EMIGRATION.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1164, 24 June 1870, Page 3

EMIGRATION.

On the 29th ultimo' the Lake Erie lefc the Thames, freighted with some 250 men, women, and children, bound for Canada. They consisted apparently of the elite of the working classes, and were sent out under the auspices of the Working Men's Emigration Association. Each person had contributed £3 10s. towards his or her passage money, and the remainder was made up by the liberality of Mr. S. Morley, Mr. Barnetfc, Dr. Eddy, and by the association itself, whose funds accrue from the weekly subscriptions of its members. A few days later 27 adults and 22 children left Bristol for Liverpool, en route to Canada, by the sailing vessel Lake Superior. The payments, which most of them had made into an emigration club, were augmented by subscriptions, including 10s. per head given by S. Morley, M.P. Several young women, domestic servants, also assisted by Mr. Morley, left about the same time for Queensland. On the 14th instant the first party assisted to Canada by the British and Colonial Emigration Fund during this season left the Victoria Dock for Quebec in the s.s. Medway. The band numbered about six hundred individuals, and consisted of single men and women, and married couples with only one or two children. They came from various parts of England, but the great majority of them were Londoners, and they were accompanied to the place of embarkation by troops of friends and relations, as well as many members of the committee. Each of the travellers had provided £3 towards the expenses of the passage, the difference between that and £7 being made up from the funds of the society. The parting scene

was interesting but painful. .There were showers of tears, and interminable wringing of hands. On the 15th another party, numbering 253 souls, sent out by the East London Family Emigration Fund, started for Liverpool, bound for the same destination. The next despatch of emigrants, under the auspices of the former society, will take place on the 28th instant, when the passengers will be all " East-enders." A local organisation has been formed in Liverpool to co-operate with the London council of the National Emigration League. Sir William Denison, K.C.8., attended the initiatory meeting, and pointed out the importance of the Imperial Government adopting a national system of colonisation, showing that it was one of the best means of disposing of our surplus population, and of conferring at the same time great benefits upon the colonies. The very extensive buildings at Lambhay Point, under Plymouth Citadel, known as " Baltic Wharf," have just been prepared by Messrs. Hilson & Co., builders, for the reception of such emigrants as may be des-. patched from Plymouth under the auspices of her Majesty's Emigration commissioners, or of the Hon. G. F. Verdou, the agent general for Victoria. The arrangements made for emigrants before embarkation are verj complete. The single women have a block of buildings fitted for their separate use, with mess rooms and dormitories under charge of the matron. The single men's berth?, in two large rooms, are arranged on a novel principle introduced by Mr. Chant, despatching-officer ; and the married people have their own rooms, with berths enclosed and so arranged as to ensure the maximum of privacy consistent with the comparatively small space necessarily available. Ventilation and warming are well provided for. Gas is laid on throughout, and a plentiful supply of water, with fire cocks on every landing. About 1,000 people can be provided for in these buildings, which are divided into mess rooms, dormitories, bath rooms and lavatories, hot air room, kitchens, offices, depot master's house luggage stores, &c. ; the rooms being on such a scale that in one alone, fitted for single women, 248 separate beds are provided and rooms 40ft square are classed as small. The Times of 20th inst. says: — Such emigrants as are likely to do well in a new country add to its wealth by settling in it, and an old country like ours can perhaps afford to lose them. Bufc it would never answer our purpose to establish a progress of artificial depletion. It is for the colonies themselves to compete for our surplus population by the advantages offered. Men and women will continue to leave these islands in large bodies no doubt, but their destination will be determined by calculations of self-interest. It may be within the power of the Australian Governments to compensate for length of voyage by the prospects exhibited at the end of it and then they will get what they now desire ; but our interests would not be directly promoted, nor would taxation be eased, by diverting the current of natural emigration from its present channels to their shores. The Government emigration officials at Liverpool have issued the monthly and quarterly returns of the immigration from the Mersey. During the month of March there sailed 33 ships, 32 of which went to the United States and one to Victoria, with 12,819 passengers. The ships that sailed without Government supervision were as follows : — To the United States 10 ships with 56 cabin and 307 steerage passengers ; to Victoria, 7 ships with 22 cabin and 136 steerage passengers; to New Zealand, 3 ships with 2 cabin and 34 steerage passengers ; to the West Indies, 2 ships with 14 cabin passengers; to South America, 18 ships, with 148 cabin and 57 steerage passengers ; to Africa, 5 ships, with 53 passengers ; for the East Indies, 3 ships, with 32 cabin passengers ; making a total for the quarter of 21,427 passengers in all, which, compared with the corresponding quarter of the last year, shows an increase of 631 passengers.