friendly nation, TO eat out its sub
stance, and destroy its repose. In view of the
facts herein related, your Committee would
suggest.
lst That Congress be memorialized for the
passage of law instructing our Consuls abroad
to examine the emigrants for this country at
their respective places of shipment, and if they
find, on examination, that such emigrants have
not been inmates of prison or poor-house, to
give them a certificate to that effect, and when
not satisfied to this effect, they shall refuse the
) certificate. They should retain respectively
an accurate copy of the manifest certified, and
transmit the same to the Mayor Of New York,
or other port to which any vessel shipping
such passengers may be bound, by the English
mail steamers, or some other steam conveyance
likely to anticipate the arrival of such vessel.
On the arrival of such vessel, the two mani
tests Of passengers shall be critically compared,
and the immigrants shall be examined by at
least two persons appointed for that purpose
by the city authorities. If there are more inn
migrants than thus certified as proper persons
to be admitted to land on our shores, the
Mayor, or in his absence, the next officer in
authority, shall order them to be placed in the
alms-house or prison, as circumstances shall
warrant, and there kept until the vessel is ready
to return, when they shall be re-shipped on
: board said vessel for the purpose of transport
: tation to the country from whence they came.
: The captain, owner, or consignee to be respon-
sible for all charges and expenses the city has
suffered thereby, and for which the said cap
tain, owner, or consgnee shall give satisfacto-
ny bonds IN the penalty of one thousand dol
lars for each individual so taken charge of by
the authority of the Mayor or other person
next IN authority.
, I'd. That the city of New York and other
commercial cities be authorized and have
power to ship back at any time any and all
immigrants to the country from whence they
came, whether certified by the Consul or not,
OH the discovery at any time within two years
thereafter of such immigrant being imposed
} upon us contrary to the rule established, and
that he or she had ever been the tenant of a
poor house as vagrant or pauper, or of pri-
son as a criminal or had been supported as a
beggar by any town, commune, individual or
charitable society.
Sd. That the State of New York should per-
init no immigrant to land until fee of not
less than two dollars per head be received, to
} be paid into the city treasury, for the use OF
the alms-house department, for the support OF
the foreign poor; and authorize the Mayer to
demand a bond for five years in the sum Of
$500 per head in addition to the said fee, for
, any, or for all such immigrants as the Inspec-
tors, or the Mayor, or any two Aldermen or
Assistant Aldermen shall consider likely to be-
come charge upon the city. In conclusion,
your committee respectfully recommend the
adoption of the following resolution:
Resolred, That the Counsel of the Board be,
and he is hereby instructed to prepare memo
rails to the State Legislature and to Congress
/ respectively, praying for speedy legislation OH
the subjects, and to the effect herein before Sc,
forth
\ VIM. S. MILLER,
VIM. GALE,
VIM. B. COZZENS.
New York, 9Th January, ls45.