ENFORCEMENT OF THE PASSENGERS ACT.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 684, 3 November 1852, Page 3

ENFORCEMENT OF THE PASSENGERS ACT.

[From ihe " Independent," Oct. 2.] The Government lias determined, very^ properly, to put, in force the Passengers' Act, in this colony; but not before it was lendered necessary by the recklessness of the jobbers in human life. There has been no catastrophe, that we know of, as yet, in the " middle passage" from this place to the o-old diggings; but th.it has not been owing to any greater precautions taken than would be observed in bringing pigs from Wanganui, or importing negroes into the slave countries of America. Any leaky tub or second-hand coffin was considered good enough to transport people to Melbourne i and, if a cargo or two should perchance so to the bottom, there would be nobody to cry about it bn* the women and children they had left behind. In the m-an tune, the respectable brokers and owners, who had been g.unoHng with <lestiny and speculating- upon Prmidence, were bagging their commission and freight and consolTng themselves with the profits they had made •out of these transactions, in the prospect of an immediate and alarming decrease of trade. We s.iy nothing against the most perfect freedom of emigration, or the legitimate tralh'c in it. X peopl« are determined to go, let them; and the shipping interest have a right to get as much as they can, fairly and justly, out of the business; but, the", there mu«t be some spice of humanity in the affiir, and you arc not to take advantage of the ignorance or the thoughtlessness, much less of the downright insanity and phrenzy of your passengers. Of course, there will be a great hubbub among the speculators ; just as theie was among the rcsurrc'iion men, when the indiscretion of Messieurs Burke and Ilure blew up the trade. But, if proper ships are wanted, they wIU soon be forthcoming; and if they cannot be found otherwise, let them be constructed here, of New Ze..Und timler; and the sanguine adventurers will be none the worse off, perhaps, if they have to wait while the ships are building that are to convey them to the El Dorado. A little delay, in some cases, might tend to salutary reflection, and might prevent the occurrence of some of those domestic tragedies which not un frequently result from these Quixotic adventures. A large number of persons will be sure to go to the diggings, and we would neither say nor do anything toprevent them. We cannot, ho vuver, forget what we ourselves heard Lord Melboui ne say to a deputation that went to him, 14 or 15 years a<io, on the subject of emigration to New Zealand; "It is all very well, gentlemen, for you to talk of running all the risk and responsibility in 'your own persons; but, if you should be killed and eaten, the world will say that it was the duty of a paternal government It o have prevented you from going to the devil your own way." We are not sure that such is the destination of ail the individuals who are leaving this place for Australia. Perhaps not of all. But the chances are not inconsiderable ; and therefore we think it an error on the safe side to' bring all vessels sailing from this colony ,with emigrants under the regulations of the Passengers' Act, and to enforce those regulations with unsparing rigor.