The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-16

PUBLIC WoRKHousE-A Alderman Crolius recentlv
placed before the branch Of the Common Council Of
which he is a member, an important commune alton
on the subject and propriety of establishing suitable
workhouse for the employment of able bodied pau
pers In setting forth not only the advantages that
would arise from the establishment of q workhouse
but that it is imperatvey demanded he says 1.-The
rapid growth Of this city and its position
making it the great connecting link between the old
world and the newthe point dappui of the emigratng
masses, which travelling westward and also the
reservoir for the scum of the cast OF population Of Eu.
rope-crowds our prisons with Migrants and aims
houses with paupers, many Of whom prefer the COM
forts and the leisure Of criminal establish
ments to the ceaseles unrequited toll of liberty and
gladly enter prisons, they at the same time az
ford them home and indulge their appetite for ease
and dleDess. Thus it Is that orr aims houses aud
prisons crowded with unproductiyes popuIation
and poor establishments cra,nnied as to render
them places Of torture rather than secure and COM
Portable asy ums where the hungry fed the parch
ed tongue refreshed, and the progress decrepd age
made easy to the tomb The multitude thus thro sn
together, engeDder disease Of the most vrulent and
fatal character, that too frequently, yrtuous poyer
iy isreTarded by the exposure OF life in the charne
house of disease and death During the past year
has been peculiarly the and humanity shuddcrs
at the long catalogue of mortality thus produced To
such awful extent has disease operated out Of
population less than 800 the daily deaths have fre
queDtly ranged as high ten OF twelve n mortality
which. If continued through the year would not have
left single inhabitant alive in our aims house
The pcnitentiay too although the recog nzed abode
Of Migrants and felons under IT'S Organization
and rnment affords comfortable support such
extended opportunities for social intercourse and
above all INDUCES sloth that every win
ter prefer the disgrace of prison that honorable ex-
erton which necessary for support while at liberty
There Is now In this city woman who
has been an almost constant inmate Of the Brideweu
and the Island for the last thirty three years; and
there are numbers who have spent the larger portion
Of their time in prison, for the last fifteen twenty
years But II is not drunkenness and idleuess alone
ton. Our penitentiary hospital is to n certain ex-
tent grand venerea hospital, where the unfortunate
prostitute can at the citys expense repair the
ges OF disease and she is recovered
mence her life of debauchery. To such system has
this matter been carried that the venereal vagrant
fixes her time and asks to be sent up one two
or three months, to suit her conven ence; and
es, she is kindly kept unt she Is fully recovered
II constant and hard labor was provided for these
classes according to their ability; II period of SEN
tence instead OF being dictated by convenience, was
extended to four or six months, a year, and n
sufficient restraint put upon social intercourse the
city have nc doubt would in many instances he
entirely relieved from the burhen of their expense
and both our Aims House and ntiary placed upon
n better orgrnization.r
Alderman Crolius then proceeds in his c,mmuni.
cation to recommend rne to be imposed, brief i'm
prisonment for the first offence and proong the term
ofimprisonment for each subsequent offence; at the
same time utectng all hard labor; feen g
satisfied that such would soon diminish ex.
penes more than half and refers to the condition of
the house OF correction A. South Boston, and others
elsewhere in support Of his argument
In alluding to the introduction of hard and unre-
quoted labor into prison discipline the great ele
meDt OF reform, he observes ave know that q popular
cry has been roised against the employment of prison
ers at any Of tho ordinary branches Of business prac
tised out of prison. moments reflection, we believe
will show the baseess fabric which such positlop
is founded For instance, let prohibit prison labor
In this State and what is the result? Not to prevent
II from coming in competition with free labor as no
other State in the Union restricts the labor of her pr
soners but In effect to offer PR MUM other States
for the labor or their copvcts while allow ourselves
10 DC taxed ior the support OF In dleness" In
conclusion, he recomme nds the early erection OF a
workhouse on Backwoll's Island, believing that with
such an establishment there saving OF many thou
sand dollars yearly might be made In the city expen-
dfuree by the substitution OF the granite stone
blocks from the Island for the cobbls stones
In general for paving streets. The fore
go suggestions OF vital interest to the public
and Ought TO receive the earliest consideration Of
city fathcrF