IMMIGRANTS PER WESTMINSTER

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue I, 22 April 1843, Page 2

IMMIGRANTS PER WESTMINSTER

The comfort of tne immigrant on hisarrival in such a country as this, is a subject peculiarly demanding the attention of the local government. Kindness, care, and attention are not only not thrown away in such a case as this, but they meet with their double reward, in the feeling of good done to the individuals themselves, as well as to the character of the colony. This is well understood in New South Wales, and the humane, treatment which the immigrant receives at the hands of the government on his arrival in that country, strongly contrasts with the conduct of our government. The officers of government complain loudly that certain persons in this town have much injured the colony by a constant cry of ruin and misery; but their own infamous treatment of the last importation of immigrants, is calculated to injure the colony ten thousand time more than all the opposition which the settlers have ever offered to their unjust measures. The reckliness of suffering and the callousness of feeling that would leave upwards of 200 fellow creatures in cold com ortless houses, for a period of four days, after a voyage of four or five months, without a single particle of food, and without a shilling of money, is deserving of severer reprobation and chastisement than our quill can administer. Will the home government believe the fact we have stated, will any man possessed of a particle of feeling, suppose it possible that poor pennyless immigrants (as the most of them doubtless are) would be actually driven ashore like a herd of cattle, and placed in pounds, without even one hour feed in the day? Such however, is the case ; and we call upon the local government, if they can to disprove at. Will the home government believe us when we say, that it was not until the townspeople had administered relief to some of the immigrants, and even manifested symptoms of serious indignation, that the government aroused themselves to the consideration of the fact of the immigrants not being able to exist without food. There is no excuse, no palliation of such unfeeling conduct. The local government had abundant warning of their arrival - abundant time to procure rations for them, and to erect comfortable barracks for their reception. A tender we hear was given for the erection of a barracks for about £130. It was rejected, though we understand, another tender was at the same time accepted ; for more than half the sum, for the fencing of the government offices! ! Really, it is more than time such conduct should attract the notice of the home government. The misdeeds of our government will seriously injure the character of our colony.