The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-24

"EMIGRATIoN The number of alien passengers
who arrived in New York during the year ls49 is
reported at 300, COB, Of which los .02 or a little
more than half, were from Ireland. To ascertain
about the amount of capital brought to the United
States by this vast army of immigrants, we refer
to the statement Of moneys received account of
minors becoming orphans by the deaths of their
parents, on the voyage after their arrival.
Eleven heads of families there reported to have
died, leaving twenty five children, and total of
S2,52l 90 in money to be divided among them.
This money, which is in addition to other little eff.
iccts and property, in many of considerable
value, ifequally divided among The whole thirty
six persons interested, yields $40 05 to each. Es-
timating the whole emigration from this, the total
money capital brought to New York by the emf
grants is $l5 ,2iO Is. Large as this amount
may at first seem, a little further examination
proves il to be materially under rated.
"Ihe mortality, in the statement referred to, ID
greater among the poorer portion of the emigrants,
the Irish, than is their excess in number over
others. Seven Of the eleven families were Irish,
and numbered in all twenty six persons, among
whom only S69l 03 OF the money is to be divided
S22 96 to each-whilc the remaining four fami-
lies, consisting OF ten persons, would have the
manning s 1924 49, or $slS2 4S to each. The pro-
portion OF immigrants during the year is little
less than eleven Irish to ten from all other coun-
tries, and the money capital Of eleven Irish at
$50 So each, and ten of other nations at s 1872 IS
each = OF 30 would yield an average Of
SOS 90 all round, a total capital for the year of
S2l 1922 iS TO- This, too is a small estimate for,
practically, the deaths the most numerous
among the poorer classes, and it is, almost with
out exception, only those which would be reported
to the commissioners of emigration The exact
IF L., IL,
is to 1850, the calculation of which would also
considerably increase the sum total arrived at.
sc Figures will not lie we told by the copy
books, in schoolboy days, and if the rule still
holds good, our remarks have established the fact
that immigration, even of the poorest class, is
source of great profit 10 the country. And yet we
have alluded only to the impor tation of tangi-
bic cash capital A field of nearly equal extent
would be embraced in estimate OF the personal
property and household gods which accompany
the migrant in his journey from fatherland, while
the value of his labor, and Of his knowledge and
experience, are beyond the reach of calculation.
We may safely say that thirty millions of dollars
in hard cash, and twenty millions more in proper
ty-ffty millions in all-is the direct increase in
the available capital of the country by way of New
York alone as the result of immigration in lS49
The class of immigrants is also rapidly improving;
the more wealthy seeking our shores.
How much greater profit and advantage, then, may
be expected from the immigration of future years."
IN. y. Sun.
All who have had opportunities for OBJ
servation will verify the statement of the San
that the class of emigranls now arriving is
much superior, In respect to its pecuniary abili-
ty, to its predecessors. This is peculiarly the
case in reference to the emigrants from Ireland,
because the taxation under the poor-law sys-
TEN has become 50 great as to make it necessa-
ry for those who possess little property to re-
move from the country in order TO retain it.
Those who possessed no means, and barely
earned enough for their subsistence from day TO
day, would always have been compelled TO re-
main, but for the fact that large amounts have
every year been RENTED by friends who have
preceded them, for the purpose Of reuniting
families which their own emigration had sew
cred. The same is true of the other countries
from which emigration proceeds. Ii is no un-
common thing 10 find young men from Germa-
ny toiling and saving, 10 enable them 10 amass
the means for paying the passage-money Of
future wife; and instances are known where
the case is reversed, and the damsel imports
her cspoused husband.
The German, industrious and economical,
soon saves enough 10 enable him TO indulge his
innate propensity to be the proprietor of land.
This propensity is much less marked in the ma
tves Of ireland, and consequence has been
that they have clustered, to greater degree. in
the cities of the seaboard and along the lines
Of great works Of internal Improvement, which
give employment TO that labor which can be eX-
pended without the ownership of a particle of
capital. not even TO the amount of pick or a
spade. The increased pecuniary ability Of the
recent emigrants takes larger proportion VI
them 10 tho West 10 become landholders.
We understand that the Hon. THoNAs NJ.
+. McKENNtS, Secretary Of the Interior, leaves
the city this morning on a visit TO his family
in Pennsylvania.
We learn from Philadelphia papers that
lilo ANhi,rs az the Thru Conor,ouioual Dict rict