MR. JOSEPH COWENasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If it is correct that a party of "assisted emigrants" intending to leave for America were not allowed to embark at Glasgow, and have been returned to Ireland in a state of extreme destitution; and, whether he can state how many emigrants have been sent away by the Irish Poor Law authorities, and how many have been sent back from the United States?
§ MR. TREVELYANI am glad to say the statement is not correct as regards any emigrants assisted either by 780 the Government or the Poor Law authorities. I believe it is true with regard to some persons who were sent by private charity to Glasgow for the purpose of emigrating from thence. They have since been returned to their homes. As to the second inquiry, about 10,500 per sons have been assisted by the Government to emigrate to the United States—that is to say, more have been assisted; but that number have gone out with Government assistance, and of these, seven families, consisting of 27 persons, have been sent back from the United States.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERasked if any provision had been made by the Government with regard to their future destination?
§ MR. TREVELYANNo, Sir. Very careful inquiry had been made into the circumstances under which they were sent back; but they are, at present, in Ireland. I may say, though it is very difficult to get exact statistics about this, that a considerable number of persons—I fancy a great deal more than 27—have been sent back from the United States to other countries than Ireland under the influence of the same considerations.
MR. JOSEPH COWENDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean to say that Irishmen have been sent back to other countries?
§ MR. TREVELYANNo, Sir. The report of Irishmen being sent back to other countries is entirely incorrect.
MR. JOSEPH COWENCan the right hon. Gentleman give the amount of money paid for the emigration of these 10,000 persons?
§ MR. TREVELYANI should be sorry to say from recollection the precise manner in which the £100,000 allotted by Parliament has been distributed; but, roughly speaking, it has been entirely spent and allotted in preparing for emigration, or emigrating something like 18,000 or 19,000 persons, of whom 10,000 or 11,000 have been emigrated with the assistance of Government.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERIs the right hon. Gentleman prepared to make any statement as to the steps that will be taken in assisted emigration from Ireland in the future? I think the Prime Minister intended that we should have an opportunity of discussing the question.
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, there would be an opportunity for reviving the subject on the Tramways (Ireland) Bill.