Died on the passage 5,293
at the quarantine station 3,452
at the Quebec Emigrant Hospital 1,041
at the Montreal ditto 3,579
at Kingston and Toronto 1,965
------
15,330
showing a mortality of rather more than 17 per cent. on the
number embarked. One-third of those who arrived in Canada were
received into hospital.
The people of Canada deserve great praise for the spirited
and benevolent exertions made by them to meet the exigencies
of this disastrous emigration, which is described as having
“left traces of death and misery along its course, from
the Quarantine Establishment at Grosse Isle to the most
distant parts of Upper Canada, cutting down in its progress
numbers of estimable citizens.” Besides the larger hospital
establishments, twenty-four Boards of Health were formed
in Upper Canada. Numerous deaths also took place among the
emigrants to New Brunswick. The ships containing the German
emigrants, and two ships fitted out by the Duke of Sutherland
from Sutherlandshire, arrived in Canada in a perfectly healthy
state.
[56] Settlers in the backwoods must have the means of support
from twelve to fifteen months after their arrival, and this
cannot be accomplished for less than 60ℓ., at the lowest
estimate, for each family consisting of a man, his wife, and
three children, or equal to 3½ adults on an average.
[57] The repayment of these advances, which amount altogether
to £1,145,800, has not yet been pressed, out of consideration
for the circumstances of the country.
[58] An Act to make further provision for the Relief of the
Destitute Poor in Ireland, 10 Vic. cap. 31--[Passed 8th June,
1847.]
An Act to provide for the Execution of the Laws for the Relief
of the Poor in Ireland, 10 & 11 Vic. cap. 90--[Passed 22nd
July, 1847.]
An Act to make provision for the Punishment of Vagrants and
Persons offending against the Laws in force for the Relief of
the Destitute Poor in Ireland, 10 & 11 Vic. cap. 84--[Passed
22nd July, 1847.]
[59] “I would sincerely regret that anything I have said
should appear to be written as if I sought occasion to point
out errors and hold them up; far from it; I mention them
with sorrow and a kindly wish that they may be corrected.
The position of the respectable classes at this moment in
many instances is surely pitiable. There is but one course by
which this country can rise and take her proper position, and
that is by a hearty and sincere determination to work for the
public good, at the same time throwing aside all selfish and
party feeling. In that case, there is no reason why we should
despair; but otherwise, no mortal can either pass laws or
propose any other thing which would be attended with success.
In this I particularly allude to the Poor Law now about to
be administered. I look upon it as an indirect absentee tax,
drawing from those who did not contribute before, or in a very
slight degree. It assures the poor man that from the land he
must have support, and that what he labours on will one day
sustain him when he can no longer toil. It will also compel
others to consider that unless employment is provided, they
must support him without a remunerative return,--and if this
is rightly considered, then the heavy affliction which the
Almighty has been pleased to lay on them will prove a lesson
for good.
“On the subject of relief being given without having a
corresponding return for it in labour, I feel very apprehensive
that, owing to the habits of the lower orders, the present
repugnance to entering the union-house may give way, and that
for the sake of an idle life, they may accept the terms. To
prevent this and rescue both landlord and peasant from certain
ruin, there must be employment given fairly remunerative
to both, not by Government, but by the owners of the soil.
Until lately, what was the condition of the peasant? Work as
he would, till and rear what he might, he could never hope
to benefit. His portion was the potato only, shared, it may
be said, with his pig. He dare not use anything else. Let
misfortune come on him, or disease render him unable to work,
he had no claim on the land. One a little less poor than
himself might help him, but who else? The charity I have seen
has been from the poor to the poor. Is it any wonder that they
became spiritless, idle, and even worse?
“A townland near here, owned by a landlord who resides
constantly away, is let to a middleman at 10s. an acre. That
middleman resides away also, and he relets it to a person who
lives in the county of Cork, and only occasionally comes there.
It is sub-let again, until the price received for a quarter of
an acre is 1ℓ. 10s. per annum. Can that place be otherwise than
full of distress?
“Near it is another townland. The owner resides here, but he
has never attended to it. In the late calamity he applied to
me for seed and assistance, declaring his intention to provide
seed at his own expense; and to insure its being sown, he
said he should employ a person to superintend the sowing, as
the land was prepared. His tenants were without food; but to
encourage and assist in this case, an application was made
by me to the Society of Friends for a supply to sustain the
people while working, which was granted. The party supposed
he had about sixty to provide for, but was frightened at over
600 applications for food; and it then came out that his land
was underlet to an enormous degree. He had never paid proper
attention by inspecting his farms, &c. The result is, that
now he can neither get rent, nor the repayment of the value
of the seed. What has been grown will not suffice to feed
those who are located on the land. They cannot pay rent, and
they will not give up their holdings. The population has been
increased in such cases, and others, to an extent beyond what
the land can bear. Another cause is, that the Roman Catholic
clergy derive their income mainly from fees and contributions
at marriages and christenings; and though there are some who
see the disastrous result of encouraging the increase of the
population, and are scrupulous on that head, still, as their
subsistence depends on it, it cannot be expected that they will
exert themselves in a way likely to deprive themselves of daily
bread by discouraging thoughtless rushing into improvident
marriages.”--CAPTAIN MANN’S NARRATIVE.
[60] First Board of Works Series of 1846-7, page 338 to 341.
[61] The purposes to which these loans are applicable are as
follows:--
1. The drainage of lands by any means which may be approved by the
Commissioners.
2. The subsoiling, trenching, or otherwise deepening and improving
the soil of lands.