1847 and 1849.

Irish immigration, however, as the statistics show, did not long continue. Even before the Civil War began to affect immigration, the Irish arrivals suffered a decline. The Massachusetts Spy, for February 7, 1885, thus editorially spoke of the Irish immigration---"The Irish Emigration has spent its force, It has passed its culminating point, and seems about to cease. Almost the only motive which will impel the Irishman now to leave his native country will be the desire to join his kindred in the far-off lands beyond the seas, while many of those who have emigrated will now in the light of better days return to their native land".

The distribution of foreign population during this period now requires our attention. The majority of aliens arriving at the ports of Massachusetts probably intended to settle in that state. In 1851, out of 6,675 alien passengers only 111 were ticketed beyond the Commonwealth (1).

(1) Boston Pilot, March 27,1852, quoted from Report of Commissioner of Alien Passengers, for 1852.