Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/109

Rh their indefatigable and successful services in the cause of humanity belongs to Messrs. Thurlow Weed and Andrew Carrigan. Both these gentlemen received, of course, more than their share of abuse from the politicians of New York for the stand they had taken.

"For an effort made to reform these great wrongs," said Mr. Weed on a later occasion, "I encountered the combined hostility of the scalpers; was threatened with personal assault, and deluged with libel suits. On one occasion, I was required to appear, on the same day, before seven magistrates in seven different and distant towns."

The said bill became a law on May 5, 1847, and still remains the law of the State. The first Emigrant Commissioners were Gulian C. Verplanck, James Boorman, Jacob Harvey, Robert B. Minturn, William F. Havemeyer, and David C. Colden. In the bill as reported by the Committee, a blank was left for the names of the Commissioners. On the morning of the day that the bill was to come up as a special order, Mr. Carrigan and Mr. Weed met at the house of the Hon. Ira Harris, the Chairman of the committee that reported the bill, to designate Commissioners. It was understood between them that gentlemen of high intelligence, stern integrity, and proverbial benevolence only should be appointed Commissioners; and then, without indicating names, each privately wrote the number to be appointed on a slip of paper. On comparing names, all those found on Mr. Carrigan's slip, with one exception, were found also upon Mr. Weed's, who had named Mr. Carrigan instead of Mr. Harvey. Mr. Carrigan a year later succeeded Mr. Havemeyer in the Board, and, after five years service, he was elected President of the Irish Emigrant Society, and thus continued his connection with the Commission as an ex-officio member for about twelve years.

The principal features of the act creating the Board of the Commissioners of Emigration, which, since its passage on May 5, 1847, have been amended several times, in their present shape read as follows:

"§1. Within twenty-four hours after the landing of any passenger from any ship or vessel arriving at the port of New York,