The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-08-10
Foreign Paupsrs and Criminals.

rorciBn ksuPon anu S1AAnais'
An examination ofthe Paupcr and Crimi
nal statislics for the last few years, in III
United States, nfrords most interesting ant
important matter for consideration amoni
the thinking portion Of our commdnitJ.-
That the evil has been an increasing one
even beyond the comparative increase o
population, no one will attemp: to deny
and tina, II has, in a major degree, owed thai
increase to the grea, influx OF foreigners, may
be proven by glance at the following ~
nopsis, compiled from tho most authentic
sources
The foreign population Of the United
States in 1850, rs compared to the native,
was nearly as ono to ten. there being 81.
947 ,274 natives, and 2,244 COZ foreigners.
Tho whole number Of paupers supported.
wholly or partially, In the last mentioned
year, was l34.792: and Of this number g.
63S were Of foreign birth, leaving but Co.
434 natives.
In 1850, the number OF paupers supported
in the poorhouses OF Massachusetts,, and
who received partial support out Of doors.
was 1917: and OF this number &, $50 were
native. and 9,2i7 foreigners.
In New York, the whole number was 49,.
855; and ofthese, 10 1915 were natives, and
40 $50 foreigners. nTi
In Pennsylnnis, tho whole number was
ii ,53l; and OF these, 5,898 were natives,
and $685. foreigners.
In Rhode Island, the whole number was
$500 and Of these, ,ll5 were native, and
l,435 foreigners.
In Connect cut, the whole number Of con-
viclions was $50; and Of these, 545 were
natives, and 305 foreigners.
In Illinois, The whole number convicted
was BIG; and Of these, l27 wero natives,
and $50 foreigners.
In Maine, the whole number convicted was
IA; and Of these, 2S4 were natives, and
AGO foreigners.
In Massachusetts,, the whole number was
1880; and of these, 1886 were natives, and
1884 foreigners
In Missouri, there were 908 convictions !;
and Of these, 242 were natives, and 666 for
eigners. .,
In New York, tho number Of convictions
was - $40 |; and Of these, 3,062 were natives
and 9.3l7 foreigners.
In Pennsylvania, tho number Of convic-
tons was S57; and OF these, 504 were
natives, and 293 foreigners.
In Vermont. the number convicted was
10; Of whom "a were natives, and As for
eigners.
by table published in the Compendium
Of the Seventh Census, giving the number Of
conyicts in the prison, and penitentiaries Of
the several States, out of every ten thousand
Of the population, the proportion Of natives
and Foreigners in that number is rs follows !
In Maine, out of every ten thousand, are
five foreigners to one native. In Kentucky,
six to on'. In Mississippi, ten to two. 10
New York, three to one. In Tennessee, ff.
teen to two. In Vermont, eight to one. In
South Carolina, twenty.eight to one. In
Alabama, fifty to one. In Georgia, Elk to
one. In Indiana, four to one and the the
average in all the States is a fraction less
than six to one.
For capital offences, out Of two hundred
and twenty convictions, which took place 10
about eighteen months, in seven States, viz (:
in New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Louis
lana, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Mary
land, there were one hundred and thirty.
eight of foreigners to eighty.two Of natives.
These facts present new view as to the
manner in which foreign emigration affects
the interest Of this country, and this, too, in
several different ways First, by tho intro
duction Of persons Of indolcnt ard vagrant
habits, who, even in country aiording the
greatest facility for attaining livelihood,
will, under any circumstances, give way to
drunkenness and oil It's attendant evils, soon.
or than labor for subsistence. Hence,
with the increase Of emigration, has grown
the alarming increase Of emigration, has
grown the alarming increase Of crime. But
beyond the simFle facts referred to, showing
the comparative number ofnative rnd foreign
convictions, We can look to the demoralizing
effect produced by tho introduction into our
country Of new offences, and new means Of
pei pctrating them-those mcans matured in
lands where human nature Is 70. ced to resor,
to The vilest practices to maintain subsis.
tence. I, Is no wonder that the foreign
powers have thought ct to rid themselves of
portions Of their already ovcrburdened popu-
lation, whose absence would DO most produc-
tive Of the welfare Of those who remained.
1t was not until the Gut movement was
made in the American party, that the public
attention was aroused to the fact, that large |
Of tire emigrants who were land
ed on our shores, were shipped ut the ex-
pense Of the government from whence they
came, and further, that they were the scum
of the population-thc thriltless inmates Of
their work or aims houses, or the most adroit |
and dangerous Of their prisons.
In looking for The cause Of the increase Of
crime, the American party became aware Of
these things, and The arrival Of four ship. |
ments in less than three months from the |
date Of their observation, each composed Of
paupcrs and criminals-thc latter, in some
cases, sill wearing their manacles-conGrm- |
ed and fully established the facts. How
long this might have continued, had the
public attention not been called to II, We
cannot say. How long It has continued, or
for what space Of time the United States has
been considered and treated rs penal colo
ny for the governments Of Europe, We can
not say. How long ii has been the practice
to find radiance Of foreign convicts and
paupcrs by turning them loose upon our
shores, We cannot say. We have, however,
but little hesitation ip saying, that tho prac-
ice, though newly discovered, is Of no re.
cent adoption, and we only ask contempla-