EMIGRATION OF PAUPER CHILDREN – NO. 43.
Copy of reports of inspection of Children sent out to Canada, received by the Minister of Agriculture of the Dominion Government, and other papers relating thereto.
(Despatch from Governor-General of Canada to the Secretary of State for the Colonies).
CANADA, Government House, Ottawa, 12th February 1887.
Sir,
With reference to your despatch of the 14th ultimo, and to Earl Granville’s of the 20th May last, marked “Emigration,” requesting reports on the inspection of pauper children who have emigrated to the Dominion of Canada, I have the honour to forward herewith, for the information of the Local Government Board, a copy of an approved report of a Committee of the Privy Council Furnishing the information required.
The Right Hon. Sir Henry Holland.
CERTIFIED COPY of a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Privy Council for Canada, approved by His Excellency the Governor General in Council on the 8th February 1887.
The Committee of the Privy Council have had under consideration a further despatch, dated 20th May 1886, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the inspection of pauper children who have emigrated to the Dominion of Canada, and transmitting a copy of a letter from the Local Government Board, enclosing a list of the pauper children who have been sent out to Canada within the last three years, and a cablegram of the 28th January 1887, requesting reports on the condition of pauper children as soon as possible.
The Minister of Agriculture, to whom the despatch and enclosures were referred, states that the representations in the letter of Mr. Hugh Owen to the Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, dated 17th April last complaining of the non-inspection of the pauper children, were answered in detail by an approved report of the Committee of the Privy Council, with a report from the Minister of Agriculture, transmitted by your Excellency on the 10th April and acknowledged by the despatch of Earl Granville on 20th May last above referred to, the reason for the non-inspection being simply due to the fact that no names or addresses had been given of the parties with whom the children were placed, in accordance with the provision of the Order in Council dated 22nd February 1883, which was the condition under which the inspection was undertaken, and that the list of pauper children furnished by Mr. Boyle contains the names of 488 children, also names and addresses of 395 persons in Canada with whom the children were placed, there being no names nor addresses of persons with whom 93 children in this list were placed.
The Minister further states that inspections have been made, as follows, by the Government Immigration Agents stationed in the places named:-
|
a) |
Mr. S. Gardner |
St. John, N.B. |
5 |
|
b) |
Mr. W.E. Ibbotson |
Sherbrooke, Quebec |
2 |
|
c) |
Mr. J.A. Donaldson |
Toronto, Ont. |
20 |
|
d) |
Mr. A.G. Smyth |
London, Ont. |
44 |
|
f) |
Mr. R. Doyle (Assistant Agent) |
Quebec |
25 |
|
g) |
Mr. John Smith |
Hamilton, Ont. |
16 |
|
h) |
Mr. J.J. Daley |
Montreal, Quebec |
29 |
|
i) |
Mr R. McPherson |
Kingston, Ont. |
86 |
|
j) |
Mr. W.J. Wills |
Ottawa, Ont. |
121 |
|
|
|
Number inspected |
348 |
|
|
|
Not inspected from inability on the part of the agents to find the children |
47 |
|
|
|
Not inspected, no address |
93 |
|
|
|
IN ALL |
488 |
The Agents have reported inspections of 119 pauper children whose names were not in the list furnished with despatch of 30th May last.
The Minister appends herewith the report of the several Agents and states that the delay which has taken place in these inspections, since receiving on the 10th June last the names and addresses covered by Earl Granville’s despatch of 20th May, has mainly arisen from the insufficiency, in many cases, of the addresses furnished, a fact which has caused the inspectors the very greatest difficulty in finding the children, and also many miles of unnecessary travelling.
The Minister observes that it is therefore important, in addition to furnishing the names of the farmers with whom the children are placed, in connexion with the nearest post office, that the name of the lot, concession, and name of township in which the farmer resides, should also be given as a part of the address. If this is made an essential condition by the Local Government Board, in the case of any future children sent to Canada, it will enable the inspections to be much more promptly and certainly made.
The Committee recommend that your Excellency be moved to transit a copy of this minute, together with copies of the reports of inspect hereunto appended, to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
All which is respectfully submitted for your Excellency’s approval.
John J. McGee,
Clerk, Privy Council.