The New York herald., 1844-07-25
Charity and Aims House OF the City OF New
York.

Charity and Aims House OF the City OF New
York.
AT meeting Of the Board of Aldermen on the
18th inst report was presented from committee
appointed previous occasion, to whem was re-
tered the subject in relation TO the reorganization
Of lhe pauper department of the Aims House, &c.
After the usual prelimnaries OF having visited the
Aims Houses, made inquiries. Ne il proceeds to
say: :" On the first day CT July instant the number
of white adults in our Aims House, Lunatic Asylum
and Penitenliary, was two thousand seven hundred
and ninety OF this number thousand eight
hundred and eighty were foreigners, and nine
hundred and nine only were native Americans
More than two thirds foreigners, and the same pro-
portion undoubtedly exists among the inmates OF
our prisons and other establishments connected
with the Aims House department.. The disburse-
ment5 the city in support OF This estabiishme Mt
during the year ending the 3lst OF December, lS43,
united 10 S25l 900, without reference to The IN
terest on the vast sums xpended and invested IN
the necessary grounds and buildings. During the
same period there was received by the city, from
the provision made Tor the support Of bonded pas
seDgers, the sum Of 81 ,3i2 rs; and for commuta-
ton lees OF alien mmef rants the sum OF So,9Z2 %,
amounting to $l3 265 Is; the whole OF when We
will place 10 the credit OF alien paupersm. From
hese data II may be readily demonstrated that the
CITY OF New lork is directly taxed to the amount
OF $l5o,C0O year tor the support oi alien paupers
ana vagrans."
They then proceeded to argue that this burden
is not Justly thrown upon the tax paying citzers OF
New York, and call tor the interference Of the
Federal Government TO remedy the evil Itis then
stated that" Ii cannot be denied that the Aims
House establishment at Bellevue has been made
subservleIt TO party purposes; and that sturdy pau
pers, abundan,ly able to MAINTAIN themselves by
honest labor, have been supported there winter al
ter winter idleness, at the expense OF the tax
paying citizens and, would seem, Tor no other
purpose than that OF securing surages for the dom
inant party. The State election the fall Is no
sooner over, than crowds OF able bodied paupers
ihrong our Aims Hou-c. They are clothed, feo,
and lodged well, during the incement season oi
the year; and IN the spring, without having conrI-
buted penny IN money or labor tor their winters
entertainment, they arc marched up TO me polls 10
vote away the rights and properly OF the seli-sup-
porting laborers and independent cluZens.''-
Further, that" The demagogue may disguise II
ligence can deny that IL is onerous and unjust 10
the sell supporting abOrers Of the clty-thal num-
| bers OF Irresponsible, nameess, able-bcdied pau
pers, more than two-thlrds OF them OF tori Ign birh
should be sent out from our Aims Houses 10 the
polls, and exercise the same rights and privileges
OF citizenship with those at whose expense they
have been maintained Your Committee would
| therefore recommend the adoption Of such regula
tons as may tend in some measure to secure the
| city against the danger and disgrace OF being go
verned by an administration elected by the tenants
| OF an aims house. Your committee would also
suggest the prdprety Of adopting such further regu
paupers In constant employment 1t matters llttle
what that employment may be--whether within
the walls Of the establishment or WIhont-wheth-
er 10 repairing the roads, cleaning the streets, ham
merlng s,one in the abors OF agriculture. Ii Is
laid down by all those who have most attentlvty
considered this subject, that when the wants ot
any destitute able bodied person are supplied by
relief given in return for work, the work mod.
OF rehet should not be such 10 raise the conoi
ton OF the pauper above that OF the lowest self
| supporting aborer, induce any one to make the
parish the first, instead Of the last recourse IN case
of need.'''
After suggesting several modes for employing
paupers the Committee say,-"Now, while II II
neliher necessary nor humane to visit mere power
~ with pun ishment,a due regard to the interest oi
honest and provIdcnt laoOr requires lha no chdrt-
ole reile should be afforded To those who are able
but reluctant undergo any toll, however humble
or severe, that is sustained by the classes who
| independent OF charitable Ielitf' Ana To carry
this idea out The Committee suggest meaDs.
The Committee next proceed TO consider the
disposition ol the pauper children now placed upon
The Long Island Farms. " Your Cominittee believe
that would be good economy 10 sell these fafms,
aud remove the school 10 RandalI's island. The
would cone yntSate the charitable establishments o
| he city, and diminish, to some extent, the exptn
ses OF maintaining them In distinct and distant To-
| cations. Some cha &c, moreover, appears materi
| al in the present mode OF educang these uniurtu
| nate chrr,n winch would better secure Their pre-.
sent comfort and better fit them for future useful
| ness. They now pass their time between the
II
when they arrive AT the age when they are selected
| as app ebicea they are ignorant oi every descTlp
ton Of useful labor, and quite unaccusomed 10
wholesome discipline and restraint. Months, there
tore, and sometimes years. elapse, before their Old
| habits are eradicattd and new and useful ones I'M
| planted; and they are, meanwhile, harshy treated
ny their masters Tor perverseness aud stupidity
| which are really chargrabe TO their ignorance
| only, and bad education Your committee would
| therefore suggest that these children ought 10 bt
placed on, certainly no better footing than that ot
The children Of The self-supporting labOrers, an0
like them should be accustomed 10 labor from al
early age. Experience proves that there can be Nc
worse policy than that OF placing pauper children
or adults In circumstances really or apparently bet
Ter than those OF the selfsupporlng laboreis and
| the children of the poorest class nnehrd OF
more Of the laIR children OF sufficient age and
strength 10 be employed proitably In light farming
| or other labor They should be treated, then, like
the children OF the agricultural laborers, who are
employed Six or eight months OF the year IN such
labor the field garden the house, is adapt
ed 10 their strength and the remainder Of the year
III such useful instruction at schoo as is likely To be
OF service to them IN the subsequent portions oi
their lIfe."
In support of this view, the committee quotes
largely from DR.. Kay's Report, on the training OF
pauper children, contained in the appendix to tn.
fourth annual Report OF the Poor Law Comnis-
sioners, tor England and Wales To carry oul
these suggestions, they recommend the Location foi
such inslluuon TO be Randalls Island, and also
an outline Of the plan OF the building, required for
such purpose.
They next proceed to suggest, that measures
should immed dately be ado;ted to secure the two
great results indicated by your Committee, TO wit
making labor the uniform condition Of relief TO the
tbe-bodied poor, and educating the infant paupers
such well regulated and systematic habits 0f la
bor as will teach them early the necessity and the
means Of providing for themselves and render them
capable ofready usefulness when they rransferr
they are to earn their livelihood. This plan con.
templates, Of course, sale OF the Farms scheo
property Long Island, and sale Of the property
at Bellevue; that is TO say, the whole OF the two
hundred lots lying between Iweniy.four'h and
the water, and as many of those lying between
Twenty-sIx and Twenty-elght streets and the Se-
cond Avenue and the water as may not be deslra.
oe .! necessary ~ retain Ior tc VI mouse
OF detention for temporary uses Tor the occasional
dspOt OF prisoners and pauptrs previous 10 thei