Thir
4
(which is a low estimate), the number of Irish who have emigrated during the last three has been
years 598,918, equal to an annual average emigration of 196,639 persons. But the increase of population in Ireland between 1831 and 1841, as it appears on the Census Returns, was 407,723; and the emi- gration during the same years seems to have been 455,236, making a total increase of 862,950, or 86,295 a-year. Assuming the increase to have been at the same rate since 1811, it would give for the eight years, to the close of 1849,-707,480, or 88,435 per annum, The emigration, therefore, on the average of the last three years, exceeded the increase of the population by 108,204 souls per When it is also taken into account that the emigration comprises a large proportion of those who are in the vigour of life, and on whom the increase of population mainly depends, it may be assumed that its influence in checking such increase is even greater than the mere figures would'imply.
annum).
We now proceed to the second question, viz., whether a grant of money out of Imperial funds would produce an increase of emigration propor- tionate to its amount. We append a Table, show- ing, as nearly as can be calculated, the whole amount expended by or on behalf of the labouring classes in emigration during the year 1849. It will be seen that this expenditure reached last
year the vast sum of 1,715,000. The only portion of this sum derived from public funds, properly so called, is the 220,0001. expended on Australian and Cape emigration; the balance, amounting to 1,489,000/., with the exception of a small sum, paid out of poor-rates, has been drawn from private sources. There are no means of ascertaining how much may have been contributed by landlords, by charitable individuals, or by the emigrants them- selves; but we have returns which show that a sum of upwards of 540,000l., equal to more than three- fourths of the whole sum paid for passages to North America, was either paid in the United States, or remitted through mercantile houses by individuals already settled in America, to en- able their friends and relatives in Ireland to join them. This return is necessarily imperfect, since it takes no notice of the sums remitted through private channels, of which it is impossible
1847
214,970
1848 1849
177.720
197,228
3) 589,918
Average
196,639
5
to obtain information. It may therefore be safely assumed that the whole amount, either remitted or paid for passages on the other side of the Atlantic was in reality considerably more than we have put
down.
It seems scarcely possible to doubt that a grant of public money would very much interfere with contributions from private sources, whether those of the emigrant himself or his friends. Every man would consider himself as much entitled as his neighbour to share in such a grant, and would look to it as his main assistance. At present individuals are, it is said, often sent out by contributions from the members of their family, in order that they may afterwards send home funds to take out the con- tributors. This is evidently a very healthy emigra- tion, and one that deserves encouragement. But what chance is there that any would submit to the privations inherent in such a system when there was a Government grant to fall back on? And even those who had means of their own, and who, under ordinary circumstances, would pay their own
way without difficulty, would hold back so long as they had any hope of obtaining a share of the grant. The continual frauds practised on the emigration agent at Quebec, by persons applying as paupers for assistance up the country; and the experience
of the year 1847 in Ireland, afford sufficient means
of estimating the light in which a Government grant towards emigration would be viewed. Those must
be very sanguine who believe that it would not relax the exertions of individuals, or interfere with the present flow of emigrationi.
But it will be said that free passages would of course not be given; that a proportion only of the passage-money would be granted to make
up the means of the emigrant himself, or his friends. As- sume that proportion, for the sake of argunient, at one-half. Then if what has been said above is true, the total paid for passages last year out of private sources having excceded 1,000,000%, a grant of 500,000l. would only keep the emigration at its present amount, displacing an equal sum which would have been contributed from private sources. A grant exceeding half a million would increase emi- gration, but in proportion to its excess only. But a grant of less than half a million would actually
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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