The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-27

STATE - Cxano n usW yeg3-Qoaeaono = -
Roasss DsDartasaA ~.
Full and correct statistics ere the backbons
OF argument. Rows or tables and figures wear
an uninviting aspect; but the man who ap-
proaches question Of municipal or civil law
unarmed with complete data in some such
shape, Is sure to bungle and founder. His
rhetoric may be excellent, and his language
irreproachable but not one Of his conclusions
will rest ON reliable basis. The extent Of the
evil which proposed law il intended to RENE
dy must be measured by dgures-the magni-
tuds Of the interests to be affected must be
gagged by the same instrument and the actual
operation of existing laws can only be determin-
ed by the application ola similar test. Ills we'll
to bear these axioms in mind before we give in
our adhesion to any Of the propositions now
mooted respecting the reform Of the police
system.
We said in our issue of Monday that the total
number of arrests effected by the New York po-
lice during the year 1850 fell. little short Of
40 900, being about Sc per cent on the population
of the city; and inferred from the fact that the
extent Of crime in New York was twice as great
as in London where the arrests are only three
per cent on the total population. The inference
was in general terms, correct. 1t rests on q
solid basis Of reason, inasmuch as the fact of an
arrest necessarily supposes an offence COM
mitted, and has been sanctioned by the common
custom of statistcians and economists, who in
variably regard the police calendar as the best
attainable evidence of the morals of city.
BUTT does not possess, as test that rigorous
accuracy which is required to enable the states
man to build with confidence theory Of legis-
lation thereon. A statement Of the aggregate
number of arrests in city can afford nothing
more than an approximate criterion of the ex-
tent of crime prevailing within its limits. We
may accept it, in lieu Of better; but if we allow
such secondary evidence to go to the jury of
public opinion, it is right that we should ap-
prize them of its character, and warn them
against too implicit q reliance on its bearing
The test we refer to is faulty in two respects
In the first place, no legislator except Draco
has, we believe, viewed all the various shades
of crime as equally heinous and worthy of equal
punishment We Americans, at all events
draw wide line of distinction between the
murderer Of his wife and the honest Paddy
who has imbibed too freely of the mountain dew
on the occasion of his cousins marriage. Both
are, undoubtedly, offenders against the law;
but there is such an interval between their re-
spective offences, that we cannot safely evolve
a principle from a statistical table in which they
are classed together. If it were found that out
of the forty thousand persons arrested last year
the number of murdcrers and perpetrators of
capital crimes barely amounted to score,
while the enormous balance was composed OF
gentlemen who had dined too copiously, or
friends who had been caught practising the
noble art Of selfdefence in thoroughfare, or
similar law breakers. our prospects as city
would not look quite 80 gloomy. We do not
say that such is the case we merely adduce
the hypothesis to show the danger Of clubbing
together columns of statistics which. to be OF
any use. ought to be considered and weighed
separately. If Mr.. Matsell wishes his report to
be Of service to the public. he will gencralize
little less, and indulge us with few more par
ticulars. If be tells us, for instance, that 30
many men were arrested during such period
for murder SO many for arson, so many for rape.
so many for assaults, so many for burglary. so
many for robbery from the person. SO many for
larceny. 30 many for drunkenness. &c, we shall
be able to form much more correct notion OF
the actual extent Of crime prevailing in the city,
than if he simply contents himself with inform
ing us that twenty thousand persons were col
Jared and sent to Jail during six months. He
must take hint from the bills of mortality.
We should not thank the Health Inspector for
letting us know that two hundred persons had
died during the week what we employ him
to do is to classify the various deaths, and
thus enable us to Judge Of the prevalence of
cholera, smallpox, or fever. Mr.. Matsell will
permit US to call him the moral health inspector
of the city Let him classify his patients, and
devote few more paragraphs in his report to
chronicling the progress of MURDERS the decline
of burglaries, or the abatement of epidemic as
saults. Provided he dses this, we will excuse
the omission of the philosophic considerations
with which his last report is garnished. Ac-
cording to the modern division of employments,
his task is to collect materials for reasoners not
to reason himself
Again, the aggregate number Of arrests is
faulty, as a criterion Of crime, in another res
pect, inasmuch as large proportion Of crimes
are not followed by the detection ofthe criminal
How many .burglaries, how many assaults, how
many thefts from domicil or the person, have
been committed with perfect impunity, during
the past year ! We consider ourselves safe in
estimating that the perpetrators OF one-halfthe
offences of this nature escape scot-free. Various
causes combine to produce this result. Any
one who, having been assaulted or robbed, has
gone to make his complaint at the police Office
will have seen enough Of the nonehaianee of
the force to convince him that the first element