The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-25

" ~ r soNl as fastor Oh the f.lStern CongrcSa-
tional Church in Madison street, The Organization
o. the new Presbyterian Church in Sixth street; Rev.
DR.. Pomeroys Lecture on the Character Of the Yam
kee Proceedings Of the Meeting to consider the We'll
fare Of the Deaf Mutes Article on the Militia Of this
State; Business transacted by the Beard Of Educa-
ton; Reports relative to the Insane in New York
ard Pennsylvania; The Cooe or British Slave Trade;
Appointment of Cadets Statistics of Massachusetts
and Ohio Commercial, City, Police Court, Theatri-
cal, and Miscellaneous Intelligence &c.
The steamship Asia is now due with three days
later advces from Europe.
The Awful Condition of the City-Dossn with
the Dust.
Considering the misgovernment Of the city
and the systematic violation of every munich
pal law. the ineffciency of the police, and
the increase of theft, the clumsy delays of the
Custom House. and the absolute mockery of the
Post Office, the dust in summer and the mud in
winter-not to speak of thousand other minor
miseries-Mark Tapley might possibly consider
it creditable thing for resident of New York
to be jolly. We would not join the band Of
croakers who make a point of turning up the
whites of their eyes and groaning in spirit
whenever snug picture Of earthly felicity and
contentment crosses their path; but we do think
the people of New York may pique themselves
on exhibiting very respectable equanimity IN
der circumstances which might try the patience
of a saint. We are told. day after day, for
couple of years that our aldermen rob us but
it is not till a grand jury has officially
ha ho%
up steam enough for public meeting. We
know that half the city regulations remain a
dead letter; but our only response when the
subject is brought under our notice. is feeble
smile and a half apologize condemnation of
the City Fathers. We are acquainted with
numerous instances of neglect of duty. idleness,
and want of zeal on the part of the police; but
our censure soon evaporates, leaving no perma-
nent trace of its existence. Our letters take
two days to travel from one end OF the city to
the other. or perhaps never reach their desti-
nation at all; but we submit with the meekness
of true Christians and are highly incensed if
foreigner ventures to criticise our Post Office.
We swallow pint of dust on an average
on Monday, and carry about with US some
couple of pounds of fine loan on Tuesday; but
the extra baggage thus imposed upon us never
seems to constitute such an interference
with our personal comfort as is required to
stimulate US to active exertions. We doubt
whether more patient long suffering, set Of
people than the citizens of New York could be
found many otherquarter ofthe globe Ifuncom-
planning resignation under suffering and mild
forbearance under affection confer any claims to
praise, all the rhetoric of Quintilian might
be exhausted in compliments, without doing us
justice.
Look at our streets. for instance We said
that pedestrian swallowed pint of dust per
day. and we think all will admit that our esti-
mate was exceedingly moderate. We shall not
invade the province Of the medical faculty by
attempting to explain to our readers what the
medicinal properties of dust, taken internally,
may happen to be; the slightest reflection will
supply tolerably correct chemical analysis of
the sweepings of the streets, and this will pro-
badly prove so suggestive that further de-
velopements would be superfuous 1t will
suffice to say that the atmosphere we breathe is
compound ofcommon air and decayed animal and
vegetable matter, the latter being the prepon-
derating element; that our saliva is saturated
solution Of similar substances: that our food
contains them in large proportions; and that
every time we imbibe a liquid, its chemical
character is changed before it reaches the sto-
mach, and our alimcntary organs become. in
plain language common sewer through which
he locf c,,i.. .cVo
We say nothing at present Of the temporary in
convenience of the dust We pass over the de-
lightful sensation of being blinded by a cloud of
dust in the middle of street-of finding every
orifice in the human face divine sort of dust
bin on ones return from business, or of the ex-
hilarating discovery after an hours walk, that
ones shirt bosom and collar dress coat and
boots. have assumed uniform rich lumber hue
We will content ourselves for the present with
drawing public attention to the effects OF
the dust on the health. If we were COM
PEELED to swallow a plate or gassfu!
of dust every morning before breakfast, what
an cutlery would there not be-! What work for
the doctors. What learned disqusitons we
should have on the fatal effects Of doses of dmst
What hecatombs Of drugs and myriads OF red
and blue phials the apothecaries would sell
How many cases Of consumption, of dyspepsia
Of inflammation would be traced to this cause.
And yet every man, woman and child who is
in the habit ofwaking up and down Broadway,
is obliged to submit to this very infiction.
We may be told that the nuisance is less per-
ceptihle in the narrower streets. True. If we
patropize any Of the side-streets we are differ
emily RECALLED out whether the bill of fare is bet
ter OF not il adilerent matter We have. at all
events, a choice of pleasures. We can either
wallow in the liquid mud, and enjoy dovcJtt
from nneainr cart or Ga n.n or mn nar, oxu..I