§ MR. SETON-KARR (St. Helen's)asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether he can inform the House how many orphan and deserted pauper children have been emigrated to Canada under the conditions set forth in the Memorandum of the Local Government Board of 30th April 1883, and how many of those children have done well, and the reverse; whether the Local Government Board are prepared to recommend or assent to the further emigration of similar children under similar conditions; generally, whether the Local Government Board are satisfied with the results of such aforesaid emigration of children, and are prepared to continue and extend the same, and to make their tentative assent to the conditions contained in the said Memorandum of 30th April 1883 now absolute; whether the Local Government Board have drawn up any further rules and regulations governing the emigration of suitable poor adults and children by Boards of Guardians under the Poor Law Acts; and, whether, under the present exceptionally distressed condition of the Country, the Local Government Board will consider the advisability of at once drawing up or extending such rules and regulations, in order to promote and facilitate the emigration of such suitable poor persons before they have become actual paupers?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. STANSFELD) (Halifax)The Board have authorized, since the issue of the Memorandum referred to, the emigration of 481 children 1308 —namely, 130 in 1883, 277 in 1884, and 74 in 1885. When the Board agreed, in 1883, to consent to the emigration of orphan and deserted children, it was only on the understanding that an annual inspection would be made by the immigration officers of the Department of Agriculture, or other persons authorized by the Minister of that Department, and that the Reports would be collected and forwarded as soon as possible. The Board, in March, 1885, received Reports with regard to 26 children, and those Reports were generally favourable, but these are the only Reports which the Board have received; and having regard to the difficulty which is experienced in obtaining accurate information from the officers of the Canadian Government as to the children sent out, the Board have been obliged to consider whether they must not now withhold their consent to the emigration of any additional children, and they are in communication with the Colonial Office on the subject. The Board have not prepared any special rules as to the emigration of adults and children at the cost of the rates, neither do they deem it necessary to issue any special Regulations on the subject. Every application which the Board receives is dealt with; and there is nothing in the Statutes, or in the practice of the Board, which would in any way interfere with the Guardians defraying from the rates the cost of the emigration of poor persons before they become paupers.