New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-03

Acsun c Martin. samuel Dopa
lillian o0thont spesecg X Urecs.
Isaac p OlIn.,esd Elias y. WaIaet
stephen PhiHn. AaaiAgoa Reel
lame, l. Stewart. Cosne.igs Smith
Rehsrd Barton.
Recorder Smith then read the following
CHARGE.
Atsy aluding in the usual terms, to the duties OF hs
Jurors the Recorder proceeded thus;
I stated 10 the last c. and Jury which had tho
honor to acdres that CRIME in the City and County OF
New.York was fearfully the increase. regret To
saw gentlemen, that careful investigation SINCE that
time has satisfied that the increase has been great
er Il an then anticipated The number OF convictions
fer crime or Of arrests is indication OF the amount
Of crime committed. Owing to the pecuisr construe'
tor gruss ipefcency and characterization o; our po-
lice force not than half the perpetrators OF CRIME
are arrested.
tween members of the Police Department and the rui
fairs and rogues who inest city go great. that
cune is committed with impunity. Another reason
WHY the number Of convictions criterion as 10 the
amount of crime, Is that when arrests are made and
indictments found, delays are procured from time 10
tine under various preteDses, such engagements OF
counsel. absence or pretended absence OF witnesses
until compainants wearied out with constant al.
tendance ,r are intimidated by threats Of violence II
they persist in demandlrg justice.
Crimes against the persor--anfays IN whicn sho
pistol and the dagger are called into requision-orutai
assaults upon Fencing and peaceable citizens, are
matters If such frequent occurrence thar they have
almost ased to create excitement. Robbel1es, per-
petrated by of false prsences upon the unso-
phStocsed ira, eler and emgrant by organized bands
of swidiers, are openly and daily perpetrated o1i
the perpetrators escape Justice. This Of s~lnd
ling has been reduced 10 science and men have arisen
t. wealth pace aud influence upon the aNails OF the
thunder Yet when We look to the records Of our
Courts FIND that, with few exceptions, the perpe-
traitors of these ouages asd crimes escape the pen-
Tertiary and State prison Ii a conviction ensues the
wrong is atoued for by pecuniary consideration.
Justice never ought TO be satisfied by receiving INTO
its Golfers the wages received by the hiehog Tor Tue
oicnse he committed the plumber Of which the thief
Ia = safsfn Ia pnlip f,,reep fn
CITY consists Of between eleven and twelve hundred
men, With this force if they performed their duty
ieareSsy faithfully aud impartally the perpetrators
Of these crimes would not escape justice. do not
mean, gentlemen, to apply my remarks to the pohce
force unfortunately. In the Department Know
there many able and efficient officers, who are al
ways ready and willing faithfully aud tearessyt per
form their duty; but partisan prefernen without re
gard to fitness for office, as reward for political ser
vices rendered has had direct tendency to weaken,
demoralize aud dsorgauze the system, aN has fully
developed what long since predcted-that par
than police would of necessity be great evh 10
| community like our own.
The extraordinary condition at present Of the Police
Deparuent-the characterization Of its members pre-
SCENTS Illuminating spectacle. Some members OF the
department openly defy the laws and proclaim their
detein nation 10 resist IT, The anarchy anu coniu-
sion consequent upon this state OF things depl0rsbe
A. citizens, we are bound to obey the law. We may
consider il impOlitic; We may consider II OPP
piessiye; may consider 1t UNJUST out
still il is entitled to obedience. laws are oppressive,
dress. If unconstitutional the Judiciary have power
TO snnul them. Opposition to the enforcement OF
laws .olennly enacted by the Legislature Is great
cime--one that deserves severe punishment and tho
ceusure of every good citizen We have the right,
and il is duty, citizens, to express ourselves
freely with regard to laws, and 10 adopt all peace
full measures to effect the repeal Of those which sre
obnoxious, their cancellation by court OF CON.
peeDt jurisdiction ifihey are unconstitutional Beyond
that we have right To 90.
have made these preliminary remarks before call
~. A
NY duly refer TO, for that cases may bo
presented 10 you, in the inycstgatlon OF which you
eihaps may see the peItiency of the remarks which
Lave made, particularly Ia reference To open Cpposi-
ii, Ii to the constituted authorities.
refer yOu in connection with THU subject, 10 the
Revised Statutes, uLder the title MIsdeme anors,
Sc. s the lar guage Of which Is;
1.-TWO persons shall conspre to commit odegss
the prevention ob,trueiion justice or due
administration Of thu laws they shall be deemed guilty ofs mt'
Tie punishment for which, on conviction, is one
year the pe nit, nary and fine oi $50 ia the dis
erection OF the court.
At the lost session Of our Legislature an net wa,
passed entitled 1An Act to Suppress lntemperancc
- and Ia r. guate the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors."
Whatever my opinion may be with regard to the in
justice ard opp of some of the provisions Of the
act, ny duty ard your duty under il Is plain and inn
peIaiye.
L, il my duty to call the act to your notice. and your
duty To act upon all complaints under II property pre-
senied Before calling your att ention to its provision
You will pardon me, gentlemen, Tor dyerg0g from the
questions which particularly pertain to your dniy ss
grand jurors by suggestiorS that may not be inaPpro
pirate to your duties citizens occupying the high snd
influential position you sustain In this community.
The great evils which result and have resulted for
ages, from the of ardent spirits, have called int
requ-iton the iDteects Of phanthropists and phoso
pliers devise plans and means 10 check the evil and
to ameliOlate the condition of the numerous victims
wlose prospects have been bghted or blasted by It's
influence.
Experience has shown that moral sussion and moral
n hive done ard can do much toward the
conulehment of the object; that legal epactments
have done and do little or nothing. The evil
,mauatDg from inemperance Is 80 great, the misery
flowing from il 80 terrible, that Legislators have
frequently attempted by law to arrest it. but
peIience has shown the utter failure 10 accomplish
The object. When prohbitery laws as TO the use OF
ardent spirits have been enacted, tie dininutlon OF
| drunkenness has been scarcely perceptibie. The
scenes Of the debauch Of the drunken orgies OF the
uebrate have been changed by substituting the hre-
| side for the grog shop aud tavern. ,..
Probably TO law has been for years enaeted IN tins
State that so unpopular in this city as the present
excise law. IL il condemned for Its oppressiyene-.
liz want of discrimination It's tendency unJustiy en-
forced, 10 create monopoly IN the trafhc--hs TO-
carded a. "A specimen Of hasty legislation, "a COM
Promise between the ultra prohbtionis and the sdvo.
cate for UNI estransd traffic in quoras lag enacted
more for tue sake of imposing penalties upon TIE seller
| than for the purpose Of checking the sale:
The Recorder proceeded 10 speak OF the oppositon
TO the excife law and the large class who have re-
solved 70 disregard il. But whatevef views they
might privately Entertain, lac said, their only course
war to perform their duty a. to tie enforcement lie
Quoted he language Of Mayor Wood in his message
after the passage Of the Maine Liquor Law, AS fol-
OvS
Tha, the people govern in their primary capacity but
fS oa ,yynes TIE teopIs are the source a political
over Thy the and the great safeguard Of Amer
the better pt-e'ion p life and props aud the psI.T. OF
r.' sSs SsSs sSn ., the s o de- ss ' aso s
swell the Hsorty who are sse pnfte. 70 the eomp.c