PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference:
885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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retard emigration, since every one, calculating on his share, would remit the exertions which he would otherwise have made for himself; and if refused once would put off his emigration in the hope of being accepted later.
To this it may perhaps be answered that the argument assumes an injudicious or ignorant appli- cation of the money. But by what machinery could a judicious and trustworthy application of such a grant be insured? It could not be entrusted to a Central or Government Board, because such a Board would want that local knowledge which would be the very essence of its judicious application. And even Local Boards must be restricted in their operations to small areas, since no single one could know more than its immediate neighbourhood. But what chance would there be that numerous Local Boards, scattered throughout Ireland, would be able and willing to resist the pressure and bias to which they would be inevitably exposed, in order to see that a public grant was appropriated in the most useful possible manner? Is it not probable that, as was the case with the Relief Fund in 1847 *, all parties would combine in urging the claims of those in whom they felt interested, and that the money would eventually be appropriated, not to those who required it most, but to those who had the stoutest backers.
Even, however, if this should not be the case,— but on the contrary, the Parliamentary grant should be applied in good faith to the emigration of
those only who would otherwise be unable to emi- grate, it is not clear that the result would be a
The
desirable one. It would naturally be considered that a grant intended for purposes of relief, would be most properly applied to the removal of those who were most hopelessly burthensome. aged, the infirm, the incorrigibly idle or vicious, would be bribed by the offer of a free pas- sage to betake themselves to America. The old complaints of "shovelling out paupers" would he renewed, and probably both the United States and Canada would re-enact the stringent laws which they adopted in 1848 to protect themselves. The cause of emigration generally would be damaged, and even if a temporary advantage were gained, it
Vade The Irish Crisis," by Sir C. E. Trevelyan, page 60.
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would be gained at the sacrifice of a permanent interest.
In respect to the grant of money from the Impe
rial Treasury towards public works in the colonies, with a view to the promotion of emigration or colonization, it is perhaps beyond our province to speak. That such grants, especially towards the improvement of internal communications, would be very useful to the colonies and very popular there, and would afford employment for a proportionate number of labourers, there can be little doubt. But unless very extensive they would hardly produce any sensible effect on the population of this country,
or on the present rate of emigration. An einigra- tion like that of last year can scarcely be supposed
to have comprized less than 50,000 male adults-- and such a number of labourers at only 158. a-week
(a very low average), would receive 1,950,000/
8. year in wages alone. By the side of such an expenditure any sum which might be granted by Parliament would be insignificant. Nor must it
be forgotten, that so far as respects relief to this country, such a grant is unnecessary so long as the United States offer a sufficient field for the employ- ment of all who go there. More might probably be induced for the time to settle in the North American Colonics-but if ever employment slackened there, they would pass over to the States; and in that case nothing but a temporary advantage would have been obtained. Of the probability that money granted from Imperial Funds for colonial works would not be economically administered, it is here unnecessary to speak. The records of the Treasury present, it is believed, an uniform experience on that point, which is far from encouraging.
the
Grants from parochial or local funds towards passages would, of course, not be expense of open to the same objections as a grant from the Imperial Treasury. If judiciously administered, they would not interfere with private exertions, nor would there be the same risk of their being jobbed or squandered. They would, of course, be applied to the removal of the most burthensome rather than the fittest labourers, but not probably to such an extent as to give rise to serious incon-
venience.
In conclusion, it may not be out of place to state