Sable & Searle to Jeremiah Perry, January 18, 1864

Messrs. Sable and Searle to Mr. Perry.

Dear Sir: We beg to enclose various documents concerning the engagement and shipping of a number of laborers from Ireland to Boston, United States.

The enclosures are as follows: No. 1, letter received from our Boston correspondents, in whom we placed implicit confidence that they would not engage us in any transaction contrary to law, or involve us or the companies for whom we act in any unpleasant position. No. 2 is a draft contract which Mr. Finney (the selecting agent) intends to make with the laborers before he advances their passage money.

We, as agents for the Galway and Derry lines, are bound to get as many passengers as we can for the respective steamers, and, as both lines carry her Majesty’s mails, we do not like to subject them to a sudden seizure or even to detention for a single hour. Therefore we wish you to put this matter before the highest authority at the Castle in your city; so that if, as we are sorry to see frequently is the case, any one evil disposed should give information that the men are intended for enlistment, a prompt and satisfactory denial may be given. Please to ascertain from government whether we can follow our legitimate trade of shipping these passengers or not, or are we bound to ship them back? If there be the slightest risk either to ourselves or the respective companies, we will carry matters further in London and stop ia the meanwhile.

There should be no obstacle put in the way of Mr. Finney, as it is a blessing for the poor people to obtain employment, and the authorities should assist him by every means in their power.

Yours, &c.,