The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-12-12

The Weather Wig COrf7ptiOnr- Ihcs
Coroptr G,rdigpsd for .ffcads cfpariOiIs
afinds--Jsany Lind oanagc cf4meri-
can shipping, 90, d-c.
NEw York, Dec. 2, 1851.
Msssrs. Editors
Winter. which has been lowering in the
distance. forsome weeks past, is upon us at
last. December has opened with bluster-
ing northwester, which turns into neck-en-
|dangering ice every drop Of water.which
falls .on our pavements. Dust is flying
about the streets in binding clouds, from
which ! am happy TO have just escaped
The fire burns brightly in my CRATE; and
while ! enjoy the grateful warmth, ply my
pen, and defy Boreas-let him do his ut
most. a.. 5000 ,q t'E
You have heard probably, that our Whig
Coroner is in trouble. The office of CITY
Coroner, as you are aware, is one of the
half dozen best thingsin the way Of politi-
lcal spoils which New York affords. The
Office is worth, say, in round numbers, $l2,-
600 a year--a very pretty thing for physi-
clan who has more skill in political wire
pulling than professional talent. Few Of
our Coroners would be likely to gain twelve
thousand year by the legitimate exercise of
their profession. The present incumbent of
this fat Office is Seth Geer, who is, as | told
| you, in hot water Just now. fear, howev-
al that fha hot t.,afar he m x,,;1I l..
effect in cleansing him. Geer is charged
with grossly and habituolly neglecting the
duties for the supposed performance Of
which he is immensely overpaid. The main
duty of Coroner, as every body knows is
to hold an inquest over the bodies OF per
sons who have met their death, in sudden,
accidental, or unaccountable way. The
law requires jury to be solemnly sworn
and empannelled, the body to be submitted
to their inspection, sworn witnesses to tes-
tify to the place where it was found and the
other circumstances Of the case, and the
verdict Of the jury to be taken as to the
course Of death. The law further requires
the Coroner to give certificate embod-
ying the verdict Of the jury. and permit
for the interment of the corpse. .3a.
The object Of all this is the protection OF
society against poisoners and assassins, and
to insure, as faras possible, the detention and
| Just punishment of murderers Other i'm
portant benefits to the community grow out
Of well conducted inquests; but this is their
principal and original object. Geeris accu-
sed of neglecting his duty, except in two
particulars = writing lbe certificate, and
tpocketing his five dollar Zee. "He is accus-
toned" say the Committee OF the Common
Council, in their official reports, "merely
to glance at the body, ask question or two,
fill up the certificate, and walk off, OF
course, when the case is especially impor-
tsnt, that is, when it has CHANGED to attract
public attention, there is grand and pro-
tracted investigation, at which the Coroner
presides, and which is duly reported In all
the papers, But let the body be "found
drowned" or let a laboring man be found
dead in gutter, or an humble citizen fall
into corporation sewer, and be smothered
then the affair is dispatched in the off.hand
manner just alluded 10. Geer is, al present,
conveniently sick, and confined 10 his room.
As soon, however, as he recoyers, the mat
ter (it is said) will be thoroughly inyestiga-
ted. ! should not have called your atten-
ton TO this subject, had l not seen enough
myself, at one Of Coroner Geer's sham in.
quests, last summer, to prepare me to be.
lieve the truth of the charges. l venture
to record the opinion, that if these charge.
against Geer be thoroughly investigated
they will be sustained But / do not be.
lieye they aciu be investigated. The coro.
ner will stay sick long time, the public
will forget the whole affair, and our CITY
Fathers will not resuuect it, but will let il
slide --- for consideration.
1t is said that the tonnage of the Ameri-
can shipping now exceeds that of any Other
nation in the world. The tonnage of our
shipping engaged in foreign trade alone
amounts 10 100000 tons. No official
statistics. of the tonnage of Great Britain
have been published for several years; and
there is reason TO believe that the English
Government has purpOScly ipithheld them
knowing that the comparison would explode
the erroneous idea so generally entertained
that the British commercial marine, is the
largest. "The sceptre has departed from
Judah" ~ 3'11k
An effort is being made in this City Ia
remove the polls from places where liquor is
sold. trust that success will crown the
efforts Of those engaged in this praiswor.
thy movement, but fear that they have q
tough job Of it. ~
Jenny Lind is going to leave us, early in
the New Year. Her last concert in Ameri-
ca is announced for the twelfth Of January.
The export Of gold from this port contin-
ues 10 be very large, amounting to six mill.
ions and q half for the month of October
which is only one million more than wal
received from California In the same month
One steamer last week took out nearly four
teen hundred thousand dollars. A millior
or Two more go this week, If it were no
for California we could not stand this drair
long. at seses ~!