Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-09
PAUPERS FROM IRELAND.
CONSULAR REPORTS ON THE INI.
MIGRATION QUESTION.


Immigrants Chronic Paupers.
WASHINGTON, May S.-GOv. Butler. OF
Massachusetts, has written a letter tc
Secretary FOlger, calling his attention to
the immigration of paupers from EureDe
and enclosing extracts from foreign news
papers on this subject. Secretary Folger
replied that his attention had been called
10 the matter in the report from the Col
lectOr Of Customs at Boston. April 20.
1t is learned at the State Department
that the subject of pauper immigration
from Ireland has for some months been
under cQNsideratiOn i'm that department.
A number Of reports relating thereto have
Deen received, and among the most inter-
esting of them is one from Consul General
Merritt of London, giving the results of
an investigation made. at his request. i'm
March last, by the United States Consuls
I'm Ireland. From the advance sheets of
the regular monthly publication of the
consular reports, the following abstract
OF Mr.. Merritt'S communication to the
state Department has been obtained. II
begins as follows: Reports published ON
both sides OF the Atlantic relative to the
extent and alarming character of the pres
ent distress among the Irish
peasantry have been so conaictin0
and exaggerated that have
deemed that an inquiry into the real
tacts of the situation would be OF service
10 phnanthrOpists who too often give
where charity is uncalled for and mis-
takenly withhold where it is needed But
aside from this consideration the Irish
distress means increasing emigration to
9,t tne I nlted states, and it includes many
political questions into which it is not my
province 10 enter. The Wholesale pmi-
grafton, aided by the government. is
looked upon IN many quarters as only
from periodic recurrence of famine, and
measures are now on foot to send thou
sands OF poor families from the scOngested
dlstrlcts OF Ireland across the Atlantic.'
considering the subject i'm these as
poets, one of legitimate inquiry, on the 2Sth
Oh Febuary last, addressed a circular
letter to the members of the United States
Consular Corps in Ireland asking them to
make an investigation in their respective
districts, and to report on the following
points:
First. Whether the published accounts
OF the distress were substantially correct.
or were exaggerated?
Secone. Whether the prospects of anne
lOratlon in the immediate future were
encouraging?
Third. To what extent will the existing
condition tend to more rapid emigration
to the United States or English colonies?
Fourth. Whether the government guar
dlans OF the poor or associations are en-
gagged IN sending paupers 10 the United
States:
Consul General Merritt then reviews
ana summarizes the answers of the Con-
suls to these questions. The reports sub
mltted in reply TO the first question, while
afaNV NVnnH Z - Htas.
generally agree that the distress prevail
ing at present is not exceptional in its
character, and that the published ac-
counts to the contrary are exaggerated.
In the poorer agricultural districts the
situation of the peasantry is miserable
and abject poverty is the rule, but
sad as it is, it has been the same
for years and has become the normal
condition of life. The partial failure of
the potato crop in certain parts of Ireland
has, to some extent, aggravated the situa-
ton. The fisheries have again been un-
successful, and the rainy autumn and
winter, while fOreboding no good to COM
ing crops, have interfered with the work
of the labOrer. Consul Piatt, of Cork.
says upon this point: ''While l am in
clined to believe that the destitution and
distress IN western and southern Ireland
are great enough, and worthy of the assist
TO give, there, is certainly reason to doubt
whether the picture, as IL is shown to the
outside world, is not exaggerated. The
Boards of Guardians and popular bodies,
| am assured, are in a measure respon-
sible for this eXaggeratiOn, as they. i'm
their anxiety to have the poor relieved by
the opening of relief works by the govern
ment, have made an effort to magnify the
distress in some localities. In brief. it
may be safely assumed that the much
talked of starvation point has not been
reached, however bad the situation may
be, and that the local and government
authorities have abundant means at hand
to relieve actual necessity
Gin answer to the second question it is
said that the prospects of ameliOratiOn of
the present condition in the immediate
future are most discOuraging. 1t is alto
gether unlikely that the government will
shortly commence public works in order
to give employment to the people as the
policy settled upon is relief either by the
wOrkhOuse or by emigration. The Chief
Secretary for Ireland in a recent speech
said that the condition of the poorer class
es of farmers was more deplOrable than
that of any class of people living in any
civilized country, that there were g., 900
farmers of from 10 to acres, and 100000
of from , to 10 acres and in the latter class
there were not more than from two to two
and half acres of arabic land in their
holdings. Under more favorable condi-
tiOns the agricultural interests in Great
Britain have suffered severely, the present
price of farming land being the lowest
knewn in generations, and the oppression
of bad seasons and foreign competition
has reduced the Irish farmer, whether
tenant or owner, to still lower depths of
poverty. Trade in Ireland is extremely
dull. Land is almost unstable at any
price, and the unsettled political state
of the country forbids the hope of
capital being forthcoming to extend
manufacturing interests. From whatever
point of view the subject is looked at there
is little or no chance for an improvement
i'm the immediate future.
With great unanimity COnsuls agree
that the present condition must act as a
powerful stimulus to immigration, and
many interesting facts are given in their
reports to illustrate this branch of their
Investigation. In 1882 the emigration was
81, 800, an . increase Of 10,S41 over
1881, and the present year, at the
lowest, will certainly show an immi-
grafton of over 100000. The total
numbers represented 172 per 1, 900 of the
population as it stood in 1882. 74S per
cent of the persons who left Ireland last
year were between the ages of 10 and 80,
showing that the large majority were able
bodied, Of the 47,42G males who emigrat-
ed. no less than 1880 were returned as
simple labOrers. AS to farmers, the fig
z,.res for the past three years are 1880,
1891: 1881. 2,44O, and 1882. 3.l40.
As to the question whether the govern
ment guardians of the poor or ass0cla-
tiOns are engaged in sending p2lpers to
the United States, some deyirsity of oplG~
ion exists. which may toe accounted for
bv the difference of localities from which
the COnsuls write. Consul BarrOWs, OF
Dublin, saws that no such practice is in
operation in his district. Consul Wo0d,
Of Belfast, writes: IL know of no Orga-
nized effort for any large deportation OF
sufferers or paupefS TO the United states.
No doubt many will lind their way there
bv the aid of friends, and often, Iii a
measure, by charitable funds. 1t is to be
feared that most of such emigrants are
without means. and, what is more, without
skill in trades or other occupation, and
with so little money as to afford nOpromlse
of any respectable support on their arrl-
val in America
Consul LiYermOre, of Londonderry, un-
derstands that '|the government agents,
with no great success however, endeaVor
To induce the poor and lazy to emigrate.'
Mr.. Eccles at Sligo, after saying that
the guardians of the poor have scheduled
out certain districts under the emigration
CLAUSES Of the land act, states that IN Sll-
90 uuiOn alone COO applications have been
made, and in the Western unions con-
si3arably more.Y In continuing he says:
.'But none OF these emigFants MI!l go 70
the United States. They will receive g
per head to cover the cost of their passage
and outfit, 1t has been calculated that
sSie will cost &c each, which viii leave
ab6uf Il 10 each on his arrival. As 1t
,e,,,, "a mo the guardians of the Door