The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-07-31

EMIGRATION, AND THE COMMISSIONERS OF EMF
CITATION The remarks which we have made on
the wrongs and Injuries inflicted on the Aran1-,
arriving on these shores, by the rgxS -
agents OF spurious Protectiys< so es,
boardino se.keena-~vS>kz forwardlng houses,
,y;,bopt ,ha~--scr or Reputation, have awakened
al. -sssto a sense of the enor mites which are
lily and hourly committed on emigrants, noiwith-
standing that we have board Of commissioners,
established for the purpose of giving them advice
and protecting them against imposition. We have
received several communications on this subject, in
each and all of which are asked how it comes to
pass that after all the laws that have been passed
by the Legislature of this State the emgrant is still
feeced, cheated, and imposed upon, as muca, il
not more, than ever by runners and other paid
agents of forwarding houses in New York! In
reply, we can only say that, according to the infor-
NATION which we have received, the Commissioners
of Emigration do nothing that they allow one or
two to transact the duties of all that they their
Offices for the benefit OF their political friends and
that in fact as far as the benefrs contemplated by
their appointment are concerned, il would be quite
as well, not better, that they ceased to exist We
have heard some curious statements in reference to
the manner in which their duties are discharged,
or rather neglected, which we may publish at a
future time and we pro mise that if they are made
public, they will create sensation in some quar-
tiers, and cause rustng Of dry bones, that will
astonish the natives.
We are inclined to believe that the Mayor is
somewhat at fault in this matter, and that he is not
careful in discountenancing the frauds which
continually practised on emigrants as he might be.
None but persons who are regularly licensed, if we
understand the law, are allowed TO act runners
and yet il is notorious, that there many engaged
in that business who have never been licensed, or
whose licenses have been revoked for violating the
law. We should like to know how this is In
deed, If we are correctly informed, the only pro-
lection which emigrants receive, is that extended
10 them by the Consuls of the countries which they
have left, or by the protective emigrant societies
established by resident foreigners for the purpose
of aiding their felow-countrymen, and keeping
them out of the hands of the land sharks and run
ners who lie in wait for them.
But if the Commissioners of Emigration are un-
equal to the performance of their duties-if in
stead of protecting the emigrant, they tolerate OF
are powerless to prevent his being cheated, inn
posed upon and maltreated, then we say their ex.
pensiye Office should be at once abolished. There
is use, in such case, Of paying large salaries tc
clerks and officials, making besides the institution
political affair, to no good purpose. II is a mis-
fortune with us, that every institution, large Of
small, is used by politicians Of one party or In,
other, for their own benefit, and, therefore, be
corrupt and subversiye OF the ends for which
il is organized. We are very much inclined t.
believe that this is the with the institution
Commissioners of Emigration, the majority of whom
pay no attention whateyero the duties that they as
sumed. or, perhaps, leave them to be performed by
men who discharge them IN such way as to sui
their own purposes, and not to benefit the emf
grant. This whole subject ought to be looked into
and when our Legislature next meets, we shall in
sst on its being thoroughly revised; and we would
not say that IL would be injurious to the emigrant
for that body to appoint commission, with au
thority TO summon parties before them, in order tc
get thorough insight into the manner in which
the Commissioners of Emigration discharge their
duties