New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-25
CITY ITEMS.

THE BUTCHERS AND THEIR BUsINEss.-We
have published the proceedings of large meet
ing of the Butchers in regard to the proposed and
balfenacted law to prevent the driving OF cattle
Through the streets of the City south of Thirty
nnth.st. We are really sorry thatthis intelligent
and influential body of tradesmen cannot see that
their interests are in every way to be ADVANCED
by a removal of their slauShterln6 business TO a
central point beyond the settled part OF the City.
And here let US say that we don't care tlS Tor
Mr. Lining and his abattoirp but we do care Tor
The abattoir SYSTEM because we knoc 1t to be
better for the butchers better for the people more
economical and entirely devoid OF danger to per
CONS or to health If there were no other ground
of complaint against butchering in old sheds, here,
there and everywhere, we would say they ought
10 he prohibited because of the brutalzing scenes
thus daily placed before the eyes OF children We
sav that the ground would be occupied far more
pro6tablv by flower gardens, or even by rank
weeds, than by blood. bespattered killers, knock
ing the brains out OF oxen, cutting the Weasands
of sheen, and crucitying calves hung alive by the
heels Such scenes of cruel death should be en-
acted in place where the young could net see
sbem md where the old would not be obliged to-
But there are other objections There IS not one
person in ten thousand who does not really con
slider even the cleanest and best regulated killing
sbop an unmitigated nuisance. Let those per
sons who own property and who live near such
shops answer There is not a man to be found
In New.York, not even butcher who would give
es much by ten per cent for houserent in the
close vicinity of such shop as he would for the
same house at distance which would preclude
.he sight and smell of blood. Let the arguments
rs to Health go for nothing, and still we find that
butchershop, or killing place, is nuisance be-
cause it furnishes disagreeable and brutal sights,
nuisance because it encumbers the street and
sidewalk with blood and otfa nuisance because
it deprecatcs adjoining property and a nuisance
because the getting of cattle there involves dan
ger to citizens who may be in the street. We do
not say these things because object to butch
ers or their calling but simply because they are
srue One of the speakers at the meeting stated
that the Press, in part, had been brbod by abat
soir spectators SO far as we are concerned the
statement is gratuitously alse-but it may be
pardoned, from the temper in which it was made.
AS to the driving OF cattle through the streets,
that will be prohibited We only regret that the
bill does not prohibit the landing or driving OF cat
tle az aHy hour below Forty ,second-st. and We
hope the Aldermen Will amend it. Still fur
ther: We mean to do what we can 70 favor the
passage Of law which shall prevent the carrying
Of living animals in carts through the streets
Such exhibitions as we have seen of calves and
sheep, with legs tied and heads hanging over end
boards, ratified away through Broadway, are
enough to provoke the indignation of any person
who has spark of sensibihty left. Nay, we have
seen wagon seat tossed upon the bodies of these
animals and two great boys sitting upon the board
as coolly as If oIing upon sofa, while their
weight was fairly crushing the poor creatures be-
meath. Such things must come to an end they
are foul disgrace to the City which permits them
and to the persons who perpetrate them. Mean
time, let the butchers be assured that we would
not do or say thing that would injuge them in
their business we only insist upon reforms which
they we'll know will be money in their pocket
beside being ofthe utmost satisfaction to the people
Old systems must change; because plows were
once htched to the tails of oxen, is not good rea
son for doing so now beasts have been slaughter
sd under the noses ofthousaads OF women and obil