CO885(1-2) — Page 272

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EMIGRATION.

condition of Ireland, the greater abundance of em- ployment there at remunerating wages, and to some extent the exhaustion of the population from which

the emigrants proceeded.

Second, To the large numbers absorbed by the army and militia,

Third, To the opposition of the "Know-Nothing" party in the United States; and

Fourth, To the discouraging accounts of the labour market recently received from both British North America and the Australian colonics. The last cause is, no doubt, only temporary, and as far as regards the Australian colonies is probably already in the course of removal. The same causes have also affected the emigration from the other parts of the United Kingdom, although, as the pressure was not there so intense, the reaction has not been so

great.

Unless under circumstances beyond present cal- culation, it may fairly be assumed that emigration will not hereafter reach the height which it has heretofore reached. It is scarcely possible that any prospects, however tempting, will hereafter draw from Ireland nearly a quarter of a million of her inhabitants annually. At the same time, if peace were now to take place, a large number of those who would be set free from military service would probably be disposed to emigrate, or by entering the labour market would force others to do so. And as emi- gration has become thoroughly familiar to the minds of the working classes generally, it may be assumed that to a certain extent it will always go on (irre- spective of those whose passages are paid for them,, varying according to the varying seasons of distress and plenty. Another emigration, which has recently arisen from British ports, and which seems likely to increase, is the emigration of foreigners, principally Germans, who are brought from Hamburgh and Antwerp to Hull and London, and are forwarded from the latter and from Liverpool to the United States. The number who passed through England in 1854 was upwards of 37,000. In 1855 they amounted only to 10,000,-a difference which may

Future prospects.

Foreign emigru.

tion.

Government emi-

gration.

1852.

EMIGRATION.

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to a great extent be accounted for by the number who have taken service in the Foreign Legions in English pay, and who would otherwise have been among the emigrants.

In respect to the emigration conducted by this Board, and which amounted, as before stated, in

1854 to 1855 to

41,005 28,016

there can be no doubt that, under the present cir- cumstances of the country, it will be impossible to carry it on to the same extent, without comprising in it a larger proportion of Irish than the colonists are willing to receive. It is possible that when the colonists are satisfied that the choice lies between Irish emigrants or scarcely any, they may be willing

to accept such as can be induced to go. In the meantime, however, it is not proposed to push this emigration against the wishes of the colonists, but to reduce the number of ships to the number for which a fair proportion of English and Scotch can be obtained.

Passengers Act.

Committee of

185-1.

Passengers Act,

1855.

PASSENGERS ACT.

Connected with emigration is the Passengers Act. This measure has been continually before Parliament during the last few years, and was the subject of inquiry before Committees of the House of Com- mous in 1851, and again in 1854. In 1852 a new Passengers' Act was passed, founded on the report of the Committee of the preceding year. At that time the unassisted emigration to Australia was only beginning; there was but one steam vessel employed in the passenger trade, and the construction of the immense ships which have since been launched had not been begun; consequently, although only two years had elapsed since the passing of the Act, when the Committee of 1854 was appointed, the circum- stances were sufficiently altered to justify them in recommending a considerable modification of the Law of 1852.

The principal modifications introduced in conse-

quence were,-

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