The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-01-21

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VI" g IN have done their worst. The crisis has
I'm, end now, for Gods sake, let her great men
-1c breach.
CITY INTERMENTs PROHIBITED BY THE LEGIsLA-
'TURE OF THE STATE.-The public are well aware,
that for u considerable number of years we have
advocated, with a great deal of earnestness, the
prohibition, by the Common Council, of the bar
barous practice of intra. mural interments. During
the last summer, while our city was visited by the
scourge of death, we pressed the subject upon the
attention Of the city fathers, and in series OF arti
cles, addueed what were acknowledged on all
hands to be unanswerabe arguments IN favor OF
our position. AS guardians of the welfare of the
vast population of the metropolis, we exposed some
of the loathsoms and horrible consequences which
were certain TO follow from the interment of nearly
ten thousand dead bodies within the immediate
neIghborhood of hall million OF living men. We
also published, in confirmation of our position,
large number of memorials, which were presented,
| during the summer, TO the Common Council, by
| thousands of citizens, who were uflering from this
| al-pervading and oathsome evil One of these me-
MORALS related to the German burylng ground ON
| Fifteenth street. The neighbors declared that
the eiiluvium from decomposing corpses had be-
come intolerauly ofiensive-that large number
of persons had died of cholera in tbe houses adj
Joining this ground-that many Of the neiehbors
had been compelled to keep their doors and win
dows closed, and finally to move out of the dis
trict; and thatthings had come to such pass that
collins were piled IN thick tiers upon one another
and pack ed IN large holes shaped somewhat like
cellars. During two months, four hundred bodies
had been thus packed together in narrow space,
and some of them were buried so near the surface
OF the ground that human remains were discovered
oozng up.
Another memorial, signed by many respectable
citizens complains of similar nuisances IN the bu-
rial ground bounded by Chrystie, Houston and For
syth streets. These numerous petitions set forth
state of things altogether too horrible and disgust
ing to be dwelt upon in detail. And now another
Common Council, into whose ears these unavail-
ing prayers Of suffering families, many of whose
members had been literally killed by the poison
from which they could not escape, has gone out,
never having interested themselves in the matter,
any farther than to have committee appointed to
print their report. We have never had many occa-
sions TO compliment the zeal or fidelity displayed
by the corporation of this city for the good of Its
Inhabitants. One by one, common councils are
elected, under the cry of reform; but they are all
very much alike-reckess of the real interests of
their constituents, and anxious chiefly to roo them
Of what they can, and squander the rest. There
can be no manner OF doubt that every person in
this city, who is not directly interested in some
vault or buying ground, would rejoice to see city
buuals prohibited altogether; but there is hope
of getting such an ordinance as that passed We
are glad to that our suggestions have had some
force In more respectable quarter. A committee
has been appointed in one branch of our Legs.
laiure, TO inquire into the propriety of enacting
law 10 prevent Interments In cities and crowded
populations throughout the State. We presume
there is very little doubt but that this measure will
be carried through AT once. The experiments of
scientific men have demonstrated that vastly the
largest portion of the human system, a. 1t decoui-
| poses underground, escapes in noxious exhaa-
tons, which have, in mulutudes of instances pro-
duced almost immediate death to those IN the
! neighboThood. 1.-The facts which have recently
been brought out, by commissioners appointed in
London and Paris, have shocked intelligent men
throughout Europe, and reform has commenced
in France and England, which will undoubtedly be
made universal The very idea Of having the air
hat We breathe, that comes into our windows
whenever they are opened, and tina, presses upon
our nosirils every breath we draw, charged with
poison, is loahsone, disgusting, and fearful IN the
last degree; but it often happens that men are
more insensibe TO such stupendous evil and dam
gers, than they are to the c.mmon inconve nieaces
Of everyday life. We hope that this matter in the
Legislature Is IN the hands OF a committee who
wall investigate the subject thoroughly, and re-
commend the passage Of stringent law, which
shall take from the hands OF undertakers and
churches the power of keeping up these tremen-
dous and dea,hly slnks OF corruption, disease aud
death
TnE PROJECTED WHITE-kfD RIor Ar THE OpEaA
/ HorSE.-The projectors OF this new species Of
/ fashionable amusement in the fashionable opera
circles, are beginning to disclose themselves; but