The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-02
NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1857.

ThE Recent SHAMEFUL. EXPOSE N THE Book
LYN BOARD OF HEALTH.-The stream of coFrup-
ton has 20 overrun the whole of our civil and
POLITICAL organization that 1t is rare thing now
a cays to meet with a honest pubic officer or
politician Honesty Is the exception, and not the
rule, where ii lhnu be the chief qualification;
and 10 barefaced is the roguery carried on In
places Of trust that men take but very little
pains to disguise the venslity Of their proceed
ings
II there are any public bodies which should be
exempt from sweeping ceusure oftois sort, they
are our Boa ds OF Health. The fearful moral re-
sponiibilitiee under which they are placed ought,
one would suppose to override all the prOmpoags
of slfinterest With the lives of an entire con-
NUDITY in their charge, the members Of these
Boards if they are men If any heart at al, ought
to teel that tbey cannot aequ,t themselves ia
sufficiently conscientious manner of the sacrrd
tlust confded to them. The physician of u hos-
pital the general on battle field, or tho captain
of vessel toupdering at sea, has not halt the
weight OF moral accountability which lies
ON the shoulders OF a member Of Board
OF Health. Il is in his energy aud
juc gmeDt but above all in his honesty OF purpose
that the people have to confde for immunity
from those fearful epidt mcai vidtaions which
periodically thin their ranks. If man should
prove rogue in this capacity, then is he uodtted
for any other place OF trust; for it may safely be
assumed that he has no sense of religion or of
pubic priDciple-DO belief in the reward of cor
rect conduct either in this world or the next
1t Was with feelings Of intense disgust that we
watched the progress Of the recent dispute in ne
gard to the location Of the new Quarantine hos
pitai. 1t was spparent 10 us from the first that
the difficulties that b, s. that question arose less
from the desire to consult the public safety than
from the struggles Of iotereeted spectators and
property holders. The result Of that squabblc
will probably be that the yellow fever will find
in its new quarters more facile means of dissomi-
nation, and that we shall find the remedy worse
than the original evil
Scarcely has the spectacle furnished by this
controversy been merged into q contest OF
ply steal force with the people whose interests
have been more immediately affected by the
change, than another case OF reprehensble
character presents itself to our notice. A
charge has Just been preferred against Aldermen
Preston and Waish-membcrs of the Brooklyn
Board of Health-of having condoncd, for
heavy bride, serious Infringement of the santa
~ regulations Of the Beard, to the great peril Of
the public health. The evidence laid before the
committee of investigation appointed by the
Common Council must have been of rather
strong complexion, from the fact that they re
ported resolutions recommending that the ap-
pointment Of these Aldermen a. members of
the Board OF Health, be resciDded, ana that
Alderman Preston be expelled from the Com
mon Council By an amendment, supported by
the friends of the parties implicated, the report
was tabled, but ordered to be printed, and
the 9th of July fixed Cor them to be heard in
their defence. In the meanwhile the accused
Aldermen have resigned their seats as members
Of the Board of Health, protesting, il should be
added, against what they consider the one-sided
character of the inquiry before the committee.
Alderman Walsh asserts that he was not afforded
an opportunity of defending himself by the cross
examination of his accuser, and that he will be
able TO show that he did not mnlicously or
desienedly do wrong.
In this stage Of the preceding it would not Of
course be proper for rs 10 pursue our comments
any further. Without pronouncing any opinion
on the culpsbility or innocence Of the parties in
eliminated, we may, however, be permitted to
soy that the fact Of such an accusation being
made at all, argues ahishly corrupt aud de-
moralized state Of society, and shows that the
people do not exercise much discrimination as to
the antecedcnts Of the mon whom they elect 10
public Offices.