Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/65

Rh The preamble and resolution read as follows:

"Whereas, The affidavits of William Long and others, relative to the unwholesome food furnished to destitute and unfortunate emigrants at a place denominated 'Tapscott's Poor-House and Hospital,' reveal a system of flagrant outrage and cupidity, and demand the instant investigation of the Common Council;

"And whereas, The present mode of landing alien passengers has pastured a class of unprincipled brokers, who, apparently irresponsible to any authority, continue to realize fortunes by inflicting inhuman wrongs upon the alien stranger; therefore,

"Resolved, That a special committee be appointed to investigate the case of the unfortunate emigrants, and that the committee be requested to report at the next meeting."

The affidavits referred to above of William Long, Thomas Farrell, Daniel Kelleher, John Egan, Thomas Judge, Owny Hogan, and Henry Mulholland, sworn to on January 30, 1846, say, that the deponents were induced to emigrate to this country upon the representations of ship-brokers and their runners; that upon arriving in this country they found it impossible to obtain work, and applied to the agents of these ships, and offered to work for their board; that these agents sent them to Tapscott's Poor-House and Hospital, where they were obliged to do laboring work, digging, and wheeling.

"And we further depose and say that the bread furnished us was totally unfit for use, and that the black biscuit shown the Mayor is a fair sample of the bread which we were compelled to eat; that the breakfast furnished us was composed of a species of meal so black as to be unfit for use, and to that was added molasses and made into a pottage; that our dinner was at times salt fish and the before-mentioned bread, and at other times of refuse grease with other mixtures collected from the ships during their trips across the Atlantic: 'the crumbs that fell from the rich men's table.

"And we do further depose and say that there are inmates of the above establishment who are lying sick and in the most pitiful and wretched condition of suffering, quite unable to help