New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-23
OUR CRuMISAL JUSTICE.

Juige Stuart we are well assured, utterly and
solemnly denies that be ever received any mooey
from the woman Connolly 10 be employed in pro
curing the release of her burglar Husband from the
clutches of iust CO. He admits that ne tried for
her sake to get ,be prosecution abandoned, but as
serts that he never rece we'd paid, asked for, nor
wished to receive, any money on that account. AS
Stunning this view to be the true One-snd that
mus: be q very poor word that would not balance
,uch wOman's Oath-the Judge has been rather
hardly dealt with. If bis Offense were only i'm
oruder ce-ibfatuatiOn--a culpable but not corrupt
tamperng with the course of justice-then he has
been severely punished-by public opinion, at
Ieast We ara willing to hear impartially, and
to give publicity to, anything calculated to shed
new light on this dark subject.
One circumstance ia in tho judges favor-he is
not popular with the systematic and god-ooining
offenders Of our City. He owes nothing for bis
place to the gamblers: wherein we think he hasthe
advantage Of some other magistrates. We have
never heard that the class of pOicyseers, liquor
dealers, or brOtbel-keepeIs, counted on him as
their friend 10 case Of trouble. On the contrary,
we believe they generally rtjoiced over his indict-
ment ard hoped for his conviction. These are
facts to be considered.
And there are other facts, bearing on the same
general subject, that would bear bordering. For
instance:
Go to any of our leading magistrates, and casu-
ally ask, "Are there any gaming houses in this
d" City Any polcy-offices : Any brothels '"-and
at once you will be answered." o yes hundreds
there is No - Broadway, famous gambling
house, with three smaller on the next block;
there are policy offices at No. - Chatham street,
No. - Division street, and go on. AS to bro
thels half Mercer street is given up to them,
" with most of Thomas street, a good deal Of
Church street and so On-not to speak Of
such vile quarters az the Points and the Hook.
"But all these are condemned by law"
Certainly. There are penalties for each of
d" the Sc ofenses and officers whose duty it is to
" detect, denounce and convict the offenders
"Then why are so few of the many fragrant and
daily offenders prosecuted to conviction ?"
Because the laws are imperfect
Indeed Then why don't the Mayor, Re
" corder Chief of Police, City Judge, District
" Attorney, &c, unite in framing and presenting
" to the Legislature such notifications of those
9 laws as will render their enforcement easy and
" the punishment of offenders morally certain -
RI ader we cannot answer that last question
in a menner consistent at once with truth as we
III derstsnd it and with due respect for dignities
But we can and will relate an anecdote as it was
told to u.s.
Some two years since, high functionary of our
City col nected with the administration Of justice
sent to Albany the draft of an act calculated to cut
up gambling, root aud branch. This bill was duly
introduced, referred and likely to pass; when 10
another public functonary, closely connected
with the author of this bill, made his appearance
in Albany and set to work lobbyiog against the
bill aforesaid which he succeeded in killing leav
ing the gau blers to pursue their vocation with i'm
punity. The latter functionary is still connected
with the administration of justice, and his name
isn't Stuart