New-York daily tribune., 1856-09-02
following

| ~
Boeu ior bic Cooperation in guarding tn. public health
| eGaini Tie approach Of oisease.
lie We rtcogiize his right to express the opiuol
lhai ne does not poseess the legal power to comply
WIN that request We have sought in vain for some
bIauslbe o1cu,e to justify him in overstepping
the bounds OF ordinary official courtesy to censure
the acts OF coOr.inate branch of the sanitary
authority Of the city, BY what sense Of Official duty
re was guided IA suggesng that this Board are
In their e1actions by what rule Of courtesy he wa.
governed in suggesting that the Commissioner Of
| Heath have Imposed upon our merchants extrt me
burcens end expenses, which ought no longer . be
continued. we are al a loss 10 determine. These sug.
gestons certainly constitute part Of hs opinion re.
spectng bis legal power to furnish the aid requested
ana yet the high office he holds perhaps requires that
their origin should be attributed to some pecliar view
Of official duty, rather than to desire for popularity
with the shipping interests OF the city, But whatever
may have been the motives by which bis Honor vaq
governed, your Committee cannot sgree with hin in
| the conclusions at which he has arrived.
In our opinion the power Of this Board to pre- lbt
the landing of hides in any part Of the city if no eI
pres'ly inferred by statute, arises by necessary lo
cation from the general authority Of the COmmsst rers
guardians Of the public health. If the power elsts
the duty OF exercising it in proper case, Is equally
bincing whether It ia express or implied But even Il
the power were doubtful ole, we submit that this
Board lad good reason to suppose that IN regard
important 3 matter, they would receive the CO jpe-
ration of the Chief Magistrate Of the city in its
| exercise The bold declaration with which he
| set out upon his present official career, that
| when tie public good required it he should a5
sume the e1ercise of al doubtful powers, was fresh
| in our minds when the resolution were passed to
which his Honor objects. We could not see why the
power which could raise snnken resell at the expense
Of the city Treasury could not also restrain he Import
alton Of one of the most fruitful sources of contagion
into densey populated city. We were not little
the Board, declining to exercise the power ed,,es ed
because his authority to do so was doubtful. But
rather than charge his Honor with Inconsistency his
official course, we shall attribute this departure
4 ia ord
of action, TO a perfect absence iu bis mind
Of all apprehension Of danger of the spread of disease
rather than to any abandonment Of principle. But in
doing are obliged to extend to him the charity
to believe that numerous ofcisl engagements have 81
eDgrossed lis attention that he has not read what has
appeared in the public press aud that be has entirely
ost eight Of the past history of the terrible disease
which now hoves threatningy in the atmosphere
around us. Upon no oiher principle should We feel
justified in accounting for the origin of his suggestion
that tits Board should relax their vigilance a.
guardians Of the public health and that the necessity
for imposing burdens and expenses upon " our mer.
chents' no longer exists. His Honor surely must have
been ignorant of the fact that nothing but the
utmost vigilance until part OF the Health Officers
of the port and city, since the commencement Of the
hot weather have saved citizens from the ravages
ef the restilence. Vessels freighted with contagion
imported from tropical attitudes have entered our
harboI. seeking an approach to the wbarves of the
city. Expenses and burdens to merchants have not
deferredthe authorities from sending these far
down the bsy and preventing the landing Of their
power has been done to conne the contagiOn to the
vessels in which it arrived The few cases OF disease
which, despite the precautionary measures have crept
into the dwellings Of the inhabitants Oh the shores of the
tay suggest the consequences which would inevitably
have resulted from lax administration of the laws.
Can it be that bis Honor with full Knowledge Of the
fact that have thus jarely escaped realization of
the fears of our citizens suggested relaxation of
Efforts to ward off the disease? We believe th.t
he must have forgotten these facts If he ever knew
them, and thai he mustl be ignorant of the pa't
history Of contagious diseases in our city.
He must have been ignorant of the fact
that each time the yellow fever has appeared in our
harbof since the organization of the Quarantine estsb
stment bu. few, if any, known to exist IN
the city until after the lat of September. The history
and character of this disease in northern lsudes tell
that whenever it has appeered among us epi-
dec, the atmosphere SELDOM attains that degree of
upurity which will retain and generate contagion at
an earlier period than that month. IT, therefore,
are 70 be guided by the pssi, your Committee deem
the pY ssent moment the time when need to increase
rather ihan "rcax our vigilance 1t is the time when
we shouS pay special regard to tie public good,
rather than the complaints and csmors OF the few.
That we beve been exempt from the ravages OF the
dread pestlcLce during the past month, while it has
sought Tor and found victims upon me opposite shores
Of the Bay ought to lead to the continuance of every
pre- caution ary that hae thus far contributed
TO our safety, until the fIost Of Autumn in.
terpose natural barrier to the further spread
of the ewe for he preeivation of the public health
for quarter Of century, our city Is indebted for az
row thr atens us. Those learned in medical science
have sought to imprest upon the community the anpor
tar ce OF q rigid observance of sanitary regustions
The learned Dr. Nacbe in able letter to Legisla
tive Committee in lsi5, has made many valuable sug
gestiops upon this subject. To the attention Of the
Honorable Mayor, who manfests so much soictude
for the welfare OF our merchants, your Committee
respe cttuly c0mncud the iOI0Hng eAtract from sne
communication:
"Let be remembered that the nasdy has not appeared in
the cjy for nearly quarter OF century and sin the
present health have been rgdy enforced Admit they
restrictive TO commerce ind % ,ne
his life and conducive to MS interest," lne
Ia hundred years By the Quarantine establish
ncni cannot elu, the rum ana desosoa VI sse "
the pesiieDee.'
The foregoing remarks suggest some OF tue reasons
,yby your Committee cannot agree with his Honor III
the COZ cuson at which he has arrived. 1t seems TO
Us that in the mind of any calm and disinterested
observer they will afford full vindcatlon OF this
Board IN continuing those efforts which have called
down upon our heads the ceDsure of high ohclate.
II we DO not waiver in our course, and our city
escape from the tlre att ned attack It will be source
of GENERALIZATION to u to reflect hereafter that the
clam oIs Of the interested few did not cause us TO
relax our vigilance in Iischarging the duties imposed
upon n. In conclusion, your COMMITTEE recommend
the rassage Of the following resolution as expressive
Of the sene Of this Board i'll regard TO the subject OF
the foregoing report:
Resored That while regret more than hs Board he
NECESSITY for imposing burdens upon commerce IN project
pr the uubc health believe TO be our duty 10 eonisre
rather than relax vigilance TO ward on di'e,e uh OIL
possible danger Of It's introduction has csseo 20 eA o nas
this Board respectfully decline comp ing WIN he
Of nj, Homer the Maycr aaned in his ~ ts
Beard ON The goth last AL OF which respectfully suo
H''''e' -''''''' btSJAMiSs ,Fs PINcKNhY' COMMITTEES.