Part 24 (1/2)
Column 5: Total.
Row 2 Column 1: 1829 Column 2: 8,110 Column 3: 2,443 Column 4: 948 Column 5: 11,501
Row 3 Column 1: 1830 Column 2: 16,350 Column 3: 3,497 Column 4: 1,584 Column 5: 21,433
Row 4 Column 1: 1831 Column 2: 13,808 Column 3: 6,721 Column 4: 2,078 Column 5: 22,607
Row 5 Column 1: 1832 Column 2: 18,947 Column 3: 6,050 Column 4: 3,286 Column 5: 28,283
Row 6 Column 1: 1833 Column 2: - Column 3: - Column 4: - Column 5: 16,000
Row 7 Column 1: 1834*
Column 2: - Column 3: - Column 4: - Column 5: 26,540
Row 8 Column 1: Total Column 2: - Column 3: - Column 4: - Column 5: 126,464
* The returns for 1834 are made up to the 20th November of that year.
III. AMERICAN Pa.s.sENGERS' ACT.
The 9th Geo. IV., c. 21, commonly called the ”American Pa.s.sengers' Act,”
was repealed during the Session of 1835, by an Act then pa.s.sed, the 5 and 6 Will. IV., c. 53. The intention of the new Act is, of course, to secure, as effectually as possible, and more effectually than the previous Act did, the health and comfort of emigrants on board of pa.s.senger s.h.i.+ps. By a clause of the Act, copies or abstracts are to be kept on board s.h.i.+ps for the perusal of pa.s.sengers, who may thus have an opportunity of judging whether the law has been complied with; but the discovery of any infractions of the Statute may be made at a time when, in the particular instance, it may be too late to remedy it, so far as the comfort and even the health of the pa.s.sengers are concerned. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the humane intentions of the legislature will not be frustrated by any negligence on the part of those (especially of the officers of customs) whose business it is to see that the regulations of the Act have been complied with before each emigrant s.h.i.+p leaves port.
No pa.s.senger s.h.i.+p is to sail with more than three persons on board for every five tons of registered burthen. Nor, whatever may be the tonnage, is there to be a greater number of pa.s.sengers on board than after the rate of one person for every ten superficial feet of the lower deck or platform unoccupied by goods or stores, not being the personal luggage of the pa.s.sengers.
s.h.i.+ps with more than one deck to have five feet and a half; at the least, between decks; and where a s.h.i.+p has only one deck, a platform is to be laid beneath the deck in such a manner as to afford a s.p.a.ce of the height of at least five feet and a half, and no such s.h.i.+p to have more than two tiers of berths. s.h.i.+ps having two tiers of berths to have an interval of at least six inches between the deck or platform, and the floor of the lower tier throughout the whole extent.
Pa.s.senger s.h.i.+ps are to be provisioned in the following proportion:--pure water, to the amount of five gallons, to every week of the computed voyage, for each pa.s.senger--the water to be carried in tanks or sweet casks; seven pounds' weight of bread, biscuit, oatmeal, or bread stuffs, to every week for each pa.s.senger; potatoes may be included to one-third of the extent of supply, but seven pounds' weight of potatoes are to be reckoned equal to one pound of bread or bread stuffs. The voyage to North America is to be computed at ten weeks, by which each pa.s.senger will be secured fifty gallons of water, and seventy pounds weight of bread or bread stuffs for the voyage.
Where there are 100 pa.s.sengers, a medical pract.i.tioner is to be carried; if under 100, medicines of sufficient amount and kind are to be taken out as part of the necessary supplies.
Pa.s.senger s.h.i.+ps are not to be allowed to carry out ardent spirits as merchandise beyond one-tenth of the quant.i.ty as would, but for this restriction, be allowed by the officers of the customs upon the victualling bill of such s.h.i.+p for the outward voyage only, according to the number of pa.s.sengers.
[An important restriction, which ought to be enforced to the letter of the law. The strong temptation which the tedium of a voyage presents to numbers pinned up in a small s.p.a.ce to resort to drinking, has frequently made sad havoc of the money, comfort, and health of emigrants, when, especially, the s.h.i.+p steward has contrived to lay in a good stock of strong waters.]
In the enumeration of pa.s.sengers, _two_ children above seven, but under fourteen, or _three_ under seven years of age, are to be reckoned as one pa.s.senger. Infants under 12 months are not to be included in the enumeration.
Pa.s.sengers are ent.i.tled to be maintained on board for 48 hours after the s.h.i.+p has arrived at her destination. [Emigrants whose means are limited may thus avoid much inconvenience and expense, by planning and executing with prompt.i.tude the route which they mean to take, instead of landing, and loitering in the expensive houses of entertainment of a sea-port.]
Masters of s.h.i.+ps are to enter into bonds of 1,000 pounds for the due performance of the provisions of the Act. The penalty on any infraction of the law is to be not less than 5 pounds, nor more than 20 pounds for each offence.
[The government emigration agents at the various ports, or the officers of customs, will doubtless give every facility to pa.s.sengers who seek their advice relative to any violation of the provisions of the Act, and point out the proper course to be taken.]
If there be any doubt that a s.h.i.+p about to sail is not sea-worthy, the collector and comptroller of the customs may cause the vessel to be surveyed. Pa.s.sengers detained beyond the time contracted for to sail, are to be maintained at the expense of the master of the s.h.i.+p; or, if they have contracted to victual themselves, they are to be paid 1 s.h.i.+lling each for each day of detention not caused by stress of weather or other unavoidable cause.
IV. TRANSFER OF CAPITAL.