on which the penitentiary is situated, on the night of the 11th of April, 1842, and came to this city; some of them were taken to the third district watch-house in this city, in the eighth ward; some of them were put into a cellar in the fourth ward; and others were distributed in other parts of the city. It was subsequently ascertained that some of these prisoners voted the day after they left Blackwell's Island, (viz.: on the 12th of April, 1842,) in this city. The prisoners were discharged by some special justice or justices of the peace, and some of the aldermen of this city; neither of whom have any legal right to discharge prisoners from the island. That, although a great many prisoners left the island on the 11th of April, only ten of the discharges were dated on that day. Some of the discharges were antedated between two and three weeks, and in one instance the discharge of the prisoner bore date previous to his commitment. The discharges were dated from 20th March, 1842, to 11th April, 1842, and were for seventyone prisoners committed as vagrants; and the term of commitment had not in any one instance expired. According to the statements of the prisoners themselves, 50 of them were born out of the United States, 20 of them in the United States, and 1 unknown; there were born in Ireland 36, England 7, Germany 3, Scotland 1, Wales 1, Europe 1, and Nova Scotia 1; in the State of New York 14, New Jersey 1, Delaware 1, North Carolina 1, Virginia 1, Massachusetts 1, Vermont 1, and unknown 1.

IGNORANCE OF OUR LANGUAGE AND INSTITUTIONS.

George Henry Poulson, aged fifty-two years, agent, residing in the city of New York, answered thus:

I have frequently been present as an interpreter during the process of naturalization; that the instances of persons applying to be naturalized who are wholly ignorant of the English language are frequent; and though they understood the terms of the oath when translated to them in words, yet they were frequently unable to comprehend the meaning of said oath; and there are now hundreds of Germans who have been admitted citizens, who do not now understand the English language, or the meaning of the oaths to which they have been sworn; and as to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, they have no knowledge or comprehension of them. Many of them are aged persons without any education, and who are naturalized at the solicitation of others, and without any desire of their own, merely to become the tools of political parties. I have been present and been asked to interpret the oaths, and my interpretation has been received without my having been previously sworn.

That he has no personal knowledge of such instances, but has heard of many, and believes them to be frequent. It is a general practice to advertise in a German paper in this city, that all Germans wishing to be naturalized should apply to the German committee at Tammany Hall, where they will receive their naturalizations gratis. I am well informed that it is the practice previous to elections for persons employed for that purpose by Tammany Hall to call on the Germans and to persuade them to be naturalized; and I have learned, in their general conversation, that it is often the case the certificates of naturalization are kept by said committee until the day of election, when they are handed to the parties, to be presented by them at the polls, they being acccompanied thereto by some one of the said committee.

Q. At the times such votes are given, have the parties voting any knowledge of the principles or policy of the party in whose favor they deposit their ballots ?

A. They have not; they are led by the word democrat. I do not take any part my

self in politics, but my knowledge of these facts is chiefly derived from being agent of the German Immigrant Society. I formerly conducted a German paper in this city.

Alanson Nash, of the city of New York, attorney at law, aged fortythree years, being duly sworn, answered thus:

Since the year 1830, I have constantly attended the several courts in this city which receive the declarations of aliens, and grant letters of naturalization. I have noticed that a very considerable number of persons, when they declare their intentions, are unable to speak or converse in the English language. I have noticed, also, a great many persons, when they are naturalized, are also unable to speak or converse in the English language. I have noticed, also, that a vast many persons who are naturalized are unable to read or write, and I have been satisfied that they knew nothing about the Constitution of the United States or the laws of the country. I have noticed, also, that a great many persons who are naturalized, so far as one is able to judge, were transient persons.

Winthrop Atwell, of the city of New York, editor, aged thirty-six years, being duly sworn, answered:

The ignorance of the applicants, and their ignorance of our institutions. In half the cases, they did not understand the nature of their application. When I heard them examined the day previous to the last election, before the Court of Common Pleas, in this city, many of the applicants then naturalized, and without the intervention of an interpreter, did not understand enough of the English language to comprehend the nature of the questions propounded to them; which was so apparent, that after the certificate was granted, the judge remarked, "Don't bring me another man who does not understand the language, unless you also bring an interpreter with him."

David Randell, one of the justices of the Marine court of the city of New York, aged fifty years, being duly sworn, answered thus:

Q. Have instances frequently come to your knowledge, where the ignorance of the English language in the person applying to be naturalized required the oaths to be administered by an interpreter?

A. Such instances are frequent; nearly one-half of the applications previous to and at the last election were of this character.

Thomas Jefferson Smith, one of the justices of the Marine court in the city of New York, aged thirty-nine years, being duly sworn, answered thus:

I think I have naturalized somewhere about two thousand persons; may be many more, and may be some less. No person should be naturalized who cannot understand and speak the English language. As the law now stands, the subject of character appears to be very easily proved, and no doubt in many cases persons prove that they have good moral characters, and are attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, when they are not of such character as sworn to.

The question as to whether an applicant is well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States, should not be a matter of proof by witness, as but few witnesses can tell what a man is disposed to, but should be sworn to by himself.

