The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-06

JuLy SESSION OF THE COMMON CoUscr-rHE
HEALTH OF THE CIrY.-This evening the July
session Of the Common Council opens and it is to be
hoped that they viii promptly take into considera-
ton the health of the city, and take measures to
have health wardens appointed for the several
wards in place of those dismissed. The city was
never in such a state of filth, particularly the
Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth
wards We shall only say, in word, that every
kind Of abomiaatfon abounds IN them, and We shall
not disgust the reader by giving details
Ever since the Common Council dismissed the
wardens in the beginning of March, these officers,
though they nomnally continued to act, under the
City Inspector, in the hope that the courts Of law
would decide in their favor, yet paid comparatively
little attention to their duties, because they were
not sure of being paid; and the result has proved
that if they had exerted themselves so much,
they would not have received dollar in return.
But now that the Supreme Court has decided
that the Common Council has o right to abolish
the wardens, and that they not entitled
to any salary from the time that the resolution
of the City government took effect, the wardens,
of course, have retired altogether, and bad as
the condition Of the city was before, it is now
far worse; and unless the Common Council inn
medately direct that the City Inspector shall ap-
point wardens, they win probably have more to an
swer for than they aware Of
It was not the intention Of the Legislature to give
that body the power of dispensing with wardens al
together-in fact, it never contemplated that they
could possibly commit so imprudent an act. The
law says: "The City Inspector shall appoint as many
health wardens as the Common Council shall Direct
That implies that the Common Council would APP
point some health wardens-be the same more or
less-but not by any means that they should APP
point none at all, which is decidedly contrary to the
spirit Of the act 1t is curious fact that in every
question involving the health Of the city, the Judge
invariably decide in favor Of filth Probably, if they
lived in those neighborhoods that seriously af-
fected by their DECISIONS they might be induced to
give different judgment. The stencil in their nos
tris would be an excellent guide to the true inter-
probation Of the law.
As the matter now stands, the City Inspector is
parayzed, and his Office is rendered useless He can
appoint only many wardens as the Common Coun-
Gil shall direct. If they do not give any direction,
he cannot appoint any But they refuse to give any
direction unless the City Inspector appoints such
men as they please-in fact, democrats. The City
Inspector, however, is whg, and does not want
to appoint democrats, or, rather, he does
not want to get rid Of the wings he long
since appointed, and who are familiar with
the duties Of their Office, and are acquainted
with all the localities in the different wards, and
must, therefore, be efficient than any new men
would be. The result is, that no wardens at all
exist, and the city is without them for the first
time for long series of years. But the city cannot
do without health wardens, and this state Of things
ought not to be continued any longer.
When the City Inspector was elected by the
people, he ran ahead of his ticket, and obtained
very large vote, thus showing that democrats
voted for him. and were satisfied with the in
which he fulfilled the duties of his Office. This re-
suit was owing, in small degree, to the opposi-
ton he received from the whig Common Council Of
that day, which uniformly opposed his sanitary
measures during the awful period Of the cholera.
This shows that DR.. White is not a partisan;
and the Common Council would consult its own
dignity, and the interests of the people, by allowing
him to exercise the privilege the law gives him of
appointing the men who are to act under him. He
is responsible for the health of the city, and the law
presumes that he knows best what kind of men to
select. Suppose the Common Council appointed
men who were unfriendly to him, he never could
carry out his measures. He is the head of the
health department, as the Mayer is the head of the
police department, and has the same right to APP
point the officers whose duty it is to maintain
healthy condition of the city. This arises from the
very necessity Of the case; and the public health
is not matter to be trifed with, or be placed for
moment in competition with political considera.
tions, it is to be hoped the Common Council will
yield to common sense, and show an example of
magnanimity, for which they will stand high in the
estimation of their fellow citizens Of all parties