New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-02-04
CITY Items.

il the benefits OF the Excise Law In point OF nuuoefs
the attendance very fair in point of respectsoiiy
much Iess Great had been taken by the set'eE
up OF this affair 20 admit who were not interested
II the traffic but By means or other the door was
no, well guarded tie wording Of tie Circular nha
led Us 10 anticipate and found no difficulty il obtain
ing an The Chair was occupied 5y Mr. n
French-Josiah Rich, Esq. having positively declined
IN Gard public the honor forced upon h.: By
the attaching OF ais 10 the Circular as President
withou, his knowledge or consent
Mr. French stated that they had Tradesaen's
Mutual Benefit Society the obiec, of which was TO
protect themselves against encroachments upon their
natural and constitutional rights And means Of
raising the wind TO carry Til, sudsbe object mem
beers we're taxed three dollars initiation lee and
twenty-five cents per month as monthly dues The
special purpose Of the present meeting 70 open the
eyes OF the fraternity the dangers with which they
were surrounded. and by new accession Of members
to raise money for the more successful prosecution OF
certain contemplated measures the precise nature OF
which as OF precauton, we suppose9 did moi
,ranspre. was farther forth that all The liquor.
dealers would unite in this movement, no Legislature
would dare pass law like the they had met to con-
slider
A Mr. Swain then commenced harangue, but asi
seemed made up OF little else than hesress ngs st the
Temperance cause did rot hear him ont. We IN
derstaud that other short addresses were subse
guently made and considerable number OF names ob-
tanned. The end is not yet.
e AT the Caucus held on Monday evening in
reference to the appointment of District Attorney if
teen members were present, all of whom were Loco
Focos Forty ballots were had. The votes said TO
have beeu for John McKeon !, L. B. Sheppard g.
As the County Court consists OF twenty two members
twelve are necessary for majority and it was therefore
decided that il candidate get 10 votes in Caucus he
shall be the choice of the County Court.
CONDITION OF BLAcKwELL's fsLssD.-The
Grand jury have once more called the attention Of
the Common Council TO the disgusting condition of the
Prison on Backwclls Island known the Luna House
This houseis situated the West side of Backwel's
Island the peniteutiary is built Of stone IS feet
long IS feet wide and three stories high. The lower
story used as blacksmiths shop the I'd and Sd are
occupied rs prisons where the most miserable objects
arc confined. They are persons committed b. the po'
lice magistrates under the vagran and more less
are sent up from the city There were nearly 200 men
confined in the two rooms, the day the grand inquest
visited this place and the keeper and physician advised
the jury 20 into the building account Of the
min The inmates directed to be brought out and
1t is impossible to describe their miserable condition
great number are idiots and the remainder lame dis
eased and covered with vermn. Part Of the jury visit
ed the interior of the building and found there neither
beds nor sra,c nor there on the door for
all these wreiched people TO lie down at the same time
The keeper informed the jury that there were frequently
$50 persons coun in these there being no 9TH
er place put them in and in consequence of this state
of things it is almost impossible to prevent them from
quarreling and fighting.
Good Heaven what horrors not enacted here -
scenes at which the vivid details Of fiction must
grow dull and vapid The picture OF this place
as thus presented the mind. makes one shudder and
sick The Mayor has already responded to the appeal
of the Grand Jury, and we hope the Common Council
will not neglect the for single day. To do so
would be infamous The Mayor in bis message to the
Board of Assistants says:
Ibave made INQUIRY of Morgan L. Mott. ex.keeper OF
the pencnary in reference the facts set forth in the
uresenment the grand jury and have been informed
by him that the persons confined in the Luna House are
the most abect and miserable Of Migrants committed by
the police magistrates the penitentiary-that they are
either diseased lame blind, idioc and unable to
work and with but few exceptions. pay no attention to
personal ceanness-that the crowded state OF the prison
will not admit extension OF their accommodations
beyond the building which they now occupy-hat they
are in charge keeper who s unrcmlttng IN his en-
deayOs 10 keep them cean-thHt unless the DuHDer OF
these persons should be materially diminished It Will be-
impossible under the circumstances to render their con
dition more comfortable than is at present-tha 1t Is
probable the number instead of diminishing, Will In.
crease and that the present convenences Will he found
entirely inadequate for the accommodation OF any addI
tional Migrants.
The keeper is of opinion that building similar to the
one in may DC erected by prison labor at a
small this city which will give the necessary ac-
commodaton suggested by the grand jury. From con-
sderaon of these facts, it would seem that 1t Is due
both 10 the intrinsic Importance OF the subject ITSELF ana
to the high from which has been communicated
that such prompt and decisive action should be taken ~
your honorable body render not only unnecessary
but unfounded, any farther complaint.
~ We wish TO ask the powers that be, if Mad.
anne Costello ia escape trial from the absence Of
the material witnesses spoken OF And If SO, we
would also inquire why measures have not been taken
to ensure the presence of the girl in question when need
ed Ii mistake not, in TWO previous instances when
she was wanted she of the way but each time
subsequently discovered and brought before the Mayor
Why did not his Honor the Chief of Police then resort
eectual means surely in their power, to guard
against the recurrence of this sratagcm These gentle
men praiseworthiy Jealous in etectng the arrest
of this infamous procuress-has any thing occurred to
abate that commendabe srdor to bling her 10 summary
punishment We trust not. and really hope that pecu
MARY resources may shield this vie pesteuce from
the consignment 10 its own proper charneihouse-tne
States ? rson.
DARING RoBBERY-George Fenton of No. l64
Leonard street while drinking glass of beer yesterday
at porter No Is Washing street. kept by Miles
Stanton robbed of $40 80 in silver by Patrick Stan
,on of No. 1873 Washingtons who thrust his hands
into Fentons pocket, while Miles wound his about
him so to prevent resistance Officer Josephs arrest,
ed Miles and Patrick and they committed.
p Fire Company Engine No. 81 having IN
dergone repairs tried Tuesday evening in Wall
street. when she threw TO the top OF the tag
staff the Exchange The men worked in their usual
energetic style. They noble set of men. We re-
gret TO add that one of the men had his hands badly
smashed by the OF the engine.
II Some newsboys yesterday evening cried the
evening papers with the startling addition Got the
Declaration of By Mexico Considerable commo-
lion was excited for time, but all died away directly
on discovering that it nothing but trick OF The
boysto get rid Of their papers.
q The ship Wabash arrived yesterday after
from New Orleans with Tirrer, the alleged u1ur-
5erer of Mrs Bickford board. The officers came up
with him in pilot boat, and left in the New Haven for
Boston.
Il Grand Jury were sworn yesterday in the
dis