Southern banner. (Athens, Ga.) 1832-1872, July 07, 1871, Image 1

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v .i-.n,., i| lournal—Jtbotfb to Jto, lolitits, State, ^gricultoe THREE HOLLARS PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE. ATHENS. GA. JULY 7, 1871. VOL. XL.—NO. 45—NEW SERIES. VUR. f. NO. »H* muter. I of the State, with terms of sale or rent | distinctly stated, which terms cannot rtsusnita wekkli, BY & a. ATKINSON, XT THREE DOLLARS PER ANNUM, STRICT!.TiK AD VAKCK. ■/ lire, Broad «<., over J. H. Huggins. RATES OF ADVERTISING, ^nmmwta (tibilMRMttOMDiSlirjgri fifty C*ht» ptr Square rfU hMt, for fire Ont, and S«»«siy*4re Ccnu for each aabaaqaat S—rUoo, wtar tlma uodarone reenUi. For »Ion grr period VrratceatneU will Canada. — Itraiiffrattoiiu Address by Col. Frank SeHal’ler. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention: Upon your hind invitation l hnvc the honor to address to you few remarks on the policy of encour *:pnjj immigration to our State. This Society appointed, as for back ns 1868, a .commit tee of which I was a unembcr, to draft a bill to be submitted in the General Assembly of Georgia in advocacy of the encouragement of im migration to this State. After a-session of several days, said committee, under it he chairmanship of Hon. Benjamin C. Yancey, then the President of this Society, drafted a suitable biH, which was at once presented to the legisla ture. then in session. There It was stripped of some of its >most important features and subjected to the ordeal of political partisanship, although it was to Ire justly considered rs the expression of the wishes of the tpeqjilc'oi the State represented by a large assemblage of men all interested in the great interests of the State and -m bodying murli of its intelligence-and wealth. True, the amount of money specified ■in our bill was voted; but in its useful- it was -so abridged by the changes made, that this Society, feeling that its just wishes and expectations for the welfare of Georgia bad been but illy -mmded by its ithen legislative body, fiil: compelled, through its President, to remonstrate against the bill thus ja-sed, and to declare that it was not to be held responsible for any failure that might follow, and which eventu ally did follow. fey this protest we >lnnd to-day pre cisely ujron the same footing as we did tin 1869 in regard to immigration, be- forethcbill was passed, mid your wishes still awiiit fulfilment by the General Assembly of the State. Let, then, the blame rest where it is fully due. It is not my purptrse, nor would such a task be to me a pleasure, to cite any additional masons why the Commis sioners elected, Messrs. 1 .ester and Weil, were hound to fail; hut I say, that notwithstanding the changes made in the bill, some s.ieeess would have followed, if the encouragement of im migration to Georgia had been confided to men already tested in the crucible of experience. Merely to show you that 1 disapproved, from the very begin ning, of the manner of their’proceed ing, and that I am far from joining in any cry against them after the fact of their failure is settled and patent to every one, I cite an extract from a let i r which I wrote from my chief office .ii Hamburg, Germany, to Mr. Lewis, Secretary of this Society, under date >f October 22, 1869: " From the man ner in which Mr. Lester, the State Commissioner, appears to have con- '■civcil his mission, judging from one of his appeals which came to my hands a few months since, I do not think that he "ill bo successful. From Mr. Weil, the European agent, nothing whatever hw been as yet heard in Continental Europe.” Nevertheless, some goiid have liecn achieved by Mr. Weil’s “'hots, if the laliors as indicated in the imal official report were fully carried "ut as enumerated. My entire expenses m [" r Virginia did not exceed $3,000, and * fLink w itli $10,000 the Georgia Com- I missioned might have made considcr- I *blv more noise in the world than they r a PPW to have done. u is necessary for iny purpose to re- r*N the .Society’s bill of 1869, and I Lave therefore to road it: •in Art to create a Land and Immigra tion Bureau for the State of Georgia. Skc. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Gen eral Assembly met, That there shall be 'Touted a Land and Immigration Bu reau in and for the State of Georgia. Skc. 2. There shall be elected by the legislature a Chief Commissioner, with »salary of two thousand dollars per annum, whose office shall be at the rapital, with power to use an official •cal. Sw. 3. It shall be the duty of said ’ Lief Commissioner to supervise and direct all officials connected with the fi'ireau of Immigration; to prepare ’ u< '“ publications as he may consider ’'■«wry for a full understanding, at *“<1 abroad, of the aims of the and the inducements which fr'j^^ers to settlers and capitalists i™*jinked States arid from Eu- su . l', ,0 them to be printed in -arv • , u he shall deem neceo- ’ 1°, <aus e the preparation of u fratui* < lc showing the usual map ^"‘.“ complete geographical line* « , ” lcal formation, isothermal ami m * „ “ nes of the leading staples ,l'i. |. 