biscuit, and a pound of beef, or three-fourths of a pound of pork, exclusive of a farther weekly allowance to every such person of two pounds weight of flour, and three pounds of oatmeal or pearl barley, and half a pound of butter, during the voyage, the probable duration of which is to be estimated by the customhouse officers; and that all vessels having license to carry fifty passengers or upwards, shall have on board a regularly graduated surgeon, and shall be provided with a medicine chest, &c. &c.

Now, we are quite sure that every one will agree with us in thinking, that if we wish to keep the pauper population of Ireland at home, or to force them to Great Britain, these regulations are admirable: But if we wish to facilitate their egress to foreign countries, or to our own colonies, they are the most irrational and absurd that can be imagined. All the witnesses examined by the Emigration Committee agree, that while the clauses with respect to provisions, and the having a graduated surgeon on board, are of no real advantage to the passengers, they have, at the very least, doubled the expense of transport. The supply of food provided under the statutory regulations, is much too great, at the same time that it is exceedingly expensive, and by no means suited to the habits of most of the emigrants. Not one of a hundred of them is accustomed to eat beef or pork; and it really seems quite ludicrous to begin cramming them with that sort of food at the very moment when they are to be cooped up in a ship, and deprived of exercise! Instead of being favourable to the health of the passengers, it is obvious that such a change in their mode of feeding must, in their situation, be injurious; and accordingly it is established, by the most decisive testimony, that sickness and scurvy are much more prevalent among them now than formerly. The truth is, that if they are supplied with a sufficient quantity of oatmeal, potatoes and herrings, and with a little butter and molasses, they have all that is necessary. Every thing else is really superfluous, and ought to be granted to those only who can afford to pay for it. Neither do we see that there is any urgent necessity why a regular surgeon should be put on board every ship. Mr Buchanan states, that the regulations with respect to surgeons and provisions are not strictly enforced in the case of American ships carrying out passengers to the United States; and, with equal inconsistency, they are not enforced in the case of ships carrying passengers to Newfoundland, and no inconvenience has been found to result from that circumstance. But if some medical assistance should be deemed indispensable, we would beg to suggest, that such medical

students as have either served an apprenticeship to a surgeon, or attended lectures on the principal branches of surgery and medicine for two years, should be admitted as surgeons in emigrant ships. Perhaps it might be proper to maintain the existing regulations with respect to the number of passengers, as compared with the tonnage; and the customhouse officers might be authorized to see that there was a sufficient supply of water, and of oatmeal, potatoes, and herrings on board: But farther than this, no interference ought to be tolerated. And if the law were placed on this footing, there can be no doubt that any number of passengers might be carried to Canada, Nova Scotia, or the United States, for less than 37. a head.

It ought indeed to be mentioned, that, by an Act passed last year, (6 Geo. IV. cap. 106.), in consequence of the earnest representations of the Irish merchants and ship-owners, the Lords of the Treasury were authorized to exempt vessels carrying passengers from Ireland to the British possessions in America from the provisions in the Passage Act of 1823, in the event of their complying with the conditions in the Treasury order to that effect. But why not entirely repeal so impolitic a statute? Can any thing be imagined more oppressive and absurd than, by keeping up the regulations in the case of British ships carrying passengers to the United States, to throw this important branch of employment almost entirely into the hands of the American ship-owners, who can more easily evade the regula tions? And why, we should like to know, should different regulations be made with respect to the passage of emigrants from Ireland to Canada from those that obtain in the case of emigrants from Great Britain? The feeble and impotent attempt that has thus been made to amend the Passage Acts, sets the necessity of their abolition in the most striking point of view; and will, we hope, lead to their total repeal, with the exception of the regulations to which we have now alluded.

Colonel Cockburn estimates the expense of conveying an emigrant from Quebec to the place of settlement in Upper Canada at 21. 10s. The great length and difficulty of this inland navigation, has induced some well informed persons to consider this estimate as too low. But if emigration were conducted on a large scale, and if the transport of the emigrants were performed by contract, we have little doubt that it might be accomplished for even less than Colonel Cockburn's estimate. And supposing the Passage Act to be repealed, we think it might be fairly supposed that emigrants might be carried from Ireland to the place of settlement in Upper Canada

for about 51. or 51. 5s. cach.

It will, however, be observed, that the expenses of conveying emigrants to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Lower Canada, would be very considerably less, as well on account of the shorter voyage out, as of the small subsequent expense that would be incurred in conveying the emigrant to his place of settlement. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including Prince Edward's Island and Cape Breton, are fully as large as England; and while the present population only amounts to about 200,000, they might with ease furnish subsistence for four millions. In Cape Breton only, according to a very well informed witness, Mr Uniacke, Attorney-General for Nova Scotia, there are a million of acres of good land still to dispose of (Report, p. 42); which, allowing 150 acres for each family of four persons, would accommodate upwards of 33,000 emigrants; and, estimating the expense of their conveyance from Ireland at 27. 10s., and the farther expenses attending their conveyance to their lots at 15s., the whole expense of their transport would only amount to about 31. 5s.; and we have been assured by gentlemen well acquainted with such matters, that it might be accomplished for even less. Mr Uniacke further estimates, that there are in Nova Scotia, exclusive of New Brunswick, about 2,000,000 of acres of good land fit for settlement; and, estimating the unappropriated good land in New Brunswick at other 2,000,000 of acres, it is plain, that 133,000 emigrants might be established in these provinces, and conveyed to them at an expense that would most probably vary from 31. 5s. to 37. 15s. each.

