§ MR. MOOREasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether it is a fact that emigrants are being fraudulently booked through to American ports, from London and elsewhere, by agents of Foreign lines, under the impression, distinctly conveyed in the advertisements, that they are to be carried direct to their destination, whereas, in fact, they are taken to Continental ports, and there transhipped into Foreign vessels; and, what steps have been taken to check this practice?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINI understand that emigrants are booked through by the agents of foreign lines from ports in this country to American ports, and are conveyed to their destinations viâ Antwerp and Rotterdam. The advertisements issued by two of these lines, which I have seen, do not make it clear that a passenger taking his ticket in London will be taken to Antwerp and Rotterdam, and there transhipped; but the contract ticket is endorsed, "viâ Great Eastern Company's steamers to Antwerp." The cost of proceeding to Antwerp is not extra; and, as far as my present opinion goes, the practice cannot be described as fraudulent. The Board of Trade has made inquiries into the subject at different times, and the whole Correspondence is at the service of the hon. Member if he will be good enough to call at the Board of Trade. If the hon. Member has any information beyond that possessed by the Board of Trade, I should be very glad if he would communicate it to me.