Give Us A Rest

This journal has frequently iuvited attention to the oharacter of the immigratiou to this country, and its disastrous effects upon our moral and material interests. Last winter, it wasseen thatall tlio men who were out of work, and who thropged the streots, eithor as mendicante or communists, clanioring for a división of property, were of foreignbirth. Threefourths or more of all the men who are before our oourts for criminal acts, and of those who are imprisoned, hanged, or otherwise punished, are of a foreigu nationality. Some documents whioh have latelybeen made public from the federal uepartnient of state throw a good deal of light upon this very matter, and enable us to discover who are many of the peoplo who expatríate themselves, or are expatriated, in order to lócate in the United States. - Prom this coiumunioation, it is seen that there hasprevailed a very general custom ainong foreign governnients and foreign societies of deporting crimináis, mendicants, idiots, and other useless or dangerous people to this country. In 1869, Mr. Bancroft, at Berlin, was notified by the iSecretary of State of the existenco of au Israelitish saciety in Prussia, whose purpose was the sending to this country of the paupers of the Jowish race. In 1871, it was discovered that some of the Swiss authorities were in the habit of ridding themselves of idiots and other incapables by sending them to tho asylum presided over by tho American eagle. In the saine year, the American minister to Great Britain discovered that tho Liverpsol parish was seuding to this country poor children ; and later in the sanie year, the minister again was obliged to interfere to stop the shipping hither of con V'cts whose term of service was not completed. The same kind of occurrence seeins to havo been repeated continuouly, so much so that it formed the subject of a quite volumiaous correspondence between Minister Schenok, Lord Granville, and Secretary Fish. üther conspicuous cases in poiut are cited in this document. Our Cuban neighbors have been in the habit of banishing aged and infirm paupers to Key West. Italy has been shipping to us loads of its destitute pensioners, and who, from the date of their arrival, have been a direct burden upon the charitios of this country. It should be added that, in all instances where tho practice has been made the subject of diplomatic correspondence and remonstrance, the various authorities involved have agreed to dis countenance this violation of the courtesy due a friendly power. Among others, the grand duchy of Hesse resolved to abstain, in the future, from sending to this country conviots whose terms of sentence were unexpired. All of which is very kind on the part of the grand duchy, and was, withal, an indirect admission that it had been the practice to release convicts on condition that they should emigrate to America. It is bnt a very short time since the Italian government thought ït worth while to take legal steps to put an eud to the infamous traflic in Italian chüdren, whereby all our large cities were iuundated with juvcnile mendicants. Our government has taken the pains to remonstrate with European and other powers that have connived at this infamous discourtesy ; but despite the promises of a different course, there is no guarantee that the thing will be stopped. It it very difficult to affix complicity with such a proceeding on the part of the government, just as it waa to demónstrate that Great Britain had any partnership in the rebel cruisers that were constructed in lts dock-yards. The work of shippiug these people can go on, and the governments, in their official character, need know nothing about it. We have to support altogether too many jails, penitentiaries, courts of police, and relief societies in the interests of other nationalities. The benefits of a respectable iinmigration are being outweighed by the inorease in our taxes and the depreoiation of moráis consequent upon the arrival here of much of the refuse of the world. We cannot rely upon diplomatic representation to wholly recuedy the difficulty. Stringent measures should be taken to prevent the landing of these people. This, in some way, can be done at our seaports. The landing of paupers, insane people, and crimináis can be forbidden. When ship-owners tind that they will have to return all such elements, at their own expense, they will refuse to receive them. It will be a comparatively easy matter to oblige the authorities of every emigrant ship to inform tbemselves as to the character of every passeneer whoui the propose to brine to the United States.