The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-11-13

Your committee are Of opinion that instItu
, lions Of these three kinds are nceied by ever
city, In order 10 correct the vice, diminish ii.
causes, and relieve the sptterings Of pauperism
or these Institutions, Louisville has but one, III
work house, which, however efficient as pIac
Of punishment, certainly can claim no srea
merit a. house Of rsiorm-
We have no house of refuge fer the young
and no alms-house for surely the few room,
- apart for this purpose in the w9k-house car
Iby NO license Of language s,retca Of insgina-
lion be dignifea by that name. Hence the On.
fortunate poor are abandenei to chance charity
aud hundreds Of children are lef. TO become !
burden and prey upon the commsniiy, and the
great fouptsin-head Of pauperism y suffered 10
send out its desolsting streams without check
or dininution.
| IL is the opinion Of yeur committee that insti-
tutiens Of tho kinds last me niioned. viz: house
Of refuge and an slms-house, nav DO established
at small expense, small that y, whea estimated
by the magnitude Of the interests inv slved, and,
when essablished, can bese managed - to i'm
pose few Pecuniary BURDEN upon the eommuni-
~. The city owns valuable farm. lpsa rhich
the necessary buildings may h eresird- There
may b busit an aims housr, ~ When TIL, s.ed
and infrm could be chssPly yet comfortably pro-
vided for, and in which, under Judicious manage
ment, the able bodied inmates, men and women,
could be employed in various kinds Of labor,
which would defray the cost Of their support.
There, too, may be built house Of refuge Tor ex-
posed children, in which, uncvr The care Of an
efficient instructor ands hind nis;ron, many an
orphan child, who has never known the mean
ing OF the dear word home, and many a child,
worse than orphaned, 10 whom that name il the
synonyme for iniaIny and cruelty, may hear
tones ID affection, AMI be rescued from wretch
md
so attractive AN aspect, ss when it becomes
father TO the fa,her!ess, when il puts forth its
mighty arm In tenderness to save the Young
from rain wien IL re-iilumes the light Of In
telligence in the darkened mind when IL opens
a w-ll-spring Of gratitude in the chilled heart !;
when il converts The moral wastes Of life into
gardens of virtue and peace. This glorious
work can be accomplished. Ii has been accom-
plished, in part, in some of the cities Of our
land. There is an institution of the kind refer
red 10 near Boston, ia which hundreds of chill
dren have been educated, and whence they have
gone forth TO become intelligent, upright, and
useful citizens. A similar institution Is in ops-
ration near Baltimore, which has been ATTENDED
with similar effects
Such ale some Of the thoughts which have
occurred to the minds Of your committee ia re-
ference to the causes Of pauPerism and its reme-
dies. We now come TO a consideration Of the
duties devoNing upon the board and Of the pow
ers necessary for discharge Of those duties.
W hen the city council appointed board of
overseers, ami entrusted TO US the care Of the
poor, il entrusted 10 us duties Of great impor-
lance. IL gave us the oversight of all the poor
of the city OF the virtuous and the vicious,
old and Young. of the poor in work-houses,
aims houses, and houses Of refuge, should such
be established and of the poor at home. Now,
in order to the faithful discharge of these du-
ties, your committee are Of opinion that the
board should be invested with large ana some
what discretionary powers FOR example:
They should have the power OF taking expos
ed children and placing them at the house Of re-
fuge, and of binding them out at suitable ages,
to respectable mel, under whom they may be in
structed in useful and honorable trades and call
ings. They should also have the power of bind
ing out any destitute and exposed children
whether in. or out Of the house OF refuge.
They should have the power OF enforcing the
attendance of unemployed children at ourpuhliC
| schools.
They should have the power Of experimenting
yegrsnts. and, on decision Of jury, sending
them TO the work-house /; and, at proper times
Of dischargins them, or. if they exhibit signs Of
amendment and a willingness TO labor, Oh trans
ierring them TO the slms-house-
| Taey should have the power Of procuring
collins, hearses, and other things necessary 10 a
deceat in,erment of the poor, vino Gle at the
aims house or in the city.
They should have an office where they NAV
hold regular meetings for consultation and the
transaction of such business may from time
TO time come before them.
They should have means placed in their hands
| BY which relief may beex;ended TO the deserving
and suffering poor, whose situation, though not
requiring them TO be removed 10 the aims mouse,
| vet demands temporary relief
| In order 10 a thorough performance Of the
work entrusted to the board, it should have the
power OF appointing two visitors, with compen-
sation. who shall devote their v hole time to the
work, and make reports, at stated PERIODS, o.
| their Iabors to the board.
Such are some Of the powers which. in th'
| opinion of your committee, should be given Il
the board. and which the board should be allow
ed to exercise freely and exclusively, subject o
course TO the super, ision Of the city council
For the exercise of these powers the boar
should be incorporated, and, your COMMITTEE
would suggest, should have IN sddihon 10 sue
other means as may be granted, the manage
ment of moneys to be raised rs poor tax.
Inasmuch as some Of the aforesaid power
cannot, IL present, be granted under the Gil
charter, YOUR committee would recommend 1
the board, through the council, TO request IN
Legislature al its approaching session to pass Al
act, whereby the council may invest the boar
with the aforementioned powers, and sue
other powers as may be essential to faithfu
and efficient discharge Of the duties assigned IN
board of overseers Of the poor.
All Of which Is respectively submitted.
The above report was submitted to the boar
! by the committee composed OF Messrs hehe
R,msdeIl, Breeder, Patton and Haywood, an
) was accepted by the board.