Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/58

44 satisfied that they will not be heard, or being eager to reach their new homes. Only here and there some victims tell of their ill-treatment, and it is almost exclusively upon their recitals, and upon the meagre official data, that we have to rely for a history of later emigration.

During the ten years after the passage of the Act of 1819, the immigration to New York was very small. In the first five years, viz., from 1819 to 1824, it amounted to a little more than 4,000 per annum; while from 1825 to 1829, it rose to an average of 12,328 per year.

A large majority were very poor. While their influx contributed to the general prosperity of the country, it injured the domestic poor, as it necessarily imposed heavier expenses on the city government in providing for those who from any cause became sick or destitute.

"Prior to 1817," says Comptroller John Ewen, in his report for 1846, "when the foreign poor did not amount to one-fourth of the present number, the Corporation (of the city of New York) received from the State one-third of the auction duties collected in this city on the sale of foreign goods, as an indemnity for their support. This provision, amounting annually to upwards of $70,000, was subsequently withdrawn, and an annual payment of $10,000 substituted instead; since then the State has received over six millions of dollars from auctions in this city, and only $53,000 from other parts of the State. This annual payment, however, proved insufficient, in consequence of the arrival of foreign paupers, who, in some instances, within a day or two after landing, where taken from the wharves in large numbers, in a state of destitution, and sent to the Almshouse. To protect the city against such extraordinary expenditures, the Legislature of the State, on February 11, 1824, passed an act 'Concerning passengers in vessels coming to the port of New York'. This act, commonly called the 'Passenger Act', required every master or commander of any ship, or other vessel, arriving at the port of New York, from any country out of the United States, or from any other of the United States than the State of New York, to make, within twenty-four hours after the arrival of such ship or vessel, a report in writing, on oath or affirmation, to the