248 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



the local Government issued orders on the land revenue department 

 at the rate of 15 for every adult immigrant imported, a clique of 

 Sydney merchants, in league with London ship-brokers, went very 

 extensively into the business with a view to their own profit. His 

 contention is that the ship-brokers, relieved from Government super- 

 vision at the port of departure, raked in the least desirable class of 

 emigrant, chiefly from the south and west of Ireland, and shipped 

 them off to Australia in any old crazy tub that could be hired, on a 

 dietary scale that was a disgrace to humanity. Some allowance 

 must be made for the Rev. Doctor's fervent belief in the superior 

 mettle of the Scotchman as a colonist, and for his rabid distrust of 

 a nationality tinctured with Roman Catholicism. But however we 

 may seek to tone down his scathing comments, his facts cannot be 

 disputed. He quotes from official statistics that out of 25,000 per- 

 sons imported at the public expense in the eighteen months ending 

 on 30th June, 1842, nearly 17,000 were from the district which he 

 held in such poor esteem, and only about 8,000 from England and 

 Scotland together. These undesirable proportions are fully con- 

 firmed by the report of the Immigration Agent for the year 1841, 

 which states explicitly that during that year 19,523 emigrants were 

 sent out in the following proportions : 



From Ireland 13,344 



,, England 4,563 



Scotland 1,616 



19,523 



The same report also states that out of the foregoing total 7,776 

 were landed at Port Phillip and the rest went on to Sydney. 



Considering the excessive demand for labour, it should not have 

 been a matter of very great concern where it came from, so long as 

 it did not bear the taint of convictism. Yet there was a very strong 

 feeling of antagonism worked up against the employment of the 

 predominant nationality. In the Legislative Council in Sydney on 

 the 22nd of October, 1840, the Governor drew attention to the fact 

 that between three and four hundred immigrants were being main- 

 tained at the public expense until they could find employment. 

 The Attorney-General in reply said that the reason was " that they 



