New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-11
PROTECTION or EMIGRANTS.
CORRESPONDENTS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
EMIGRATION BOARD.

CORRESPONDENTS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
EMIGRATION BOARD.
In October last Mr.. G.. G. Verpanck President OF
the Board Of Commissioners OF Emigration addressed
letter to tie Chairman OF the British Government Emga
ton Board respecting the better protection Of egrants
Oh sbpboard The principal difficulty In the premises
stated to be the dsunctlon Of Jurisdiction and test
mony. 1t suggested that agent or commissioner
might be appointed by Parliament to reside in New YORK
whose duty should be to entertain complaints or emil
-l.,1 al Ia Blush Stses; w 'l IN art 81 the
vessel to be allowed to introduce rebuttng testimony 10
crosse Xalne the witnesses, &c and the testimony 10 We
forwarded to England 10 be used in proceedings against
the vessel on her return In reference to any alleged
Mn complaints are received by the superintendent OF
Emigration and then heard before magistrates.
1t Is suggested that tbs BRUSH passenger acts should
he SO amended as first prohibit the sale abroad Of
tickets for inland towns in America, much fraud being
passenger there should be allotted given number of
cubic aud not superficial feet as at present ana third oy
deck" whose situation below the waterhe Is necessarily
10 thiS communication the following answer was
returned ana read at the last meeting OF the ComniiS
GoyERN1rESr EMIGRATION BOARD
LONDON, Dec. II, 1866;
SIR: have 70 acknowledge the receipt the 9th inst
Of your letter 3t October the subject CT the man
~ from hi. country TO the United states Pray
accept my thanks Tor your letter. and also Tor the com
uuncatiOn addressed to the United states COnsSOner
Of Immigration with a view to obtaining for us more
authentic statistics than possess of mortality ON
the voyage from this country now proceed 10 hOuce
the several suggestions ia your letter.
First To provide for an inquiry into the complaints OF
cm grants arriving Ia British vessels, ON suggest that
oucr might be appointed by act OF Parliament,
or me Consul be invested power, TO inquire into any
such complaints and that the evidence taken before the
Commissioner Consul might be sent home 10 be used
against the vessel its return. scheme OF
somewhat similar nature was suggested some
Of Commons; but when the details came to be
worked out IL Was found 80 full of difficulty that IL was
Abandoned for IL is evident that no act OF Parliament
could invest Commissioner or consul stationed III
foreign try, with compulsory power to administer
an oath or could provide for nc punishment OF Witness
giving false evidence, could compel witnesses to at
tend orr they attended to give evidence Inc accused
master would OF course, he equty PoTeiiesT ne ~
suit would be that the master would always DC IN po-
siton 10 assert that while the emgIants VINO Iad pe
AGAINST nm we're ha'hiaIy Wl9 10 e9 y a. ~
much larger number who satisfied WIN tnelr treat
mcnt and vhoss evidence would have acquitted HIM,
couid not be compelled to attend nor WOULD thls an.
be unreasonable considering how anxious the better
class Of engrants must DE TO proceed 70 tnef usSna
lion as soon as possible aiter thelr arrNa ana now un
willing, Therefore, they would be TO be detained
at inc PGT TO sy9 tNlg %olG feey little
Interest. The only say in which this difficulty could be
got would be- by the enactment Of law ny Congress
giving power 10 IoiuissohCr OF CGnsu OF a IeIeI.h
Power wb subjects clnigae 10 the United states 10
compel the attendance Of and to administer an Oah TO-
the voyage But I an afraid we can hardly expect
that Cougc~, would he willing To entertain suca propp
sal and abstain therefore Tor inc present irou SUD
hitting tho matter 10 the Secretary Of state Incose an
extract from your annual report for 1854 IL winch TINS
question treated at some lcnrth.
c1nd: In respect the sale OF inland passage tickets
|
that great frauds have IN TACT been perpcTItu III III
the reported 10 us We have been abe tA, 10 re-
cover the money paid by the CUigran and where faud
gross carc'ssucs las been proved, we nave cone WAT
We could 90 punish the offender But tms al
mn, p' 5'' y'cnee and ANNOYANCE
which hc IS subjected. We have no authority apsO
C'cy 20 prohibit the sale or inland passage tcAet nor
II We lad, could We prevent because We cOuu Hot JUS
the practice But We do what we con 20 olsc1ur
age by issuing 20 all cmgrants TO the states the cara OF
which mro'I You copy l"ls n3tCe N Mlo, ~; ,T I'm
utcd IA Ireland and Is posted up IA lVerlool AT the I'm
grntiOu office. ard elsewhere ana our Oiucls nave III
siucoEs to hand copy 70 every adult enlsIlhV pr"
TIir I'm rsp"c to space on shp-board our Passenger
act allows the carrgc of passengers on TWO decks
but expressly excludes an Oropdeck There some az
ar as We can ascertain no authoritative rule on hat
point. In large ships and especially III steamers mere
are generally apprth, nd Gee Ks available Tor pas
An ,u y,t c lover deck may probably be difficult
Of ventilation. To meet that case, however our
a, Oct ON the ower decks and If the area
~ light aad ventilation Is below certain proportion p
Get The same section also provides that the whole
urbcr OF passengers board shall not be in greater
proportion than statute adult 10 every five super
iCia clear Tor ctCrce ON the upper deck No doubt
greater space the upper deck would conducc TO the
comfort Of the crlut but 10 would, the other hand,
reduce the numbers that could be carried larger ships
and youd therefore be seriously detrimental 10 the In
ter,t- ~ the owuc and would raise the price of passage
90 The cu- rant That would hc no sucl"nt 0tJetioh II
IL could bc shown 10 DE necessary ont unless That can he
proved. doubt VIII, her Parliament would be Wiling TO
alter the law Oh this point 49,
space act requires that every passenger snip snail b3
least between decks aud that Is superficial
.ast ON the upper and j. the lower paSscn-
GER deck should be assigned for each adult
The minimum cuhcal space, therefore, Cor each adult is
feet on the uppct ana 10 rect on inc lower passenger
deck But passenger vessels are now generally more
than SIX feet between decks the cuhical space enjoyed by
cmgrarts practically than the law requires. OF
this advantage they cannot be deprived But II cuDlcal
FACE were suht tted for superficial measurement the
shipowncr would De entitled whenever the between
deck. Ws unusually HIGH 10 curta the superficial space
proplrtiOn such Of hight Upon the whole,
Therefore. inclined To doubt whether the present
mode Of measuring not the most advantageous FOR the
emit grant.
Liverpool 10 the United states, which compiled In
~ the summer At the time OF the outbreak OF
cholera The question then under discussion was whether
the Queen should be advised in exercise or the power
given under the seth section OF our Act, To reduce
the number Of passengers 10 he carried be-
low the proportion allowed by the Act.
Eventually IL decided not 20 do so but an order IN
council issued compelling all vessels carrying as
many NJ 30 passengers 20 carry medical man. That
order still In force and may probably be continued
conclusion. allow 10 assure you that any further
communication with which YOU may favor shall
ccye our deliberate and respectful attention You must
be well Of the many interests involved IN tins
that will understand the difficulty OF obtain
Ing than experience shows to Dee so absolutely neccs-
say. | but hope that the discussion OF the
question by those interested In the matter on both sides OF
the Atlantic may lead TO the removal Of some II the
which cannot be denied 10 exist In omigrant ships
have the the honor 10 be- Sir your OBJ humble serVal
4. W. G. MURDOCH
q. c. YEBrLANCK, esq, President, dc.