0>l ,m P ,,r tant agricultural pro- i;,,.' I ,r, *l K *:• digest of the laws I a I ■ . the Inildilig and be altered while the lands remain for settlement on his books; that no lands shall be received by him for settlement, except as are of his own knowledge, or by proper vouchers, suitable for the settlement of emigrants; that all lands entered shall be accompanied by proper descriptions (schedules for which de scriptions he wall prepare and furnish upon application to land owners), and by •*aurvey of such lands; that he snail solidt, receive and hold in trust free donations of lands for emigrant settlers, said lands to have the priority of settlement over all others entered on the books of his office; to - transmit from tirae to time copies of the land descriptions to each of the European commissioners; to see that the titles of such lands are clear, and that such lands are unencumbered—the expenses of all such descriptions, surveys, and examinations of titles and of freedom from encumbrances, to be borne by the landholder. To collect and receive all commission fees for the settlement of lands, imme diately upon the conclusion of the bar gain between immigrant and landhold er for the purchase or lease of lands; also, the commission fees that may be due for the procurement of agricultural laborers, artisans, and mechanics, etc., to make regular payments to the for- eign agents appointed, and domestic agents he may employ, of their shares of the commission fees to which they may be entitled. To establish a suitable Emigrant Landing Depot in the city of Savan nah, in which emigrants, upon their landing, may receive shelter; to license suitable boarding house keepers in that city, who shall agree to board and en tering emigrants at a rate of compen sation to be fixed by him ; to appoint a bank, merchant or broker, at whose office the emigrants from abroad may exchange, at current rates, foreign for United States moneys. To see that no infectious diseases as brought by emigrants; that such be may land in u state of sickness be placed in a hospital; to appoint one or more emigrant physicians who shall agree to attend emigrants at fixed rates; to permit no criminal, poor-house or work-house population to land. To establish such regulation E2 may E rotect the emigrant from imposition y designing persons ; to permit none but authorized persons to enter the Emigrant landing Depot; that he shall receive, investigate and cause to be redressed, all claims for damages by foreign emigrant passengers, on account of inaufficicnt accommixlationf, bod or insufficient food and harsh treatment on ship-board, and that he have power to seize any vessel against which such claims for damages may be decided by the proper court. To keep a book in which the dates of arrival, ship names, ages, sexes, na tivity, occupation and the money means brought of all emigrants are recorded, also where they settle, or the occupa tions they elect, how much land pur chased or leased and on what terms, that he shall make the requisite con tracts at stipulated rates to forward emigrants by railroad or steamboat to the interior of the State. That he finally submit a yearly re port of his operations, and those of the officials of the Bureau, to the Governor. Ski”. 4. There shall be one or more European Commissioners appointed by the Governor, upon the nominations of the Chief Commissioner of Bureau.— Said European Commissioners shall have power to appoint local agents in Euroj*. The salary of European Com missioners and the per ccntage upon sales of lands allowed to local agents shall be prescribed by the Chief Com missioner. Sec. 5. There shall be elected by the Legislature three persons who shall constitute the State Board of Immi gration, whose duty it shall be to meet quarterly at the office of Chief Com missioners and to examine into the conduct of the Bureau, and shall re port quarterly the result of such ex amination. They shall also be an ad visory body to the Chief Commissioner. Said Board shall be paid their travel ling expenses and five dollars per day each, whilst in actual discharge of duty, but for not longer than five days at any one session. ( Skc. 6. The Chief and Eu ropcau Commissioners shall receive, in addition to their salaries, 24 per cent, each, aris ing from sales of lands made to emi grants, and charges upon hires of labor of emigrants furnished by each respec tively, provided all liabilities of the Bureau have been paid. Said per centage, to be appropriated by resolu tion of the State Board of Immigration at their fourth quarterly meeting. Skc. 7. In order to make the Bureau a self-sustaining institution the Chief Commissioner is hereby authorized to collect from the landholder five per cent, of the value of all lands sold to emigrants; to collect from the employer $5 per capita on nil laborers and do mestics furnished, at the rate of $5 per annum on leases to tenants, and $10 for every skilled laborer, mechanic, ar- tizan and miner. Sec. 8. The Chief and European Commissioners shall be removable from office by the Governor, upon the advice of the Board of Immigration, showing satisfactory cause. Sec. 9. The persons elected to con stitute the State Board of Immigration etc., while the Foreign Commissioner was, it appears to me, left to do precise ly as he pleased. Supposing now that he do nothing, we have in reality no right to find any fault with him. Both Commissioners were quite irresponsible, it appears, and the Legislature had en tirely omitted the great feature of the State Board of Control, consisting of three disinterested, eminent citizens of Georgia, to which this Society had at tached particular importance. The failure of the Georgia Bureau has done much harm; some of the best friends of the policy appear discour- ~ id by it, and the important matter State aid and State protection is, in eoneeqoenoe, lightly*' though* of, and a feeling has sprang up that this great interest of the State must be left en tirely to private effort and speculation, But such a line of conduct by our peo- f le I sincerely believe would be, (and hope to give some reasons therefor hereafter,) productive of very injurious consequences to the State; and that it would, instead of ever establishing im migration, lead to the very opposite, forever checking it. Let us not lie blinded by the easy successes which are brought about by paying an emigrant’s passage, and which many believe to be the alpha and omega of immigration, while