ABSTRACT
THE PLUNDER OF POOR EMIGRANTS IN LIVERPOOL – The imposition and extortion practiced upon poor persons, particularly the Irish, who seek Liverpool as a port of embarkation to America, is thus exposed in a letter published in the Liverpool Courier of Wednesday: In order to give you (says the writer), a more correct idea of its operation, I shall suppose a case in point. Patrick Murphy, wife, and family, residing at present in the town of Longford, intend to emigrate; he writes, as he supposes, to a friend of his, residing at Liverpool, to know the rate of passage and the time of sailing of the packets for New York, or some other port in America, and all other requisite information. In a few days he gets an answer from his false friend, giving him every information, and who will not forget to tell him to write and state on what day he expects to be at Liverpool, and by what boat, and he may meet him on the pier-head, and conduct him and family to his house, probably in Dublin, Regent, Stewart, or Carlton street. Nothing particular occurs until his arrival in Dublin, where he meets with a gang of sharpeners, or what is technically termed, “man-catchers,” who will endeavour all in their power to persuade him and family to take their passage from Dublin; but having in his possession the letter from the “man-catcher” in Liverpool, who had given him every caution upon this point, he refuses to comply with the Dublin advisers, and proceeds to Liverpool in one of the steamers; and, according to appointment, meets with his friend on the quay immediately on his arrival, to whom he pays a well merited compliment for his punctuality and kindness in meeting him, by a hearty shake of the hand. The “man-catcher” then promises him all the comfort of a home. He then gets them some refreshment, and tells them to hurry over it, in order to proceed at once to secure the passage, as the vessel is nearly full, and the rates likely to advance considerably. The “man-catcher” is invariably in the pay of some particular office or company, as they are generally termed, and is in receipt of from 10s. to 20s. per week for the support he gives to the company in his capacity of “man-catcher;” and to 207this office he takes the innocent dupes, with, we’ll say, 60l. in their pockets, and introduces them to one of the clerks as “old neighbours of his own,” from the town of Longford, with whom he went to school, &c. &c., and hopes they may be favoured with a good ship, and at a cheap rate, on his account, and hopes to compensate the company by bringing others who may be better able to pay higher rates. The bargain is then made, well say for 30l. to land them at New York, free of all other charge, and the ship to sail next day. But little the poor emigrants knows that his false friend gets 7½ per cent. on the transaction, or 1s. 6d. for every 1l. – say 2l. 5s., which we call item first. He then urges them to come along with him to purchase sea stores, and have all ready to go on board the following day. Again everything is pre-arranged for the benefit of the “man-catcher.” Supposing the family is eight adults, the cost of the provision and bedding would come to say 10l. out of which he pockets 12½ percent, or 2s. 6d. in the 1l. – say 1l. 5s.; this is item second. Instead of sailing the following day the ship is delayed eight days, as a cost of 6d. a night for lodgings alone, or 4s. per day, or 1l. 12s. for eight days.
