The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-27
Ship Owners and EmIgrants.

LONDON chronicle
The recent report of the Select Committee of the
House Of Commons on emigrant ships-a document
which We may take future opportunity Of noticing
IN defail-ce'efy relates to vessels conveying pas.
sengers to the United Ststes but it contains many
suggestions Of wider application. The diff mites
att ndsnt upon Australian emigration are perhaps,
more important than those which principally en-
gagged the attention of the committee. The voyage
u longer, the vicissitades Of climate are greater
and the consequent bardshps Of the passengers are
more Sc ious From all that appears, the existing
regulations are very ineftiient and in sdequate to
emigrant voyage only leads to disagreeable suspi.
cions Of what we do Tot know. From the nature of
the case 1t may well be doubted whether the worst
Instances CT neglect and abuse ever before the
public.
Occasionally, az In Fieldhouse .. wicrsm. which
has just been tried on the Western Circuit an action
10 brought for insufficient or improper food, and
ether damages accruiDg TO passengers. But these
cases are usually those Of passengers on the home
ward voyage. The helpless emigrants who sail In
outward bound ships seldom return to bring actions
In the English courts; and owners and charterers
VIII for the most part avoid mourning unnecessary
risks win body Of rich or prosperous Australians
luck. For al practical purposes, the emigrant or
exile from England Is very much at the mercy Of
the shipowners. The report Of the selec: commit
zee sort Of reciprocity treaty which
American side OF the ocean. Here, however, the
returning emigrant Is safe enough. In extreme
cases, such ss that Of the Melbourne the oppressed
passenger is sure Of biz remedy; and Jury Of lanis
toies1 AZ fhe cost Of owners and brokers', with the
heartIending tale Of the su6orings and privations
Of voyage round Cape Horn.
In fact, ~ things now stand, II Is the interest of
on this subject made much more explicit than 1t is
at present, ship owner il tolerably safe target
for An action. II y easy enough TO get up moving
picture Of questionable -four ,perverse water closets
AkA1 - - 4
s1S as PEA :h s
little experience in ocean voyages to find ont that
when people have nothing else to do the grievances
real or supposed of the dinner table form the COM
grumbling which an Englishman is never 80 much
at home in INDUCING IS when abroad. In the case
to which we have alluded, such annoyances were
made the most OF. A Witshire jury was entertained
the process to which the donkey rigates have been
snbjected-an eloquent sergeant dlated ON the hor-
ros Of q cask Of dubious four-and Messrs. Wigram
and Co. are indebted to the sympathies Of the in
eence oppression on their own part, for the ESQ
damages which they have to pay MI. Fieldhouse for
Inconvenience scarcely inseparable from pro-
trscted passage. The water closet complaint looks
rough weather, those of simple construction are
useless while the domestic habits prevalent among
the classes ut home who represent second and tnird
rate passengers would scarcely render the very
ni.pces at sea.
Whether, however, the Kent was or was not
well provided for an Australian voyage, Ia q
matter Of far less interest than the general
CT ton of emgrart ships CONVEYING passengers
of the pauper class. On this subject, the report
to which we have alluded disclcsss q shocking and
demoralizipg state Of things. The official regu.
latops are either set at defiance or systematically
evsded. The separation Of the sexes IL scarcely
provided for, and many female emigrant has to
attribute an irret ievabe loss Of character to her
outward voyage. Desk passages ought to be totally
prohibited; for there l. no season Of the year Ia
which exposure TO the elements In the Newfound-
land attitudes does not involve absolute risk to life
The medicine chest which the law requires every
chip to carry is but precarious substitute for Q
surgeons care, when, as 30 often happens, for.
midable epidemic paralyzes the powers, and ex-
bausts the skill Of common skipper. The case La
Amsterdam Island shows that even ships of
superior class may be dangerously undermined;
and the legal dietares 1t present In force are found
by experience to be inadequate 70 the vital necess
ties even OF passengers accustomed TO hard and
scanty fare.
Nearly al the melancholy losses Of life by wreck
which have made emigrant ships by-word are a.
frbutab]e TO the insnfnciepcy OF boat accommoda-
ton. At the moment Of danger, Il ID found either
that there are no boats-or the davfts are uunAnage
able, and in attempting 10 swing them overheard
they are cApsixed-or they havo been chartered for
an extempoaneous ccwShed or An additional horne
boz. q fe@Hgf-h. aal ..N
ps0vieion1 which arc necessary on shore arc even
more requisite 1T sea. Moral causes Combine with
physical beces cities to impair the health az the
foxr classo q sniraasi f0g Che mn'adx da pays