The New York herald., 1850-06-09

showing very conclusiveiy the inequality of its ap-
phcatioD, and how, in the name and form OF law,
a gross act of injustice and stark absurdy might
be perpetrated together The case was this The
bark harrington arrived on June 81, from Rio, and
was put under quarantine for thirty days, in plr-
suance Of the section Of the new health law
which provides that all vessels from any place
where pestilential, contagious or infectious disease
existed al the time of their departure, arriving be-
tween the 3ist day Of May and the lst day OF Oc-
tober, shall remain quarantine for al least thirty
| days after their arrival and at least twenty days
| after their cargo shall have been discharged, and
! shall perform such further quarantine as the Mayor
| and commissioners Of health may prescribe" ,"
| The Darlington had not a single case OF sickness
during its passage. Now, the bdrks Crisis and
Kathleen left Rio after the Darlington, and one
had sickness On board but they arrived before the
| LIST Of June, and therefore were only quaranIined
for five days. II is true, that on an appeal to the
Commissioners Of Health, thequarantine ofthe Bar
iington was removed and she was allowed TO come
to the city. But on what ground Besause
she toek her pilot in before the first OF
| June, though she did not anive I'LL the third
! of June, and carving" was lnterpretedto mean
| taking a pilot This is about as good as the
Interpretation put upon the same health act
on Wedne sday, when the Corporation Attorney
gravely laid down the law, (and it was laying it
down with a vengeance) that the City Inspector
has authority to PROSTATE buildings which are
dangerous TO human ilfe--an authority which the
trainers Of the health law no more contemplated
than they did to make him President Of the United
States. Now, if forced Interpretation had not been
put on the law, in the of the bark Darlington,
and the provisions oihe blundering act had been
fairly carried out, she would have been detained
for thirty days. without case Of sickness on board,
while the other two barks, coming later from the
same place, and one with sickness On board, were
let of after five days.
This act is the revival of an exploded relic of an
other age, long since abandoned in Europe, as un-
necessary and vexatious. Ii causes only expensive
and ruinous delay to merchant vessels, without the
slightest advantage TO the public.
What is The meaning OF the clause in question
II says ''all vessels from any place where pesti-
lential, contagious OF infectious disease existed"
Now small pox is contagious disease; and ought
a vessel to be detained thirty daysbecause she may
| have come from place where that disease exist
| ed, or has a case on board In the five weeks
before the LIST of June, that the law was in opera
ton, there were only five deaths from small pox in
New York. Yet vessels placed nine days in
quarantine, after the last case of small pox on
board, and now they are to be detained thirty
days.
III case of cholera occurs on board of a ship is
that reason why she should be quarantined for
thirty days! What object can be served by such
a regulation During the present year, only
one case OF cholera has occurred here, and
that was OF woman that arrived about
a fortnight ago in the Yorkshire-she died on
Staten Island, and twenty persons died on the pas
cage, whose symptoms were those of cholera. Ii
10 now pretty well settled that cholera is not con.
tagious or infectious, and that travels in some
mysterious way through the atmosphere. But
whether IT 10 contagious or infectious, or is not,
the detention at Quarantine, for thirty days, can
have no possible good effect. Yellow fever is,
perhaps, the only disease for which there ought to
be any quarantine. Yet, even in the case of this,
as in other infectious diseases, what is the true
course to be adopted Not unnecessary dce ntion,
but thorough purihcaiion. What is the practice
with regard TO the passengers arriving in vessels
subject to quarantine Why, their clothes are
purified, and their effects are fumeated with dsin-
fecanis and If they found to be free from sick.
ness they are discharged, and they and their
clothes and effects come to New York, while the
vessel and her cargo are detained at Quarantine
This is contradiction on the face of it, Whv not
apply the same rule TO the vessels and the cargoes
as TO the passengers and their clothesl What me-
cessty is there for keeping any vessel a longer
time than is sufficient TO thoroughly purify her
Look ut the loss and extreme hardship of dis
charging cargo at Quarantine, when perhaps
there has been solitary case Of small pox on
board. These regulations are extremely injurious
TO the commercial interests Of New York. whila
they do not in the slightest degree preserve the
public health.
II is hard enough 10 understand clause frat of
the second section, but clause second exceeds IL in
mysifcation, and, in the opinion of tolerable
judges, neutralizes its effect, If il has any meaning
at all. Such is the result Of scraping up a number
Of old laws and stringng them together into oae
act, without considering their bearing upon each
other. For the enlightenment Of the reader. we
suhjoin the two clauses, in order that he may
" mark, learn, and inwardly digest" il he CAM
All vessels direct fro any place where pestilen-
tsl contss ious infectious disease existed al the
time their departure, Witch shal la '. arrived nj
any such place proceeded tbeuce 10 Nov York or
on beard Of which during the voyage any OF such
disesse shall have occurred. arriving bs;weep the
thirty day of May and the dr.t day OF October
slah remain st Quarantine for At least thirty DAYS
after their arrival and at least twenty dsys after their
cargo sball have been discharged aud shall perform
such further quarantine ss the Mayor aad tbs com.
missioners OF ii' ath may rieteribe.
=. All vessels embraced IN thc iorsg ing subiivio
arriving between the fret day Of pr and the rst day
Of November. exclusive Of che time in said
mentions dah vessels from foreign port on board of
which. during the voyage. whio AZ the gort Of De.
parturc, person shs hav. been sick or from any
place m the 81 dinsry IassSge fO which they psss
south ui Cape Htnopen. arriving bstWeen tie thirty.
fret dsy oi May and the sixteenth dsy o October aaI
all vessels from any place lincludng islaud) in Ala
Atficn. or the Mediterranean from any Of the Wet
India bahama Bermuda. or western isi.nis or nom
sny place In America Ia The ordinary passage from
which they pass south % Georgia arriving bet rn ths
fret day Cf April ard the fret day e NoysnSer shall
b. subject TO such quarantine aud other rrguis,ions
~ the Health Oicer with The approval Of t. uaror
AID the Commissioner OF Health, shall prescribe.
WAIrr-CrrE ESrAmIsnrNrs.-T benefits and