EMIGRATION of' PAUPERS. The manifest advantages derivable both to themselves and the community which supports them from the emigration of paupers, and more particularly of pauper children, to the colonies, have led to several legislative provisions on the subject. The object of these enactments is, on the one hand, to facilitate pauper emigration, and, on the other, to prevent it from being pressed on paupers by the guardians to the extent of interfering with their personal freedom choice. By 4 and 5 Will. IV. c. 76, s. 62, parishes in England and Wales are empowered to raise funds by a yearly rate for defraying the expenses of poor persons willing to emigrate. The sums advanced may be recovered from any person above the age of 21, who (or whose family or any part thereof), having consented to emigrate, shall refuse to do so, or who having emigrated, shall return. 11 and 12 Vict. c. 110, empowers the guardians of a parish to promote the voluntary emigration of the poor who are irremovable, in accordance with the provisions of the statute above cited, and to charge the expenses upon the ordinary funds for the relief of the poor. By 12 and 13 Vict. c. 103, s. 20, guardians are empow ered to expend a sum not exceeding £10 for each person, on the emigration of paupers having settlements in their union or parish, without a previous vestry meeting. 13 and 14 Vict. e. 101, s. 4, enacts that it shall be lawful for the guardians of any parish or union to expend money in the emigration of any poor orphan or deserted child under the age of 16 years, having no settlement, or the place of whose settlement is unknown, and to charge the expense so incurred to the same parish to which such orphan or deserted child was chargeable at the time of the emigration. The section concludes with the pro
vision, that no emigration of any such orphan or deserted child, under any of the above mentioned powers, shall take place until such orphan or deserted child shall have con sented thereto before the justices assembled in petty sessions, and a certificate of such consent, under the hands of two of the justices present thereat, shall have been trans mitted to the local government board.
These statutory provisions do not apply to Scotland, and there are no corresponding clauses in the Scottish acts, except in the drainage and improvement acts of Scotland, 14 and 15 Vict. c. 91, and 19 and 20 Vict. e. 9, which enabled owners of lands in the highlands and islands of Scotland to ask grants of money to assist emigration of the poor population. This was allowed on inquiry, and with consent of the board of super vision, the owner paying part of the expense. But parishes generally have no similar powers. Directors of ragged schools are prevented from trying the experiment of send ing the children to the colonies, by want of funds, as well as by want of arrangements for their reception on arrival. ^