CHIPS.

FAMILY COLONISATION LOAN SOCIETY.

If on any Saturday you should chance to find your way to Charlton Crescent, an obscure thoroughfare lying between the road from Islington to Holloway and the New River, not far from the Angel, you will see several men and women dropping into a small house, the parlour window of which contains a printed bill with the above words. The callers are chiefly of the decent mechanic class, and not a few travellers from the country,—pilgrims in search of truth about emigration. Saturday is the day on which the subscriptions of emigrants desiring to avail themselves of the Family Colonisation Loan Society are received.

And what is the Colonisation Loan Society? The question is worth asking.

It is an association—devised by Mrs. Chisholm, and to be speedily carried out extensively with the aid of several philanthropists, and the advice of two eminent actuaries—for establishing a self-supporting system of emigration, for assisting industrious people, and for promoting practically the spread of sound moral principles in a much neglected colony.

Persons desirous of emigrating form themselves into “groups,” after being mutually 515satisfied of their respective suitability and respectability. Each intending emigrant pays, either in one sum or by weekly instalments, as much as will amount to half the passage money to Australia. The philanthropists of the society lend the other half to be repaid by four annual instalments,—each family becoming jointly bound for the sums lent to each member of that family, and each group being publicly pledged to assist in enforcing punctual repayments.

The details for securing repayment of the loans have been arranged by Mrs. Chisholm, and are the result of her large practical experience. Each emigrant, when he has paid back his loan, will have the privilege of nominating a relation or friend to be assisted in emigrating with the same amount of money. Thus, the original charitable fund will work in a circle of colonisation, at the mere sacrifice of annual interest. That emigrants among the humble classes are willing to remit for the purpose of assisting their friends and relations to follow them, is proved by the fact that, within the last three years, upwards of one million sterling has been remitted by the Irish emigrants from the United States alone, in small sums, to pay the passage of parents, brothers, sisters, wives, or sweethearts in Ireland. Australia, in proportion to its population, affords even greater opportunities of earning money wages than the United States.

Mrs. Chisholm’s plan offers several advantages of an important character. It will enable many to emigrate who, though frugal and industrious, are not only unable to raise the whole passage money; but, during temporary trade-depressions, would be consuming their savings. It will keep families united, and cherish an honourable, independent spirit. It will secure a class of emigrants calculated to improve the moral tone of the colony; for, as the character of each emigrant will be investigated by his fellows, there will be no room for the deceptions practised on the wealthy charitable. The certificate of shop-mates with whom a man has worked, is more to be trusted than that of the clergyman who has only seen him in his Sunday clothes. It will afford the best kind of protection for young girls or single women desirous of joining friends in Australia, because each ship will be filled with “groups” previously acquainted and mutually sifted. Among minor advantages, the cost of passage and outfit, by the aid of co-operation and communication, will be much diminished.

The two following instances will display the practical working of Mrs. Chisholm’s plan. Among the applicants to join the Society (for already the working-classes are prepared to subscribe two thousand pounds) was an artisan in the North, belonging to a trade which “strikes” periodically. When contemplating these “strikes,” the leaders of the trade base their financial arrangements for supporting the body while out of work, upon the savings made by the more frugal of their associates. The artisan in question being a Teetotaller and skilful, had three times been able to save from fifteen to twenty pounds, with the express design of emigrating; but twice his stock of cash had been melted in the common treasury during strikes. With the assistance of a loan from the Society, he will now be able to emigrate. There can be no fear of such a man not repaying it honourably. Had he been able to emigrate a few years ago, he must have been wealthy by this time, and in a position to help all his relatives to join him.

Again, a benevolent Dowager Countess has subscribed two hundred and twenty-five pounds to this Society; a sum which has been appropriated to assisting the following parties in making up their passage money to Australia. Let us see what this money will do:—

It will send three wives with nine children, out to join husbands in Australia.

Two aged widows who have children there.

Ditto a man and wife, who have children there.

M. and wife, with five children.

H. and wife.

P. and wife, with three children.

L. and wife, with seven children. (This man has received the insufficient sum of fifty pounds to pay his passage from a brother in Australia.)

W. and wife, with four children (have received twenty-five pounds from Australia for same purpose).

Five young men, of whom three have relations in the Colony.

Nine friendless young women, of whom four have relations there.

Thus it will be seen this two hundred and twenty-five pound loan affords

A passage, to Adults 31

Children 28

Total 59

At the end of the first year after the arrival of these persons, there will be available for assisting other friends and relatives of this batch of fifty-nine to join them, about forty pounds; at the end of the second year, about sixty pounds; third year, about eighty pounds; fourth year, about one hundred and twenty pounds.

This system sacrifices no independence; incurs scarcely any weight of obligation. It affords the best possible kind of assistance; for it helps those who help themselves, and puts it in their power to help their fellows.