it is but a small part of a regular system. That immigration which this Society has always advocated, and which it must advocate now, if it wishes really and truly to establish a perma nent immigration into Georgia, is based upon the introduction of capital and men of means, of actual and iudiqcnd ent settlers, holders of real estate, in dependent farmers aud planters, such as you are yourselves. It can never be based upon a system which aims solely at bringing here men under contract, who will leave you whenever ill-will or interest—those two potent factors in man’s nature—are called into play by them against you. Gentlemen, history teaches it in ma ny modern examples. Look at Brazil, at Chili, at Russia, where the States themselves stepped forward to bring hired emigrants. Up to this day, though immense sums have been squandered, no regularly established immigration has been founded there. It is feeble— languishing; and although these States were well thought of when they first came into the market for emigrants, quite popular as future homes, to-day emigrants from the old countries as anxiously avoid them as they formerly sought them. And then look at the development of a spontaneous, free, in dependent immigration to this country, baaxl upon actunl settlements! . Immigration, as far as our needs go, If we induce a man with property to settle among us &nd«fo invest that property in real estati&he becomes at once as deeply interestSnisxte are our selves in the weal orwoe of home. Almost insensibly to hi such as we feel for the proi our State, will grow up i ~ for we ourselves sowed the being whin we admitted him as an equal, and when he became part owner of the soil that bore us and our ances tors. His association with us can never in any respect become an injury to the State; it becomes, on the contrary, a real, and a lasting moral and material support. It increases our strength, cur ttuence, our intelligence; it lessens r burdens and doubles-our riches.— The children that are born to him will be true Georgians, as we are ourselves; for the native-born citizens of Georgia are but children and children’s children of immigrants. Who of us can, re membering that fact, be in heart an enemy to immigrants and immigration ? And much less will he be apt to be such, if in the true spirit of an Amer ican, he bears in mind that his country is a legacy of God to persecuted man kind. He laid bare this immense and teeming continent, hidden for centuries to Christian civilization, just at a time in the world’s history when religious and civil strifes tore ail Europe—when the power of rulers caused liberty to languish more and more, and finally entirely to disappear. And lo! when everything looked the darkest, there arose a new light, a new interpretation of liberty in the far West, and the per secuted of all lands went their way thither to partake of it. The fathers of the revolution well understood the mission which God had given them, and it is the duty of their sons to fol low in their path. We cannot better show that we understand the grand mission given us, than by cordially in viting and aiding every worthy white immigrant that seeks our shores; we 1 thus honor ourselves and our country. ...:n c i._ ' I That immigrant will never forsake us when troubles should come over our land ; for is he not fixed to the soil? Proudly can I point to the record of recent immigrants to the Southern States, thougli small in number as compared to our more fortunate sister- Statcs, during that long and painful struggle which is the cause of the con sideration of the policy of immigration among us. On the other hand, the laborer whose travelling expenses we have to advance, what earthly interest has he in us and our State, save the wages he is to get ? Consider, we tempted—wo purchased to be the followers of the better and well-to-do. class of their countrymen, than their precursors. From all I have said, it will be ap parent tliat the true system of immi gration is that which aims at the intro- auction of actual independent settlers, and which combines with it, as a sub ordinate branch, the introduction of laborers of all kinds, who pay their passage or whose passage may even be pud. We then shall neutralize, as much as lies in our power, any injurious effects that might otherwise follow.— For consider what the effect would be: Around eaeh actual settler there would gather in a very short time a lot of laborers that followed him, when they heard that LAsy would find work at food wages a hia aeighbarfiood. TKe idea, “ there is one of ours settled there who does well, and who will look after us,” powerfully influences them. Sup posing a county receives a hundred such actual settlers in a year, a thou sand or more laborers would have gath ered arouud them, forming an excellent labor-market for the farmer and plant er. The laborers would be knit together into a firm bond by means of the ac tual settlers to whom they would look up, whom they could consult. Much of the bitterness and solitude of sepa ration from the old country is done away with. When troubles’and disa greements come, they do not leave the county, but go from one farm to another as our native laborers do; and we have secured, without risk or expense, a laboring population. I learn with pleasure that experiments in Jones county with imported laborers whose passage was advanced, have thus for been satisfactory. The instance is too solitary, too recent, to build any the ory upon it. Let us enquire in Jones county five years hence whether their system, unaided by actual settlers, has built up a free, spontaneous immigra tion worth the while to talk about. Secondly, in its material aspects *. A few facts will make the difference r if. n.y^STif- changes that had been made) happening I which so