The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-26
The COrOnerTs Fees.

TO THE EDITOR THE HERALD.
StR;-I perceive tn At some of the papers OF tn
city have been directing attention to the amount o
fees received for the last quarter by the Coroner
If the amount received by him DO accurately sol
down at 1902 g3 do really think that 1t is tmt
the tax-paying community should see about the
| matter. You as one OF our most reliable public
instructors ought to take the matter in hand, and
let know all about it, la the nterim-as have
turned my attention little to the matter since |
saw this announcements hope you will permit me
to give you the result of my inquiries.
The inquests for which this sum OF -, O62 9i}
was received, were held over sol bodies, for tbs
three months ending June 30, 1851; and which, at
- for each inquest, would make s., 5O5, leaving
balance Of S1J7 5I still unaccounted for suppose,
for moment, however, it be granted that this
$557 @i might have been Incurred by the
hiring OF rooms to hold inquests, pad for
the summoDing OF witnesses, have yet the
sum OF JUa per quarter, which, pr year, nsskes
SlO,0Hp-s sum more than double the amouut
which IL received by the Governor OF the State,
by the Mayor Of our city. We would certainly say
shat there muys be something wrong in this fo7 If
the fees Of this Coroner amount to enormous a
sum ten twelve thousand dollars yearly, it is
time thas the payment by fees should cease, acd
that like other pablic officers, be be paid certain
sum annually fit were not ins pertinent, it migtt
be asked how it could possibly be necessary hold
inqussss over sol bodies in thrfe months, when in
the report Of the City Inspecto7, We find the num-
Der OF deaf As by casualties of all kinds, murders
and suicides, set dewn for the year 1850 at 643,
which would leave 1862 per quarter, which would
leave she Coroner ak the rate o the fees present.
over 5000 per year, aud which would be no ncon
siderable SUM, too all for the occupant of the
office. But then if the average number Of deaths
by casualties, murders, SC and which are the
only cases ia which inquests ought should
be held for the year 1850, gives an average
per quarter of Ice, how comes it that we
have ID the first quarter of tie year 1851,
and the healthst quarter in the year. sol inquests
1t would require ingenuity TO account TOR the
increase, at least in any legitimate and it then
can only be gnesssd at | see, in the Herald of the
pnt q fra1 of;nap rovt,I
publishes few days previously inthe same paper,
to the effect that DR.. Elder was about being pro-
secuted fer giving certificates of bural-which first
paragraph was published at the Instance of the
COroner-but that no law to justify such prosecu-
tion in existence there notice to that
effect in the Coroners office, where, of all other
places, it ought to be- This set thinking, and |
inquired into the law; and find, by an ordinance
of 1885, that the attending ply sician is authorized
to give certificate for burial in of death, if
attended by physician, one of the family, and in
case ofinquest, the Coroner. Let W. again turn TO-
the City Inspectors report, and perhaps the des-
crepancy between the number of deaths he sets.
down, Of 6aS yearly or l62 quarterly, and the SOL
inquess held in tho first quarter of 1851, may be
easily explained. Granted for moment, and it is
beyond dispute that great many persons have been
Ignorant Of this law Of 1875, and that they thought
procure the interment of child or friend. Suppose
q child was stillbOrn-l52 of such occurred in
1850, according to the City Inspectors reporter
suppose child dies soon after birth, or within
year-the number Of which the report sets |
down as ,279-and that person had been eiling |
for some time who not able to procure the |
attendance of a physician; and that in any of |
these three cases. the friend of the deceased had
been persuaded that the certificate Of a physician
was necessary to procure its uterment, yet is not
able to fee doctor for enc, would he not be forced
to submit to have an inquest held on the body Of
this relative to insure its burial Some such cases
may have occurred, nay, must, the report of the
City Inspector cannot be true. In any case, how
ever, this matter requires the strictost scrutiny
and trust you will commend it to the specia
attention of our city fathers the next quarter.
TAX PAYER.