Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-01-29
MORTALITY OF IMMIGRANTS TO CANADA.

ToRK COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER.
In the Montreal Herald of the 18th have the Report
the Montreal Immigrant Committee for the year s47 many
of the facts presented in which startling and painful
tcres II is light thing TO reflect upon when sin
gle year immigration Of hundred thousand is directed
from single point of the cd world to single point of the
and when it is made known that OF these hundred thou
sand less than full quarer-tweDty-ye housand-have
been swept out of mortal existence by single cause,
the fact demands and anxious thought and
less earnest and anxious investigation In the presence Of
such fearful mortality there escape from the
cuson that broad duty of humanity has been violated,
least grossly neglected. somewhere either H. point whence
the immigration proceeded the "middle passage"
That there somo~Degec either Of provision Of
ton, the point TO which the immigration directed, is
possible but there cannot be much for here
because not possible TO foesee the immense magnitude
Of the exigency and consequently excuse any
Of provision while the of execution great allowance
be made for the difficulties and dangers amid which the
work done.
The report commences with vigorous outline OF the ho
visible in the retrospect
Probably in year since the conquest has Canada pre-
sened such fearful Of destuon and suffering Des
tuition and suffering, however have not been the only
panions 10 the poor immigrant while the bowy Atlantic
nor when landed upon our shores Death has come in
share in the great dnma and Of the hundred thousand
or thereabou Of souls who left the British isles seek
home in this Western world full one-qusrte Of the whole
have been swept from existence From Crosse se the great
charnelhouse for victmzed humanity, up Port Samia,
along the borders Of magnificent river upon the shores OF
lakes Ontario and Ere and wherever the tide Of immigration
has extended he found the final resting places Of the
and daughters Of Ennone unbroken chain Of graves
where repose fathers and Mothers and brothers,
commingled heap, without tear believing the soil stone
mark the spot Twenty thousand and upward have gone
down their graves and the whole appears not i'm
mediately interested like tale that is told
The committee formed the 18th OF May, organized
the 20h and proceeded Immediately the performance Of
its dues receiving every practicable assistance from the Gov
eminent and the local authorities It's preparatory movements
are thus described;
attend the Sheds engaged there where they
could hold their ngs and attend TO the wants Of the mm
grants Soup kettles al purchased and caused to
be set supply them with nourshng food. Rice s
gar tea and soup brought and n cooking stove and
milk largely supplied by the committee, &c"
Human rascay not wanting complete the suengs
Of the unfortunate strangers and enhance the difficulties and
trials Of the committee
"he committee lost opportunity Of rendering protection
10 those who suffering from the depreciation OF shspes
who swarmed about the sick immigrants like vuure ready
pounce upon their prey and they fortunate in rcco-
verng considerable Of money well baggage from
the hands Of these depreaors So far indeed had the plum
dering system been carried that il would il il
generally considered that the immigrants property fair
punde and il not going beyond the bounds Of credby
in asserting that doubtless lives taken to certainty
Of as well as safety in punder"
Here is terrible picture doubtless ovcrdawn Of the
suiierings endured by the immigrants
"Probaby there few record where such whole
sale sickness and suffering have been expepenced among
the immigrants Of s47 from their first landing at Crosse
Iendecd might go further back, and say from the time
they got ship board, where the oversoked vessel with
the limited supply Of WATER its damaged provisions, and its
utter want Of ventilation, commemorative process OF decma
ing their numbers How with the Lord Ashburton,
with its four hundred and seventy souls One hundred and
twenty died before they reached Montreal although all dispatch
used IN forwarding them after arriving Quebec and
oncquarer went into hospital before three days after
landing here Probably not onebaf Of the whole number
living usher in the year and the sickness
board this vessel principally dysentey, arising from bad
Of food"
The report concludes with the following statistics
The year Is47 has been unparalleled for the Of
immigration TO Canada. Near 100000 souls have left the
Brh isles for these provinces the past year 5000 Of
these died their passage out 1850 died Crosse Isle,
,I37 Quebec 3s62 Montreal 100 ct Lachnc, and 80
at st. Johns, making in all these several places
How many have died in other sections in Canada East
not be known indeed how many have perishcd in
Canada West but, coupling al those who have pcrshed
with those who have passed into the United Sies Canada
number fifty thousand souls Of the ninety
thousands which landed upon our shores"