Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-31
SPEECH OF SENATOR COOPER.
CONVICT AND PAUPER IMMIGRATION.


the Secretary OF State and the Secretary Of the Trea
sury respectively, TO communicate TO the Senate such
information as may be contained In their several De
partments, relating to the transportation OF convicts
and paupers into the United States from foreign coun-
tries and what agency the Governments to which they
belong have had in sending them hither Also such
information as they may possess relative to the voun
tary immigration into the United States of the above
classes the numbers of each that have arrived here
within the last two years, whether voluntary or
through the compulsory agency Of their respective
Resobped, That the Committee on the Judiciary be-
and the same is hereby, instructed to inquire what
legislation, If any be necessary to prevent the Gov
ernments Of foreign countries from transporting into
the United States convcts and paupers. Also.
whether any, and what, legislation Ii necessary to
prevent the voluntary immigration into the United
states from foreign countries Of either of the above
classes of persons" 5H
Mr.. COOPER Mr.. President, nv object in pre-
senting the resolutions which have just been read
Is to obtain, in the first place. such authentic nor-
nation from the Departments of State and Of the
Treasury as may be in their possession, relative to
the number of foreign conyicts and paupers arri-
wing annually in the United States, either volunta-
rily or through the compulsory agency OF the Gov
ernments to which they belong; and in the second
place, to procure, if possible, such legislation as
will prevent the country from becoming the asylum
and refuge of thieves, burglars, and paupers sent
from abroad.
presume, Mr. President, Senators are aware
cOncealmpnt
prevails amongst several of the States of continent
tai Europe, in virtue of which, convicted and un
convicted criminals and paupers are transported
TO the United States at the expense and by tho
direction OF their governments. This policy, which
is as unjust as i is unfriendy, should be put an
end to by legislation, if it cannot be accomplished
by negotiation. Nations in amtv with us have M
right to make of the United States penal colony;
yet they are becoming so, by the liberation with
which our government has regarded the practice
OF sending hither paupers and felons There lis
scarcely an emgrant ship arrives in our ports that
is not, to some extcnt, reghted with this kind Of
cargo. This has long been evil; but latterly it
has increased in magnitude, and to such an extent
as TO be justly regarded with alarm. But month
or two since single vessel landed in New York
one hundred and fifty paupers, and fifteen or six
teen conviets, wearing, as the badges Of their
another vessel freighted with a similar cargo, was
wrecked on Sable island, from whence the passen
gers were carried to Halifax, and from Halifax
were brought to New York, by tho way Of Boston.
BY affidavit made by one ofthese passengers, it
appears that they were natives of Switzerland,
who, being unable 70 support themselves at home,
were sent hither Mt the expense of the municipality
to which they belonged. The following is the at
idavit
" Oity and county Of Aeu Iork, ss.--We the un-
dersgned, being duly sworn, do depose and say out
that we and our families, whose number is correctly
affidavit, natives of Switzerland that they were
poor in their own country and could not support
themselves there any longer that therefore the may
or of their village has paid their money direct
to New York. and that therefore their passage money
has not boen paid by these depononts that they en-
barked at Antwerp on board the ship Arcadia which
Sable Island that they sailed from Boston on board
the passenger steamboat State of Maine, and arrived
in the port of New FORK on board the said steamer
ON tho I'd day of january, 1855; that they are now
Has
except from commissioners Of emigration; and fur
ther they do not say.
Here follow signatures
"Sworn before me this tenth day Of January 1855.
"EDWARD CASSERLY,
Commissioner Of Deeds
But it is not only thriftless paupers who are sent
hther 10 add to the burden of our poor laws and
stand between native misfortune and the relief pro-
vided for il by charity Felons, conyicts, deep
dyed in crime are sent to this country by their
governments. Lately, the Sandman government
shipped TO New York, on board national vessel,
(the Degennes man-oiewar,) thrty-four convicted
criminals. Whether they have yet arrived am
not able TO say. But that they were shipped for
the port Of New York there is no doubt. The Tri-
bune has the following paragraph in relation TO the
subject:
Conformation has been received here, from pri.
vate source worthy Of the highest confidence to the
effect that thrtyfour persons in question are not
mere politicel offenders but convicted criminals
Of the most dangerous description, taken from the
prisons of that country"
1t is common practice in several Of the States
Of continental Europe to auction of to the lowest
bidder, 10 the person who will bring them hithcr
cheapest, their paupers, and, in some instances,
the inmates Of their prisons and penitentinries.
Agents Of the great passenger lines of packet ships
are maintained in these States for the purpose of
making arrangements with the municipal nuthori-
ties Of the various towns, for the removal of their
paupers to Antwerp Bremen, Havrc, or other sen
port towns, with view to their transportation to
the United States. In England or rather Ireland
a similar system Is pursued; and Miss Dix amin
bic, benevolent, and philanthropic, as she has
proved herself to be, by life Of devotion 10 the
interests Of suffering and unfortunate humanity,
writes TO her friends in this country from Ireland
where she Is now soiournng, in terms Of indigna-
ton, excited by witnessing the practices Of the
English government, in pouring upon our shores
the polluted population Of their hospitals, aims
houses, and prisons
Mr.. President, IL il time that stop should be
put 10 these practices on the part Of the govern
ments Of Europe. II IL cannot be effected by nego-
tiation surely we have the power 10 do II by cgis
lation. The Inherent right Of every community to
protect itself against the contagion Of vice and
crime, well as Of disease, win hardly be ques-
toned. We have quarantine laws 10 protect ,
us against the introduction Of smallpox, cholera,
and other kinds Of pestilence and these laws VIC
enforce even to the detr1fnent OF commerce.. but
hitherto we have neglected 10 guard ourselves
tagsinst moro destructive pestilence than small
pox or cholera. While our sea-ports and the gates
o. our cities and towns have been closed against
the contagon Of disease, they have been opened
wide TO admit the more fatal contagion which IL
flowing in upon us, in the shape Of paupersm and
crime, from the prisons and azar-houses Of Europe.
We dread fever and the plague, and endeavor 10
exclude them, while "thc pestlonce which walk.
9th in darkness and blighteth at midday" hos
been suffered 10 enter without let or hiudrance II
Is time we should open our eyes and look the evil
in the face we should examine our prison and
alms-house statistics and provide remedy, cost
what II may.
An insult 10 our flag, bya failure 20 salute Il
with the required number Of guns refusal to m
demnfy citizen for wrong committed on his
person or property or the neglect Of some point Of
national etiquette by foreign government is
always followed BY demand for explanation and