much has been theorized and . to haven copy vith me, I communicated philosophized, and in which so little has have myself many a t if to the head of one of the largest I been achieved, because we rather list- hearing as State agent, when, ns a pri shipping houses in the world, whom I Jened to foolish declamations, pro or j vate agent, I would not have been ad- ■ A \ Mitt I * nt ’ 1 receive; sought to influence favorably towards the encouragement of immigration to the South. His remarks to me, after careful reading, were substantially the following’: “ I have not seen any im migration law by any State of your Union, which would, it appears to me, inspire our emigrating, well-to-do form ers with greater confidence than this law wilL It is explicit, and I see pa ternal care for the new citizens charac terizes it. Should your State carry it out liberally’and in that spirit, in the bands of men of talent, its success would, I think, b*eminent.. With this lawtyou give the settlers nil those securities which will be necessary to at tract them to your part of the country, and for which they will look ere they entrust themselves to your hands.”— My own study of the question during a two years’ absence in Europe, entirely occupied with it, has convinced me of the soundness of these views, and were I charged with the execution of that bill I should unhesitatingly and with the greatest confidence enter upon my task, assured that the founding of a permanent immigration with it, is but a question of its intelligent and faith ful execution. Here, were all the obstacles in the way properly understood, I might bring him to come. His was no free, hearty consider t hat a very moderate estimate. into four distinct (flasSeSf -icf; ft*1H0ftffi8 Of ri&easity. '* It wOuuT Treat T87d, (fore .,^1..?! , . ,M ! and to prejiarc I’uiii. " , ‘ 1: ’ taxation, com- l ' lii-’li "m *; l,no w *th such other States I'uiMin. "‘ , ‘ m 10 suitable com- ’''■n film! r' e 5'^^ of the emigre* :u,d JTJJ? Of the Union, '"riit ,,f?n , * nd the settle- tol!»» ch *Y hall 1 “PP'y to this 'A Af |»n!, an, at all R'r the sMti 0,1 the hooks of his office • "e-tio rrr r u rciRn and d °- •O'srarits, by the landholders each of which requiring a particular line of action to induce it to proceed to a new, untried and unknown State; and which, according to the difficulty in inducing it, may be enumerated as follows: 1. Independent men with means, who emigrate to be more independent in their new home than they were in their old one. They are the most difficult to induce to go to a new untried State; and without the State Government of fers to them sufficient guaranties for their security, personal and material, they will never go there. They, of course, pay all of their expenses. Among them the most valuable and desirable to a State are the farmers of smaller or larger means, who work their lands themselves and with the aid of their families. They will readily be followed by their acquaintances, and will attract as many laborers as may be required in the neighborhood where they settled, by simply writing for them ; these laborers forming a ready market for labor to our planters and fanners on whose lands the actual set tler went. Good, cheap lands, easy access to market, number and money- value of products, and salubrity of climate will determine them. They may be drawn, in order, as to greatest numbers, wealth and thrift, as follows: 1. From the German Empire, includ ing Alsace and Lorraine. 2. From Denmark. 3. From England. 4. From Switzerland. 5. From Holland. 6. From Austria. In very inadequate and sparse nuftibers from the other countries of Europe. 2. Artisans and mechanics xcho pay their own passage money. They will with great nicety, inquire os to their surety in finding work; the rates of wages and climatic influences will next determine them. We may draw them in order: 1. From England and Scot land. 2. From the German Empire. 3. From Belgium. 4. From France. 3. House, garden, farm and planta tion laborers, who pay their own passage, will generally, without much inquiry, go to where their own countrymen are already settled in respectable numbers. but they will be very hard to move to new States unknown to them. My ex perience has proven efforts upon them almost abortive. They may be deter mined only when they have no friends whatever in the New World, and after they have taken confidence in you, think that a good field for them would be a new propaganda in a State from which emigration has hitherto been snfall to this continent; yet this would take considerable time and means. few dollars, more or less, travelling ex penses very often determines them. 4. Artisans, mechanics and laborers of all sorts, for whom yon offer to pay travelling expenses. Go where you will in the old world, you may get them hall hold office for the terra «>f two nnr ] j n numbers without end, with von’ 1 <1 AM AM A ..i iLn ... .. . .. . • years; and, in the event of the resig nation of any person, the Governor shall fill such vacancy. Sec. 10. In order to carry out the provisions of this bill, the sum of ten thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for the year 1869, and the Governor shall draw his warrant upon the Treas ury for this amount in such sums as shall be called for by the State Board of Immigration. In the bill passed by the Legislature, the Domestic Commissioner (in place of Chief Commissioner) was merely directed to “ faithfully devote himself to the encouragement of immigration,” little trouble, only take care that the authorities do not order you to quit" for having enticed any to emigrate. They will make little inquiry as to the climate and food; they are anxious to be able to get away. They may become a real blessing to States which absolutely suf fer from the lack of cheap