§ MR. MOOREasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he has received the official Report of the investigations held at New York, confirming the shocking statements made regarding the treatment of emigrants on the "Nemesis," chartered by the Royal Netherlands Steamship Company; whether this Company is the same as the "Crown Line "for which passengers were being booked from London every week; and, whether he will lay this Report upon the Table?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINSir, I have received a copy of a report of one of the Emigration Commissioners at New York which contains statements made by immigrants, passengers in the ships Nemesis and Surrey, chartered by the Company referred to in the Question, alleging that, as regards the Nemesis, there were 12 or 13 deaths from measles and diarrhœa among the children, that the water was bad, the vessel overcrowded, and that some of the officers misconducted themselves. These statements were, however, ex parte, and the master and officers were not present, and had no opportunity of being heard. Neither of these ships carried English passengers, and as they sailed under the Netherlands flag and between Rotter- 753 dam and New York and do not call at any British port, the Board of Trade have no control over them. The responsibility rests entirely with the Government of the United States and the Netherlands, and under these circumstances I do not feel justified in laying Papers on the Table. The "Crown Line" and the Royal Netherlands Steamship Company are identical.