The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-13
Frauds on Emigrapts.

NEw-YoRK, August 9, 1850.
My attention has been called, by an article in
your paper, the glaring acts of wrong and injus
tce that are daily being perperaed the emigrant
strangers landing on these shores, by as vile set
Of men ever infested any city-I mean the char
scters known emigrant runners, or, perhaps
more properly speaking, emigrant robbers, and their
equally unpnncipled employers. What the Com
missioners Of Emigration are about, to permit such
atrocities, do not know, but am well convinced
Of the utter insienhcance Of anything they have
aCcomps he'd or attempted TO do, in the way Of pro-
ieoung the emigrsnts from the wholesale system
Of plumber To which they are subjected on arriving
in this city. The outrages complained OF are to
be laid TO the charge principally Of charactsrless
men, engaged in the forwarding bushes s, and who
employ horde of "man-cachers" in both New
York and Albany, 10 aid them in carrying out their
designs on the emigtants. The object these reck-
lees fofwarders have in view, in employing such
characters In their business, TO the carry
ing, al enormous prices, OF the emgraus and their
luggage. by employing these men, they are said
a. take possession Of emigrant passengers by the
ship-load. and when persuasion ana pcaceable
mesns iail, they generally succeed IN enforcing
compliance with their terms, by resorting to the
basest means. namely, To intimId alton, threats and
mot unirequtnty 10 personal abuse snd violence -
Wen authenticated statements are made. under
stand 81 the grOssest ourages having recently been
committed IN Office m this city, by hired bues
on the persons Of cGligant passengers, and for no
.Ltr reason, but that they rctus- 20 submit tame
~ and without femCnstrsurc 20 the most pilpable
txtoTuon. Many Il our most respectable shipping
rnttthanfs nay well be startled on being informed
thnt they, IN considerable degree, are scccssary
90 this system uf outrage aud wholesale punder OF
The enlipIaHis They give authority TO the ma
rsudibg characters above alluded ~, To remove pas
seugers and luggage from their ships. influenced
sometimes. IL j. alleged, by the low price ~ which
they otter TO land them IN the city. regsrdess of the
Inntve That iniluCrCes Them 10 do " TOT less than
cost u may, however. be Justly urged, in excnl-
potion Of the merchant, hat he Is generally little
awHTc a he amount Of evil to the emgrant TO
which he IL thus nnocenty lending himself ! an
convinced that the merchant who entrusts into the
bsuds 81 the unprincpled parties shove alluded to,
81 uuy enc connected with them. the permit. az ~
sued by the Custom House. Ter the disCh rge OF his
ships passengers' b8gnore, is doing nothing short
Uf committing The ole people whom he has
brought from heir native shores 10 THE land Of
lh4rty. into the hands and 90 the tender mercies
ui shsrlers aud robbers, who lay violent hands on
the emigfanis luggage go entrusted 70 then-stOw
II away w their cellars. aud fnrcibly retain u ull
the owner consents 10 comply with their terms, the
character Ut which terms may readily be surinsed
when u IL understood thet there IS n band Of some
fotty ruaners engaged BY this same Forwarding
,oucern between New York and Albany, who
must b. paid weekly, and whose average salary -
1of less than twenty five dollars a wee each; ind-
Vidnals nmone-t thea. according o. their expert
mes In rrariis ng fraud and deceit the emigtan',
Receiving ss hiah as 80 and $50 weekly. Can a
lusigrss supported w such system be other
than ore oi tStoriion ard plundsr Let the
C,nml iontrs Ct Lmigfotirn give y her attention