labor; but tha^falaiWQg has its shadowy sides, and may become, in the nature of things, even somewhat of a curse. What, now, is the relative benefit to oar State as between farmers with in dependent means and laborers for whom ws pay the passage ? First, considered in its moral aspect in value between actual settlers and mere laborers apparent at once. As State Agent of Virginia, I seat a con siderable number of actual settlers from Europe to that State during 1869 and 1870. I can prove by my official doc uments and the settlements actually made that each settler brought on an average to Virginia two thousand one hundred dollars Prussian money, in cash, besides the personal effects, seeds and agricultural implements, which 1 calculated to be worth five hundred in each case. Go to Castle Garden, N. Y., and look at the immense quan tity of baggage brought, aud you will scent, too, that lie ought to pav the penalty of any disappointment, should any come, liccause he rather thought lessly went to a foreign country of which he knew nothing, and which of fered him but slight guaranties, that that which was promised him would be his. It seems to us, likewise, that he ought to feel something akin to grati tude that he was enabled to escape from a condition of penury to one in this country, under evmz unfavorable circumstances, of comjwrative prosper ity and future hope. He should not be, therefore, cross and ill-natured, when the troubles come, t>s they are sure to come, sometimes of his own making; and he ought to blame no one but him self. Will he do so ? Will he remem ber his previous condition ? Ah, here is the rub! He will do neither; actual experience and human nature emphat ically answer, no! He will blame his employer for having enticed him.— From that moment a desire to change will influence him. The next we hear of him will be somewhere among his own countrymen “out West.” to wnom a natural longing has ever drawn him since he entered our State and saw how deprived of all society, of all associa tion with his like and kindred, he must for some time pass liis life. To justify his act he will explain to his people; write home, paint in dark colors, warn them. If las complaints were just, so much the worse for us and the cause of immigration; if unjust, the effect will be temporarily the 6ame—of keeping people from our State until others should come and give a more favorable account. Nor will the injury stop there; a more valuable class of immi grants, people who have something to lose, will be deterred from coming to our State. eon, than went to work, is nothing but a business, on a gigantic scale if you will, which must rest on commercial law, commercial interest and commer cial honor—a business which must be just as well practiced and studied as any legitimate business, during the progress of which there will be some false steps, failures and disagreeable experiences, as there have been in every great and expanding business which, at first struggling to make itself known, now yields to its wise, unflinching con ductor a princely revenue. From this short and imperfect sketch of our first main point abroad, you will see the falsity of the popular im pression here, that all we have to do to get emigrants would be to send a roan out to Europe, perhaps the first one that wants to go, who would take the emigrants by their button-holes and tell them all about the Paradise they would find here, (foi I never saw an agent yet that had not a thousand reasons why his State was better than any other,) and that forthwith these emi grants would consider such invitation as the greatest boon conferred upon them, perhaps foil around his neck and thank him, and then go with him wherever he wanted to take them. You will hardlv believe to what extent these my remarks to an end; but further j ideas prevail; men who otherwise think expositions are necessary ere the im- slowly and carefully over a business, Far be it from me to raise my voice against a remedy, so obvious, of any man’s necessities which induces him to advance money so that he may obtain laborers to till nis fields. It is perfectly right and proper that a man thus help himself, if he can; but I protest against the pernicious idea which appears to be spreading more rapidly than people think, that that is worthy the name of encouragement of immigration, and that there is nothing else to be done. And as solicitous as l am that Georgia should cordially adopt our bill of 1869, as detenniued should I for on opponent of any move which is to. induce the State to lend its influence and its money solely for the promotion of tha\ kind of immigration. I should rather see the State make an appropriation for the introduction, as a free gift to every farmer, of one of mv friend Colonel Howard’s Merino bucks, whom he con siders the no plus ultra of emigrants for Georgia. I do not believe that any'man would do me the injustice to say that I am against that cfoss of immigrants; on the contrary, I desire that every worthy comc ’ white immigrant may find a happy home in our South. My intention is simply to impress the people of the State and the legislators that will be called upon by this 8ooety, I sincerely hope, again to consider the subject of this address, with the conviction, which a deep study of the sulgect and a long experience’ abroad have already riven me, that we must never expect to build up a permanent and beneficial system of immigration upon such a baas. I de- quarter) I directed to Virginia from my chief office in Hamburg, Germany sixty-three settlers, with together one hundred and thirty-seven thousand Prussian dollars in cash, or per head two thousand one hundred and seventy- five dollars, Prussian money. Eight or ten settlements were made in one county, Lunenburg. In consequence thereof, I