RIOTS AND VIOLENCE AT THE POLLS.

Heron R. Bennett, of New York, testified as follows:

As to instances of violence: In the spring of 1844, at the polls of the fifth district, in the sixteenth ward, where I was an inspector of elections. The windows were smashed, and doors broken in, stones were thrown in, and the mob broke in, so that we had to seize the ballot boxes and retreat. Order was finally restored, but not before four or five men were badly wounded; one of whom, I think, died shortly afterwards from the wounds received on the occasion. It was dangerous that afternoon to come to the polls to vote, and many who were entitled did not come. The fall previous, there were riots at the same polls, and also in the spring of 1843. The contest in these cases was between the foreign and American population. There appeared to be a regular organized mob, who, if they came across a man opposed to them in politics, would beat him. Mayor Morris came up and addressed them, but I think his address did not tend to allay the tumult. This last occurrence was in the spring of 1843.

Marcellus Eells, of New York, testified as follows:

As to violence, I recollect, at a poll in the twelfth ward in this city, as many as thirty persons being violently beaten during the day of the election, by a band of Irishmen collected there, who were subsequently rewarded by a free distribution of liquor by a political party; the leader of which gang has since held lucrative political offices at different times. One person attacked, (namely: Regal P. Ward,) now an assistant alderman, having voted, at a whoop, the usual signal of these foreigners, was pursued by them, and dragged from a house in which he had taken refuge. He was held forcibly by them, and beaten until he was insensible. There were about fifty persons in this gang. He fell insensible upon the ground, and was there stamped upon until his features were scarcely distinguishable. At another time, Alderman Jarvis, of the same ward, was beset in a similar manner by a body of foreigners, and seriously injured. I saw a person named Bacon, who was seized at the ballot box when about to vote, and there violently beaten. In an attempt to protect this individual, one of the inspectors was forced through one of the windows.

NUMBER NATURALIZED AT NEW YORK.

Abraham Asten, Clerk of the Marine court, furnished the following statistics of the naturalization business of that court:

The number naturalized from 1st October, of each of the last four years, up to and including the days of the next subsequent election.

NOTE. The election is usually on the 5th November, or thereabouts.

The total number of persons naturalized in each of the last four years, ending at the

fall election.

In 331 cases, 78 in all, applicants as well as witnesses, made their mark.

The number naturalized within a fortnight previous to and including the days of the

election, for four years past.

200

154

114

151

40

50

210

734

From 1st April, 1841, to 13th April, 1841, From 20th October, 1841, to 3d November, 1841, From 30th March, 1842, to 12th April, 1842, From 25th October, 1842, to 8th November, 1842, From 31st March, 1843, to 13th April, 1843, From 25th October, 1843, to 7th November, 1843, From 26th March, 1844, to 9th April, 1844, From 22d October, 1844, to 5th November, 1844, The number of persons naturalized on the first fifteen days in the month of April, 1844. Not minors,

191

128

319

William Latourett swore, in 1832, 1833, and 1834, to sixty-four persons.

From 1828 to 1838, it appears, by the naturalization of minors, that the following named persons swore to the number of applicants set opposite their respective names:

Francis J. Berrier,

Martin Waters,

Jotham Peabody,

George Gausmann,

Walter F. Osgood,

Andrew Warner, Clerk of the Common Pleas, said

1. "The number naturalized from the 1st of October, of each of the four years, up to and including the day of the next subsequent election :"

2. "The total number of persons naturalized in each of the four years last past, ending at the fall election:"

January 1, 1841, to November 3, not including day of election,

474

3. "The number naturalized within a fortnight previous to and including the days of the election, for four years past :"

Fortnight previous to election, April, 13, 1841, including day of election,

67

4. "The number of persons naturalized on the days of the April and November elections for the last four years, and for ten days previous thereto, and five days after:"

J. Oakley, Clerk of the Superior court, answered as follows:

From the 1st of October to the 7th of November, 1843, both inclusive, the number of persons naturalized in the Superior court was 242; from the 1st of October to 5th November, 1844, both inclusive, 673; from the 1st May to 7th November, 1843, both inclusive, 249; from the 5th November, 1843, to 5th November, 1844, the latter included, 1,697. This number includes the persons naturalized at the fall election of 1843; and the spring and fall elections of 1844. For a fortnight previous to the fall election of 1843, including the day of election, the number naturalized was 242; for the⚫ fortnight previous to the spring election of 1844, including the day of election, 993; for the fortnight previous to the fall election of 1844, including the day of election, 566. The number of persons naturalized in each month, from the 1st May, 1843, to this time, is as follows:

1843: May, 1; June, 2; July, 2; August, none; September, 2; October, none; November, 243; December, none.

1844 January, 1; February, none; March, 49; April, 955; May, 3; June, 1; July none; August, none; September, 14; October, 426; November, 253; December, 5.

1845: January, none.

The number naturalized on the first fifteen days of the month of April, 1844, were as follows:

On the 1st, 18; 2d, none; 3d, none; 4th, 15; 5th, none; 6th, 95; 7th, none;