Year: 1868

Past and Prescnt--whnt las Been Done and


is Being Dane for the Emsrants-Ncw


Ycr!k the Great Landing Place.


The attention of the general public has lately been
called forcby to the progress of emigration
this country than it has been in some years past by
the passage OF certain laws for the better protection
of the emigrants as well by the actions of the
Commissioners of Emigration and the great increase
in the number of arrivals at this port. Immediately
preceding and during the late war the emigration
TO this country was comparatively small; but no
sooner had the war been ended than the tide COM
menced to set in. and TO this port there flowed
broad, deep stream, made up OF contributions from
all parts OF the world. From 1859 to 1862 there was
an average of about 10000 arrivals per annum in
1868 there were 161,eiS; in 1861, ls4,70O
in 1855, 200,o3l; In 1866, 236,64l and during
the past year 2i5,4So emigrants landed at
Castle Garden, showing thus steady increase IN
numbers From January 10 April 20 OF the current
year the number of emigrants landed at Castle Gar
den was 37,57g, and at that time there almost
1900 emigrants awaiting transportation to this city
IN Iiavre and Bremen, and in the other ports OF
Europe at which enisran.s embark TO this country
the number was very ayc ana was being daily aug
menied. From Liverpool and Qucenstown during
the past week four steamers have sailed, each one
well freighted with passengers bound to this port,
and last night there arrived here two vcssels-the
Erin and the Deutschand-the former having
board 1s4 passengers In the steerage and the latter
s52o, In all some 17OO who were landed and many OF
whom were cared for at Castle Garden.


From this it would seem that the


EMIGRATION TO OTHER PORTS


has not been sufficient TO reduce the number OF those
who think that the metropolis Offers superior advan-
tagcs to persons wishing 10 come to this country,
whether they intend to locate in any of the large
ealv lvpo IN
The cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Or.
leans have been making strenuous efforts TO draw
portion OF the tide OF emigration from the
Old World directly TO themselves; but, nowithstand
ing the fact that in these cities no tax Is levied on
the ship owners from which TO defray the expenses
which the cities may be obliged to incur their efforts
have thus far been OF little avail The reason for tue
futility OF the cndeavors which have been made In
this direction is due mainly to the fact that those
who purpose coming TO this country have learned
long since that city In the Union or, In fact the
entire world extends to the emgrant more welcome
greeting, or provides for him. II needed, refuge
In which he can remain with perfect security until
such time as his health or the at his command
will allow him to continue his journey to whatever
point he may desire In none OF these other cities
are the same provisions made for the protection of
the cmigrant and Is generally believed that II the
number OF INDECENT emigrants detained at any one
OF those places should at any time become so large
as to cause tho imposition Of visible taxation upon
the citizens that then there would be grand out
cry such as was INDUCED in by many OF the tax pay
crs of this city whcn for the support of emgrants un
der the charge OF the Governors OF the Almshouse
an item OF $4,000 was found necessary. This latter
fact 1t was which chiefly led to the establishment Of
the


COMMISSIONERS OF EMIGRATION,


who should have direct control of this great and
much abused medium Of addition to the population
and prosperity of the country. At the time Of the
passage Of the law creating the commission May g.
1s47) the treatment to which emigrants had been
subjected had reached the acme Of outrage. Emil
grant shippers, runners, boarding house keepers
canal boatmen, thieves and pronigaes OF ell kinds,
found the emigrants generally unprotected and an
easy prey 10 their plundering propensities. Whole
families were frequently robbed Of all thev posseesed