was informed at Richmond, upon my return, lands had risen one hundred per cent, in six months, at the rate of two hundred per cent, per an num ; and in consequence thereof, at the next valuation of real estate the county tax will yield double what it did the year before, at least. The most bitter opponent of immigration in the county, every farmer without distinc tion, is thus made practically a free gift of the value of his estate, conse quent upon but a few actual settlers; while the whole State is directly bene- fitted by having a tax doubled which by the former. I hold that A^essre. Lester and Weil would have deserved the thanks of the State had they sent us a score of actual settlers into even one or two counties. I do not here at al! enter into the calculation the generally superior intelligence possessed by farm ers in occupancy of land over mere laborers, since I cannot express it in rouud numbers. It is hardly necessary for me now to say any thing on the’ vastly inferior value of mere laborers upon the de velopment of the general interests of a State. I hold that where they are suc cessful they enrich uidvidtials—not the county or the State. My neighbor is wealthy and can send for them ; I am poor and cannot. Heownsonethousand acres, and I do also. He saved some cotton at the end of the war, or had some cash hidden, and I did not, hav ing invested everything in Confederate bonds, I|e gets along well and cat) stand one of two bad cotton years, and I cannot, having nothing to fall back upon. Does his success with his labor ers make me any better off? Not at all; the money-value of my lands re mains just the same, and I do not that he coiild sell for much more, though he holds his landatexhorbitant figures, there being no purchasers aud hardly any transfers in the county, save sales for taxes. Gentlemen, years may elapse and a thousand of laborers might be imported, and yet you would not see a tithe of the improvement in the value of your real estate that is, almost magicallyt the consequence of the ar rival of actual settlers. The eventuality consider, too, that these laborers may leave you one day in a body, disgusted—leave the county aad the State. Besides the damage to you individually, what loss to your fu ture prospects 1 Your recourse must be to the inevitable negro, and you may say vale to immigration for years to portance and soundness of our bill are generally appreciated. All over Europe there are agencies established whose business it is to at tend to everything necessary for the outgoing emigrant, who give advice, receive the passage money and secure the berth. Every little town in the German Empire, in Switzerland, in Scandinavia, in Denmark, etc., has its agency. In. all these countries they are under governmental supervision and have to furnish bonds from one to ten thousand dollars for the due ob servance of all emigration laws. Heavy penalties are imposed, when they are infringed, and especially should' any attempt be made to purtuadt any citizen to emigrate; that is looked upon as a kind of treason and punished accord ingly. This is one of the laws of the German Empire: “ $114 Code ok Penal Laws : * “ Whosoever makes it his business to mislead subjects to emigrate, shall be punished with imprisonment from one month to two years. “ A like punishment shall receive ha who makes it his business to mislead foremen, assistants or laborers in man ufactories to leave the service’'of their employer before the expiration of their contract, to enter the service of foreign owners of manufactories.” The following are some of the inter pretations of this law by the courts, as furnished by the Crown lawyer: “ 1. The words, 4 makes it his busi ness,’ do not imply any repeated viola tions, and the law is to be enforced whenever it appears that the act is to he part of a business, or that there is any intention to repeat it. 2. It is not necessary that there be any desire or prospect of gain. 3. To ‘ mislead’ is to be construed influencing the will of another through artful means.’ It is not re quisite that there be any deception', simple persuasion is sufficient.” 4. It is not necessary for punish ment that the act of emigration really took place.” I give you likewise an abstract of the Royal Danish Law. entitled— Ijor om Tilsyn mrd Udvandrcrrs Be ford ring. Kjobenhavn, den lute Mai 1868: “§1. No one can act as emigrant agent without permit. * * $2. The permit can only be given to persons of age and of good reputa tion living in the State, or who have resided here for five years. The Min ister of Justice is, however, empowered to modify the term of residence. * Whosoever makes tuul use of this permit, especially in falsely represent ing matters to emigrants to persuade them, may at any time forfeit it. * “ $3. Before the receipt of the per mit the applicant must give bonds to grow wild when they talk about immi gration ; they have done immense mis chief, and the first tiling we have to do ia to knock such and Rke ideas out of our heads. There is another class who go to the opposite extreme—great sages that cannot disentangle their thoughts from a contemplation of what things used to be, who want even now to build a Chinese wall around our States. It is natural that such men are among the bitterest opponents of immigration.