Murdoch to Sir F. Rogers, January 23, 1864
Mr. Murdoch to Sir F. Rogers.
Sir: I transmit, herewith, for the information of his grace the Duke of Newcastle, a return of the emigration from the United Kingdom for the quarter and for the year ending 31st December, 1863.
2. I also enclose a return distinguishing the sexes of the emigrants and adults from children, and exhibiting, so far as can be ascertained from the passenger lists furnished by the custom-house authorities, the trade, occupation, or profession of the adults.
3. As much attention has recently been attracted to the emigration from Ireland to the United States, and to the probability that a portion of the emigrants go with the intention of enlisting, I add a table showing the numbers of single men and of Irish who have emigrated to the United States during the last five years, and the proportion they bear to the whole emigration of those years respectively. What is the exact number of Irish among the single men it would not be possible without much trouble to ascertain; but as the Irish constitute nearly two-thirds of the whole emigration to the United States, it may fairly be assumed that they constitute an equal proportion of the single men. This would give something more than 35,000 Irish single men.
4. The proportion both of the single men and of the Irish was larger in 1863 than in any of the preceding four years, though not to such an extent as to justify the assumption that any great effect is attributable to the temptations offered to recruits. It is more probable that the high wages now prevailing in the United States, as contrasted with the distress existing in Ireland, is the inducement which has led so many emigrants from that country to America. The number of Irish who have gone to other countries is 21,914; but the largeness of the number to the United States as compared with the number to all other countries is to be accounted for by the large remittances sent home by Irish emigrants already settled in the States to assist their friends at home, and the consequent facility in reaching that country as compared with other countries.
I have, &c.,