It is estimated that the emigrants might be transported from Ireland to their lots in Lower Canada, for from 47. to 47. 10s. each.

It is difficult to form any probable estimate of the expense that would be incurred in establishing the emigrants. Colonel Cockburn supposes it might amount, inclusive of provisions for a twelvemonth, and a cow for every four persons, &c. to 127. 16s. for each individual in Upper Canada, and to 107. 10s. in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It appears, however, to be the general opinion of the witnesses examined before the Committee, that the expense of establishing the emigrants would be progressively diminished as emigration was extended. Mr Uniacke states, that he believes that from 15,000 to 20,000 emigrants might be annually absorbed by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick only, without any expense on their account except that of sending them out. And it is highly probable, that if emigration were conducted on a large scale, the facilities of obtaining labourers would be so great that ca

pitalists would be induced to undertake extensive settlements; and that a small premium from Government would be sufficient to make them become responsible for the support of large bodies of emigrants.

But it is really a matter of comparative indifference, whe-f ther an emigrant is established in the colonies of Great Britain, or in the United States, or Colombia, or any other country. His Emigration must at any rate be, in the first instance, of advantage to us and unless his location in our colonies were to afford the means, of which we shall immediately show there is not much prospect, of making him contribute a direct revenue to this country, the advantages derived from the additional intercourse he might occasion would be equally great, whether he were settled in Canada or Colombia. For these reasons, we think that all individuals who are disposed to emigrate to the United States, or to South America, rather than Canada, ought to be carried directly to these countries ;) and the British Consuls at New York, New Orleans, and other great trading towns, ought to be instructed to furnish such emigrants as could not find employment near the sea-coast, with a little money to assist them in transporting themselves to the interior. And if the single province of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick could absorb 15,000 emigrants a year, without any expense on account of location, it is surely a very moderate estimate to suppose that Canada, the United States, Mexico, and South America, might absorb 20,000 more. The expense attending the conveyance and disposal of such persons might perhaps be taken, on a rough average, at 81. or 81. 8s. each. And supposing the emigration to continue ten years, on this scale, 350,000 emigrants would be disposed of.

On the whole, therefore, we are disposed to think, that the expenses consequent upon the transportation of one million of emigrants from Ireland to America, and disposing of them there, might be fairly estimated as under; viz.

Expense of conveying 33,000 emigrants to Cape Breton, and establishing them there (passage out and internal conveyance 31. 5s., establishment 107. 10s.), 137. 15s. each Expense of conveying 133,000 emigrants to Nova Scotia, &c. (passage &c. 31. 10s., establishment 107. 10s.) 147. each

L.454,000

1,862,000

2,940,000

Carry over L.5,256,000

E

Expense of conveying 350,000 emigrants to America, and furnishing them with a little money, 81. 8s. each.

VOL. XLV. No. 89.

Brought over

Expense of conveying 484,000 emigrants to Lower and Upper Canada and establishing them there, (passage, &c. 51. 5s, establishment 127. 10s.), 177. 15s. each

Total expense of conveying one million of emi

L.5,256,000

8,591,000

grants to America, and establishing them there L.13,847,000 This is undoubtedly a very considerable sum; but considerable as it is, we have no hesitation in saying, that, though it were twice as great, it would be well and advantageously laid out in securing the object in view. Look at the alternative under which this question is placed. If, on the one hand, we incur the expense consequent upon the prosecution of emigration on the large scale we have proposed, we shall relieve Ireland of the surplus population by which she is now oppressed and beggared, and will enable means to be adopted for securing her future and rapid improvement, at the same time that we shall protect and secure our own population from being overrun and degraded by the influx of Irish poor: But if, on the other hand, we refuse to incur this expense, and allow matters to remain on their present footing, it is idle to talk of the improvement of Ireland: Her misery will be rendered perpetual; and every year thousands of starving wretches will be cast upon our shores, till our people have been sunk, in consequence of their influx, to the same level of hopeless misery as the Irish, and the scourge of universal mendicity has avenged centuries of misgovernment!

It has, we are aware, been sometimes said, that a less sum than would be required to carry the surplus poor of Ireland to America, would be sufficient, were it laid out in providing for them at home, to give them the means of supporting themselves in a state of comfort and respectability, and would consequently be, in every point of view, more for the public advantage. Were it not that this opinion has met with a few feeble advocates in the House of Commons, we should hardly have thought it worthy of notice. Extremely few, not one in fifty perhaps, of the persons who would be carried to America as emigrants, have learned any sort of art or handicraft. They would almost universally consist of peasants acquainted only with the very rudest species of agriculture. And if they were to be furnished with sums of money at home, it is as clear as the sun at noon-day that they would lay them out in buying a cow, and in tempting the proprie tors, by the offer of exorbitant rents, to let them a small patch