— They will confidently tell you now: “ I told you so—you never can bring these people;” and inwardly rejoice over the failure of the Georgia Bureau. Both, you perceive, are extremists, mitted; and I could show you cor; *- pondence wherein Government desired my opinion as to the project started by • private American agent. In fine, I express my conviction that no gentleman would, without his State’s commission, go in the emigration busi ness to a foreign country that knows-, anything at all of the difficulties aud the distrust that await him. In another point of view it is highly desirable that our State have some official representatives abroad. It will make known the State and prevent tfoit ‘ nil be swallowed up in the name of tho United States, even our identity. Ilia judicious conduct would result lnThaW and great benefits that are dependent upon immigration, such as investment of European capital in new railway and steamship lines. Hon. Adolph Godeffroy, the President of the Great Hamburg Ocean Mail Steamship Line, assured me that neither his nor any other European steamship line would ever send any of their steamers to a Southern port unless it lay in the road of immigration. Although not charged with any such business, my mere pres ence in Germany as a State agent of Virginia led to an interesting corres pondence, sought by < tcrinan, bankers, as to the rentability of the investment of money in Virginia railways. It U my firm opinion that with immigration we might have influx of vast capital, rail lines in every part of the Htatc, a direct communication with Europe, while without it we may wait years for either. Note the effect upon Peru. That State sought immigration in Franee, but recently. Save the romance that lingered around it from the days of Cortez, it was there ns unknown as is to-day Georgia- The active propaganda of Peru involved the laying bare to Paris capitalists of the 'wealth of the State, and simultaneously with the pro curement of immigrants capital poured into it. When at Paris shoitly before the breaking out of the war, 1* was in whose counsels to follow would be in- j formed that ten thousand FrencL- jurious to the State, as far as immigra-1 men were proceeding to Peru during tion is concerned; for neither have j 1869. I saw in the Paris guzettes a ever bestowed one earnest thought j Peruvian government loan of one hun- upon it. I dred millions of francs that had been The other great point is State eo-| subscribed at Paris alone! We ere apt dorsement of your agents and State' to declaim against those dccrepid South security of your promises. My own American Republics, but these Repulv- expcrience lias shown me that had 1 lies are wiser than wc are in Georgin; not had the State’s commission and se- j they go in for immigration and eapitnl curity, I never would have obtained j from Europe and do not grqdge a t the necessary aid abroad, had I eves ‘ hundred thousand or a half a million promised twenty-five per cent, commis- ( of dollars to get it, while we have t<» sions. State outhonty, coupled with; make a battle against popular prejudice the inducement of commissions, have and legislative opposition to get a mis- tnainly obtained for me the success I erable ten thousand dollars! met with. You see now why private I saw lately a curious assertion in a societies invariably fail; and why even paper to the effect that we can get the States failed that could offer uo pecu- emigrants, but we cannot get the lauds uiary compensation, but mainly relied to settle them on. The writer did not upon their pamphlets, which, scattered explain, and leaves us therefore in the broadcast, were to do wonders, but dark; but this brings me to the last which no one read. Not one settler point I wish to mention to-day: Enough has ever gone where such means were lands, at reasonable rates, must be gotten, employed. and how f immigration upon sire teat plenty of laborers should come to relieve the necessities of our indus trial interests; but I want them rather Supposing that I now have satisfied you as to the desirableness of the set-1 Uemeotof our opooconied lands by ao-l tual, independent foreign settlers over a system which ancs.at bringing into the 8tate women laborers zthoie peesagei you have to pay, you will ask me, I 44 How are, vfe to get these seCdera!”! 1 unhesitatingly arra^cr: Through the conlial mod liberal aooption by.the Gen eral Assembly, of the Society’s lull of 1869, which. 1 cited in the beginning of ray remarks. When I learned, oil the I Continent, in 1869, that that hill had been adopted, (not knowing then of the lam no advocate for a mere empty Georgia lias no public domaiu ; it honor, when I insist on the State’s therefore, as provided for in the bill, the amount of at least three thousand commission to the Foreign and Domes- depends upon the landholders to show tic Commissioners of Immigration for liberality and enter any lands they wish Georgia, and it is with no disrespect to to sell with the Commissioner. There those who propose to start private im- need not be any immense amount on migration enterprises, when I say that his books; he may start business w ith their management is much more likely ten thousand acres; let him only take to result in evil instead of in good, and care that they meet the conditions o4' that for the full success of the policy, accessibility, fertility and reasonable which is so important a factor in Geor- price. There are enough hearty friends gia’s future welfare, the State’s man- of immigration in Georgia who own agement and supervision is imperative, land, to obtain ten times that amount Let us always remember that we actu- from them. ally are sedcitig something in a foreign But as the tendency will be to raise land; that land has its peculiar notions the value in any section immediately concerning us, and its peculiar cus- upon foreign settlement' being inadc„ toms; we must satisfy them if we wish as experience abundantly shows, lands to succeed. One of these notions is should be procured, step by step, in nil that all private emigration agents from parts and counties of the State. Here, abroad arc swindlers, cheats and sellers local real estate agents will be of great of souls. Try at the great ports and assistance. you will soon find out. No private Joint-stock land companies, iqioii tho endorsements of the mao can aid him. basis of settling alternate sections they Few respectable people will associate own at a low, the others lastly and at with him. This is owing to the many the highest market price for profit and outrages committed by American enn- working expenses, can and would Ik.