(No. 15.)

IN COMMITTEE,

New-York, October 19, 1847.

Present, Mr. SMITH,

Mr. MCNAMARA,

Mr. UPHAM,

Mr. CHANDLER,

Mr. RUTHERFord.

Testimony of John C. Allstadt.

John C. Allstatd, sworn; says he is a German by birth, has been a resident of the United States sixteen years.

Introduced various tickets, for which passengers had paid, and with which they were unable to go to their place of destination.

I attach one made at Antwerp, on which seven dollars were paid, and refused here, of course the emigrant lost his money, and was obliged to pay over again; it was translated by J. J. Rickers.

(No. 16.)

Testimony of J. J. Rickers.

J. J. Rickers introduced a list of prices of passage to various places in the United States. The said bill of prices are full canal and steamboat rates; passengers can be forwarded at any time during canal navigation and one dollar less if runners are stopped.

(No. 8.

Testimony of James Erwin.

James Erwin sworn. I am agent of the Irish Emigrant Society of the city of New-York. The books produced before the committee are the books of the society. One of them is book of arrivals; the other is the complaint book, in which is entered the complaints made to the society by emigrants, all of which is in my hand writing. I have investigated all of the cases entered in the book. I do not know of any person connected with any emigrant societies who are connected with any forwarding offices.

Note by the committee. The books above referred to contained numerous complaints, detailing frauds, similar in character to many others mentioned in the report; we forbear to quote from it, from the fact that our report is already too voluminous, and quotations would be mere repetitions of what has already been mentioned.

( No. 9.)

Testimony of Mervin L. Ray.

Mervin L. Ray sworn. Resides in New-York; is engaged in forwarding emigrant passengers to all parts of the western country; has an office; has no connexion with any one or any office. I have no runners, but advertise in three or four papers; my rates are advertised, and I never depart from them. The following is one of my advertisements:

[Steamboat cut.] "OPPOSITION OFFICE.-For Albany, 75 cents; Utica, $1.50; Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, $2; Oswego, $3; Toronto, Upper Canada, $5; Cleveland and Detroit, $5; Cincinnati, $7.75; Milwaukie and Chicago, $7.75; Pittsburgh, $7. Through tickets to be had at the above prices at No. 100 Barclay-street N. Y. M. L. RAY, Agent."

I have known Mr. Adams to take $12 for a passenger to Buffalo, when I would have given him the same fare at $2. The rates mentioned in my advertisements are for steerage passage.

(No. 10.)

Testimony of P. Hodenpyle.

P. H. Hodenpyle sworn. Is agent of the Netherlands Emigrant Society; have been since April last. I have been in danger frequently of personal violence from the runners; they are Hollanders, Germans, English, Irish, &c. There has gone this fall, one Hollander and two German runners to Europe to establish agencies for forwarding passengers from New-York to the western States and Territories. I have been in this country eight years; I never went with any of them in Europe.

(No. 11.)

Testimony of R. Schoger.

R. Schoger, being duly sworn, says: I am a director of the Netherlands Emigrant Society. The first fraud practiced upon the emigrant is this the moment a vessel arrives, it is boarded by runners, whose first object appears to be to get emigrants to their respective public houses. Once there, they are considered sure prey. These runners represent the interest of all the various taverns and forwarding lines. Each party bringing with them their bullies, to fight_off their opponents, the emigrant becomes bewildered. As there is frequent bloodshed upon such occasions, the strongest party carry off the emigrants. Previously to going to the taverns, they are told that meals will be furnished for 6d. each, and 6d. for lodging, when in fact they are charged never less than 2s., and often $1 per meal; and their baggage is held until all is paid. The next ordeal through which the emigrant is obliged to pass, is called " booking," by which