1 827.] Third Report of ike Emigration Committee. 579 



strikes us as a most entire and signal failure. Whether it wes that the 

 Committee doubted the possibility of doing any thing effectual, but thought 

 it necessary, for form sake, to conclude by proposing something; or 

 whether they flattered themselves that the difficulty would work its own 

 cure, while the suggestion of the Report covered the operation ; certain it 

 is that, at the end of our long 600 pages, just where it took us up, the pro- 

 ject that they conclude with sets us down. The reader is in the situation 

 of the prisoner described in the Neapolitan story, who, after cutting his way 

 through an oaken door of enormous strength, in the confidence of obtaining 

 his liberty finds an iron one on the other side of it. 



The Committee set out (p. 15 of the Report) by laying the ground- 

 work for their suggestion or recommendation describing, generally, the 

 over burthened condition of the country. With a cautious regard, very far 

 from blameable, to the character of the advice which is to follow, the 

 extent of the mischief (in the Report) is not very formally laid down : but 

 as we perceive that the Committee's knowledge of it is gained from the 

 evidence before them, we shall endeavour to shew, according to that source 

 of information, what it really is 



The first witnesses (whose evidence for other purposes we have already 

 noticed), Foster and Little, the deputies of the Glasgow Weavers' Committee, 

 think that the "removal of 500 or 1000 men from Glasgow and Paisley only" 

 would not be sufficient to leave competent work, at fair wages, for the remainder. 

 (Q. 161 to 165). 



Mr. Archi aid Campbell produces the " last Report" (dated 15th Feb 1827) 

 of the " Committee for the Relief of the unemployed in the county of Renfrew :" 

 which states the number of families then dependent on the Committee to be 

 1245.(Q. 185). 



Major Moody states (date of evidence, 24 Feb. 1827) that 7,900 persons are 

 then weekly relieved in Manchester, who are able to work if employment could be 

 obtained. , Q. 296). 



The Rev. Jno. Mathias Turner, Rector of Wilmelowe, in Cheshire, does not 

 believe that any plan of emigration, of which he has ever seen an outline, could 

 subtract a sufficient number of hands from the market to raise the labourers' wages. 

 (Q. 508). 



Thomas Bradbury, overseer of Great Horwood, in Buckinghamshire, says that 

 the number of labourers in the neighbourhood where he resides is one third more 

 than can get employment. 



Mr. W. H. Wyett's evidence states that, in Blackburn, of a population of 

 150,000 weavers, there is not employment for more than one hal'. (Q. 2338). 



Mr. Hugh Dixon thinks that there would be labour enough in the county of 

 Westmeath, if o e hat/the lower class of labourers (that would be about a fourth 

 part of the population) were removed.. He fiiids Ireland generally, as far as he 

 knows, in the same situation (Q 2521, 2591). 



Mr. Daniel Wilson, of the county of Clare, says " generally speaking, the 

 demand for labour is very small, as compared with the population" (Q, 2620). 

 A large portion of the lowest labourers are without employ : but he thinks not 

 a half. 



Mr. Bodkin's evidence is to the same effect with Mr. Wilson's. 



To Mr. Malthus the question as to any extent of emigration is never put Haifa 

 million from Ireland only, is once thrown out as a hint. (Q. 5588 > 



Mr. Marshall's evidence we have already quoted at considerable length. This 

 gentleman, it will be recollected, got rid of 1,100 persons off his own estate only 

 at once. His opinion is that the population of the county of Kerry exceeds the 

 demand for labour very materially. (Q. 4173). 



Now it may be too much to say, definitively, that from a part we 

 should judge of the whole; but certainly all this evidence seems to go to 

 the general state of the country. And it will be recollected that this i* 



* 4 E 2 