- gration agents upon the emigrant— established, who would entrust the They now meet everywhere with popu- Commissioner with procurement of. for ill-will and resentment—everywhere settlers. the emigrants arc warned against them. New railroad lines ate being opened The press, with its peculiar facilities, through comparatively new sections in Is it unnatural that abroad people look in the lands which owner* on the road upon a business which series to divert have subscribed.- These companies will the best citizens of the State, as one to want to sell that land and would read- be fettered as much as possible, aud ily co-operate with the Commissioner, not to he tolerated, if they can; and There is, for instance, a new road to lie in any case withdrawn until six months against which popular vengeance will built from Athens to Rabun Gap, to after the time the agent has ceased to rise if injustice be done? I find it per- 1 open up another highway “ out West” fectly natural. _ 11 have no doubt, from the character , No European government, except the means of the men who have up to ten thousand rix dollars. * * These bonds are security for all the obligations of the agents toward the emigrant as well as against any tres pass of this law; nor can the bond be act as an emigrant agent. The amount of the bond given may at any time be increased to the highest figure.” If, now, native agents arc under such dose supervision, it may be presumed that foreigners who infringe tnese laws arc quite summarily dealt with. Such is the case, as I learned at Berlin, Ko- penhagen aud elsewhere. Mr. U. S. Consul Kreismann, at Berlin, informed me wh^q I visited him, March, 1869, that the law’ just cited hod actually been executed in the case of two American emigration agents, and that neither Mr. Bancroft’s, the American Minister's exertions nor his own, could save them. - Our business in inducing immigra tion (always remember that of actual settlers, or men who nay their passage,) is mostly with and through these agen cies. If I can interest them—satisfy them that the cause for which I work is a good one—convince them that my State is better than others in the field— prove to them beyond cavil and doubt that I am a safe person and mine a safe spots them ere yet they have arrived, the State, whose capital partly consists Russia, now-a-days prohibits emigra tion. Any man that has satisfied the duties of his citizenship may go, and from some he is absolved, if he wants to go. But every government, save Britain, as indeed is its duty, inquires rigidly as to the chances of success which the various new projects that continually are made known on the Continent have for its outgoing eitfoena; and if it is found that any country, as was Brazil, would endanger the emi grant’s welfare, emigration thence is forbidden. Per te no one cares whether the emigrant go to Minnesota, Georgia or California. No State agent need therefore fear on that score, but he need not hope that he will find any govern mental aid or sympathy. He will find due respect as the representative of a State in a certain business, but he will perceive, nevertheless, something of dis favor, reticence, at the outset. It will now depend upon the man we send, his conduct and his character, his knowl- business, they will begin to lend an ear edge of men and of honorable means, to my statements. But to invoke their ana his tact to dispel any doubts as to active exertion, I must show them that they can make some money; without that I might he the agent of Paradise, and they would not move. Finally, the basis arranged, they will ask secur ity their commission will be pud, or rise eaA on delivery. None but the security of the State, as expressed in onr bill, will satisfy them. • Gentlemen, this Immigration about the reliability and soundness of his project and himself, ere he can believe himself to stand upon secure ground. If he has, at last, been successful in making some satisfactory settlements, that foot will strengthen him abroad as much as it would with our people, and I know instances that State agents have then received official courtesies and that their States were officially recom- taken it in hand that it will lie built, nor do I doubt tiint they would readily aid the Commissioner in a cause so ob viously to their interest, with a for- sigh ted Jibe rality. There need, therefore, lie no appre hension on that score, and we may put it down as a maxim that if we present a purchaser we will find land; even the greatest opponent to immigration would not wish to fom;o its benefits. I, at least, never hea-d of a man yet who, desirous of settling in Georgia, was not fruited to his wishes. Based upon all that which I have said, I now call upon the Society to make another effort in behalf of immi gration, and to call, through a commit tee, upon the incoming Legislature of the State to adopt the Society’s bill of 1869. It conla not in justice refuse this second appeal by a body such as you are, strong through the* great in terest it represents, its numlicrs and its wealth; especially as the subject is so great and important, the result sought so beneficent and the meat s asked for so small. Moreover, our bill is self- sustaining, after the legislature has aid ed us to start it; not a dollar need be lost, if the management be prudent, faithful and energetic. 1 thank you for your kind attention. Sulphur beds of great extent and rcmarkrble purity have beeu discov ered in Southeastern Louisiana.