New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-03
How much does IL Cost ,
In a late Daily, among the City Items, We find

Common Caaa.i r-lrre hr ifonsf ihr Afns tous
and sssi,. ihs re1sff' ia' Pie month te rsd 90
.rro'rt or .,s,asi-. 0.rifasr h..-rsl or 30 vs4e
s1gy ss .aisi : o'i,er ui ias olt tsf f7er
Ter. ~ frrc1ers. a. 'rsref Islfers en- $50 babes
sure oi il. ado. .sare m ne l fion To- N cha-r d %
az 81 D.trlt Police Believes, Ho.pas
t-p.sy az Jag ' HosI tain al ~ - To;s rooi iei era
,ss sro tst -. siln. average ior November
The above is An extract from an ordinary month
" report Of expenses, etc. connected with the
Aims House Department. In giving IL a cursOry
perusa the thought occurred that a single item
might perhaps, be deemed worthy the attention Of
the political economist II properly exhibited before
the mirror VI truth. This task Is an uawelcorne
one and we attempt It only with the hope Of sug.
resfing few considerations that may lead others
= think and act in behalf Of humanity The item
alluded 20 Is this " Among the receipts for the
month paid 70 the City Treasurer are $50 for the
support Of iAeg'timates from their fatnerslf All
ourIesdors of course remember that plrenthe
ss includes words that should be read quicker aud
in awcnker tone offs and though fast becom-
ing obsole,e. they will readily account for It's use
in this quotation But Uh utter in lrhispers TACT
OF such import Sis3 per month would be - 40
per tunun aud paid stately tili the iiegi imates
were ten ycarsOld would amount 10 e'',yoJl an
item surely o. some account IN supporting The ru-
ulerous helpless children Of the City. The tax
PAYERS wi. ID ere men oi integrity, would coubtiess
prefer - be excused from hayi this sum added %
Their annual Assessments. They are willing 20
no, wiling % encourage the unprincped IN adding
ind ilitey % the pubic expense.
Bat does not the law compel them thus 10 do-ss
8 matter Of iactl Let us see. 5000 per annum
covers but part Of the sctoal expense arising from
the license 10 "sin as with a cartTope," that has
long been given 70 the class Of fathers above
named But q small portion Of them are detected
and made 20 pay even the poor pittance Of 81 per
week, the usual stipend given 90 the hired nurses
OF their unhappy offspring. Among the o. $50 in the
Aims House Nursery and 100 in ITS Hospital -
1,01O children IN ALT may not be unfair to con
clude that a third az least thus dependent on the
Corporation, should, By right be supported by this
same class Of fathers ii this be so, allowing
that an average OF 81 per week can be made TO
board aud c.othe Oh third potion tili ten years
Of age, the tax payers must during that period foot
bill amounting IN the aggregate TO sls5 40
But We have here glanced at but single point.
Let US look uo9 at another. What is the condition
of the mOfhcrs Of these same childrenl What has
been the moral influence OF the circumstances con
seqgent upon the crimes ia which they have bJrHe
their share Of the guilt and more than their share
OF the untold misery aud wretChednoss that is ever
the lot of the transgrossOr. Look 10 the prison,
YOU viii find 'hem tacre--amOng unatcs they are
therein the PeDitelfiagy, they are there. Where
drunkards revcl and nis bold camivas, they are
there. Inthe Hospital in the cherries garnet or
the damp basement, with hollow cough. sunken
ey Q, aud shlyeriDg form or burning with fever,
psctDg de atb yet dreafing its approach. behold
them there Speak TO them, il you wi-they
listen perhaps with vacant stare perhaps with bit
ter tears and silent anguish. The lamp Of hope
seems TO have gone out la their bosoms and If you
get a truthful history Of their case you point
ed back 20 the period when they were betrayed,
deserted, and cast without the pale Of virtuOus
society. All tne why from that point thotrack has
been downward. downward while almost every
influence around them has conspired to seal their
doom.
Aud how large bill Of expense have they been
20 the public during these years Of sin Suppose
among the FIVE or six Thousand women committed
annually TO the City Prison, but one thousand
shou be found belonging T. this class Of mothers
IL We are rightly informed. every commitment and
examination costs the public at least i've dollars
each. One Thousand commitments, then, az this
estimate would be Eve thousand dollars per an
nun amOuntif In ten ears 70 fifty thousand dol.
lars Suppose that but five hundred Of these thou
sand mothers IN question, because OF illness os
crime are necessarily sustained as a public
charge, st IN expense II you please OF bat one dol
lar per week each. aud we have another item OF
twentysix thousand dollars per annum, or two hun
dred aud sixty Thousand 10 ten years. 10 which add
the fifty thOos snd above named. aud we have an
item of three hundred and ten thousand dollars II
ve add b. This the one hundred eishty five thou-
sand. one hundred snd twenty dollars, the estima
red expense accruing from the support Of the chll
dren we have an aggregate Of four hundred nine
tv.tive thousand one hundred and twenty dollars
the cost direct and Indirect Of sustaining crime in
our city during period of ten years But tuie Is
low estimate and probably covers but partially the
unavoidable outlay IN this direction.
And yet four hundrcd and nlpcig.fce Mou'Qnd
dollars seems pretty large sum 20 be tilched, in
directly by miscreants. from The hard earnings OF
the honest, order.loying citizen Are there not
CHER ends 20 which tuey would prefer to apply
The means which God has given them and for the
IL, .,fx oh l. bpf
Let us inquire iather-msy there not be found here
considerations sufficient TO induce every friend OF
RIGHT. 10 solicit the enaction of laws that VIII be
feared by evil doors, that will make the crime OF
trampling upon the domestic constitution n hleh
crime against soceiy 10 be punished by the Judges
But let us 20 back and trace the class of Ia
Tiers" % which our attention was first called,
fitle distance IN their devious way. They are not,
hike too many Of their victims, isolated outcasts.
They are found in the circles of business and
pleasure. all tho channels OF wealth snd influence
are stll open to them. tor they have transgrcssed
no iaw whose penalty they fear beyond the loss OF
q few patry dollars-snd this even they can escape
by change of place or name. The law winks at
their known iniquity, and the rebuke OF puOhc sen
fiment. though more severe than formerly, IS SIN
fame compared with the desert OF the criminal
While martial law declares that the man who quits
his post in an army engaged even IN unrighteoos
warfare shall be branded Deserter," and weartbis
badge of iniamy for life our civil and proiessedly
Christian code oil laws puts no brand OF degradation
upon the man whose known crimes tend 70 be;ray
the dearest interests his country can have IN the
welfare Of her dependent citizens
All who have studied Society as 1t is, are well
aware that the beginning OF crime IS as when one
letteth forth water lnterpose no eectual barrier,
and the stream widens SO in the case OF the az
ercssOr in question. One wrong step is but the
prelude to another. and still another. These Ia
theirs" occupy positions where they can do I'm
mense injury to public and private Interests
When they have passed the boundary where they
can crush the affections, and abandon the ePlesS
whom they have beguled by their batteries, they
are then in most fit for treasons, strategems
and sp0is" You may look for them among ielons
in confinement or ielons at large, couuptng and be-
ing corrupted by namelcss deeds OF vice. The
public aud private costs attending the down
ward career Of these fathers whom the Scrip
lures designate as deny ing the faith. and being
worse than lnhdes-eNtend tar beyond the support
Of the hapless ones to whom they deny the name
aud the care that is their rghtiu heritage. Ia this
catalogue Of costs" the outrage upon paternsl'
fratarnsl social and it may be Christian ties has
a Mace that will need the revelations OF another
A.v IN comnuta with ecruraCy--6nd beside the