The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-07-12
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Common Council.

The annual Message OF His Honor Mayor Morris
received and ordered to be printed We present below
having obtained copy exclusively for the Herald -
M,YoR's OrrIcr,
July II, 1872.
Gentlemen Of The Common Council
In the annual message which had the honor present
To your predecessors there suggestions which
the interests OF the community require should to
you and which call for your serious consideration and
speedy action.
Our system of Police is amentably defective Ills in.
tended only for the arrest of offenders The legal
pensaon to the Marshals those who first thrown in
with offenders SO small that its insu ciency
and the ecs of gratues from the robbed and from the
arrested present strong inducements to turn those officials
from the path OF duty and to lead them into practises
alike injurious TO the interests of the citizens and
to the honest character officers should maintain.
and tends to the cultivation rather than the sup
preston OF offences The practice OF bailing OF.
Tenders which has grown up under this defective system
OF Police and which may be considered having been
caused by It, has perfected system beneficial to the VIOLA
OF the law and therefore injurious the community
whose INTEREST," ostcnsiby protects and to whom
ons asst expense This has become perfect in
It's practical operation IN favor OF ieons OF the deepest de-
pravy that they electnally eudo the most vigant and
expensive efforts to apprchend them, and frequently when
citizens officers them the preparation of
offence with conclusive proof upon their persons OF
the commission of other heinous offences, bail is taken
their to answer the cupr forfets his bail
which generally worthless and the only consequences
of the arrest to the citizens at large and the individuals
who made the arrest is accumulation of expense and dis
appointment IN their hopes OF justice.
Beyond far eyond, the evils alluded is the preju-
dical effect the rising generation These depreda
young a life OF iniamy Thus the circle of crmei
tended and filled with those who under other
ces might be good and useful citizens Another great evil
of this system is that those persons attached TO the Police
Department who honest and vigilant and there
many SUCH seriously injured by the general bad
putaon which the system nhcts upon the Department,
and are also in many instances nnocently and by the
management OF Others connected with circumstances
strongly impugning their character for integrity.
sTo correct these evils suggest that Preventive Police
should be organized, and tn law should be passed
curing all to be baed by the Court and allowing
on Will he fr,l
officers under my control commenced system of Proven
tive Police and shall extend the far is in my
power, with the hundred officers who appointed by
me- Beneficial effects have resulted from the experiment
and trust long, the successful operation of this small
band viii be received by additional nducement
to act according my suggestions this subject would
also suggest to the poprety of passing ordinance
auhorisng each of civil courts appoint persons
keep order in their respective courts shall require the
whole force of my hundred marsha to carry the
tenn contemplate and persons acting under the Immediate
direction and view OF the Court cannot require warrant
to authorize them to perform their duty.
In connection with this Preventive Police and to enable
such system to be effective suggest the propriey o!
making necessary for the small boats in habor, be-
longing to residents Of the city, to be licensed for the pur
pose of being numbered and registered There have been
many outrages committed by parties from the city in these
boats Had the boats been licensed numbered and regis
eredt fear of detection might have the often
ces and after the offences had been committed would
Oily have led TO detection The fee for the license should
be very small only sufficient pay the necessary expense
In connection with Preventive Police and what deem
to be essential auxiliary, is Work House. The estab-
a
ihereis large class OF persons now sent to the Pcnen
tiary not sufficiently depraved to become inmates of that
prison. and who might be reformed and again there
many individua supported in the Aims House, who
unworthy to be associated with the unfortunate and
worthy poor Both these classes proper
subjects for Work House. The establishment off Work
House would rid streets of those idle mendcans who
must in that pursuit become vicious and criminal II
such individuals compelled work for the benefit OF
the public, many of them will learn that it is not only
more pleasant but profitable to labor for themselves
and they will become good and useful citizens
I'm Work andt the pctuh shueu
Tor the pauper Children should be erected upon the
Islands belonging to the city suggest that the Aims
should be placed upon Wards Island and the Work
apon Backwelrs Island. There would then be sufci
poyed at trades and you would also be enabcdto employ
such of the paupcrs could and should labor towards
plan should be such to enable classification of the in
mates, that the abandoned should contaminae the
yiruous or prevent the reformation of young offenders
There is much OF the city property not necessary for
he occupation of the departments of the city government
suggest the propriey of selling all such property the
moment an adequate price can be obtained for it.
In city prison there place provided for the sick
neither are there instruments medicines All persons
found helpless in the carried the watch house
prison. Humanity requires that proper the
necessary medical appliances SHOULD be ready for the sick
in the prison The ply stefan should also be supplied
with proper assistant, AT present he is
peled 10 resort TO the of the nrsoners and Inc
keepers of the prison for the services required of
Under such circumstances the sick cannot be otherwise
than neg ectcd.
nents and accommodations for such witnesses the due
administration of justice requires should be detained in
custody to insure their attendance the trial II frequent
y happens that persons who are unable TO procure bail
Tor their appearance testify confined for months in
he same manner with criminals, i'll the ordinary cells OF
he prison. and when permitted to take exercise
posed TO the association and contamination of elons and
the depravcd. The knowledge of this fact induces
nagisteral authorities from humanity frequently to take
slight if not nominal ball. for the attendance of wit
ncsscs BY which they often not forthcoming
he trial. and for of their testimony many hardened
a rnedu
he community to continue their DEF relations II often
occurs that the offender bail for his appearance
While the witness is Obliged for of bail TO be ipr
soned Upon this subject your philanthropy and
ojustice will lead you TO besow immediate attention.
would suggest that, by resolution you should require
acommttee from your honorable bodies at least in
each week to visit and examine city prison-to ex
mime not only the condition of the prison. but also to in
vesgae the causes of the detention of tho prisoners be-
;ause has but too frequently occurred that for want OF
such examinations and inquiry persons destitute ofend
u pecunaIy means, continue prison unknown to those
Nho nave the only power to relieve them.
suggest the propety of examination into the State
Law Establishing State Lunac Asy lum at Utica for the
purpose OF determining whether it is the interest of the
y to send any of the pauper unatics that institution
should not prove be the interest of the city TO send
portion of those unfortunate 20 that establish
nent provision should at he made to extend the a
'omm'datons for them i'll our county institutions on
Blackwes Island. Under either determination by Won
deem TO be necessary that verandahs for exercise and
air should be built npon each story OF the present build
ing. These verandahs would dispense with the yards
used by the institution exposing the unfortunate in
mates to the which seriously preudcia persons
call your attention to the sewer in Canal street
Through this is discharged the refuse from the Gas
Works and Distlleres. This With the accumulation OF
dlth from the City Prison and from the surface of
streets, is not only very offensive to the inhabitants living
in Canal street and the adjoining but the discharge
from its mouth al the North River is destructive of the
proper of the slips into which it empes and deri
mental to the Fish Market in Canal street the fish sold az
which are necessarily kept in racks" in the slips ada
cent.
have experienced great difficulty from the Intelligence
Offices Ordinances necessary properly to regulate
here iS atiOO thair cho
70 which very great imposons practised upon the
aboring classes who least afford it, aud who certainly
require protection The only control have been able to
exercise these offices has been their licenses
for any conduct which exhibited corrupt intention
There has been much complaint among Hack and Cab
that permission given by the Aldermen and As
sstant Aldermen, of the wards for certain cabs stand
at the doors of the principal hotels the city. They
plain, and appears to with great Justice that such
permssion gXes unfair nrYileges injury