The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-21

<enoed every years. and the Spanish ports whence
yellow fever imported, have been thrown open 70
shipping But were the proposition contcnded for correct
would be permanent barrier 70 all improv cment, and
forever devote this whole island and the opposite shores
Of Long Island TO the Of pest house The arga.
ent that nuisance once established should be perpetual
would have kept all the slaughter houses soap boiling es
adjustments, and other nusances located In New York.
including the Quaantn Governors Island remenng
thore 70 TINS day Fortunately this proposition Is not
less repugnant to law than II is 20 and Justice The
highest tribunals Of this and all civilized States have held
that nnsanccs must give way the advance Of popua
ton and the wants Of trade
is proposed here 70 discuss the question Of the
power Of the Board Of Health OF Casteon abae the
hospitals as nuisance that may ere long come before
the courts for adjudication We will simply state that
the statutes under which they acts, authorize them
pass such regulations they shall think necessary
proper for the preservation Of the public health as we'll
as to 'remove nuisances and the act upsn which the
present Quarantine system is founded Sesson Laws 1885,
page s05 expressly provides that onothng that
contained shall be construed to interfere with the
dies against nuisances prescribed by the Common Law
preserve the lives and health OF their fellow citizens then
that is the only In the State deprived OF the
protection of sanitary laws, and delivered pes
lence.
The attention Of your committee has been particularly
directed TO the investigation Of the grave charges cruel
and inhuman treatment pracced towards the patients
confined in the Quarantine hospitals at the those
buildings destroyed. They felt that they owed il
to themselves and the public TO give these charges tho
rough investigation, and found true dcnounce the
guilty parties They have examined persons who were on
the grounds spectators during those evcntul nights
ing who rendered their services to the sick and have
watched the statements elected from the witnesses in the
investigation being conducted by the Attorney General
mony to the kind and considerable treatment extended to
the inmates Of the hospitals They carefully
borne from the buildings beds, and deposited
out Of the reach Of danger where they sheltered
alike from the heat OF the flames and the ncemency OF the
weather Suitable buildings were rendered by the citizens
their reception but declined by the Quarantine author
ties Skul physicians gave them unremitted attention.
and the ladies Of the village Wed in their efforts TO render
thatv
tlemen, well as the Quarantine physicians concur in
saying that they quite well cared for and conya-
assistant physician Dr. Wassr es,es thsi no ac, ns oe
inhumanity was perpctrated by the parties, but the
sick were treated with the greatest kindness II untrue
that any lives were lost or that the patients ncom
NODDED by the rain, exposed 10 falling cnders The in.
dvdual whose life was lost the occasion was acct
dentay shot by one Brady, an empoye Of the institution.
The truth is the more gratifying in this case because
there seems to have been a studied effort TO
poison the public mind through the press, and
the Governor has, perhaps inadvertently, given
great prominence to these mstements his recent pro-
camation Indeed Is matter OF profound surprise and
regret that his Excellency had not instituted nvesga
ton into these charges before he assumed their TRUTH
upon that assumption censured this entire county Had
he done is believed he would have found occasion
for prononncng US in state Of quarter
ing the military upon We venture 10 say that in no
county the State have the laws more prompsy or
uniformly enforced than in Richmond and the readiness
with which the civil authorities have aided the Attorney
General in the official investigation pending must
satisfy every dspassonate mind that the emergency con
icmP'atsu ZIG atdtute ciihhk nffntafy
not arisen.
So TOO, we believe that by careful investigation OF the
facts certain city officials who have acted with haste
than wisdom would have been spared the false position
they have assumed in deciding 70 erect permanent build
ings at the Quarantine retributon upon entire
population, well upon the cities OF New York and
Brooklyn Independent OF the folly OF making one wrong
justify another and OF Furnishing whole communities for
the hasy and ndiscreet acts of few individuals, these
gentlemen should bear In mind that II they attempt 70
continue the Quarantine where Is they virtually set
ting at defiance not only the wishes Of all the dsnterested
Legislature for It's removal passed after the fullest de-
liberation and for the cogent reasons Those acts
were solicited and enacted as much for the protcc
tion Of New York and Kings counties as for Staten
Island. They should remember that nearly nil the
increase OF population IN this county since the
nblishment OF the Quarantine has come from New
York; that in fact, though not in name we are
part Of the suburbs Of New York. the greater portion OF
population doing business there and going up daily
Nay They should reflect that the annual injury 10
the trade and commerce Of New York from yellow fever
panics is immense and increasing yearly. Thousands Of
merchants and business men, not 10 mention travellers
and those who would otherwise locate In that city are
kept driven 10 other cities in consequence
suppose these gentlemen succeed in fastening nstu
ton twice authortatiycfy pronounced nnsance) upon
the Inhabitants OF this island and Of tho neighborng
counties for ten, twenty thirty years come When
after year they the pcstence sweeping its hun
dreds OF victims 10 the grave, when they the terror
stricken Inhabitants flying from their dwellings, and whole
districts dcpopulacd will the contemplation OF this scene
and the consciousness that they were instrumental In
bringing about contribute 10 their happincss1 Nol Such
achievements may be a source of satisfaction 10 A few
mercenary individuals who value their money more than
the lives OF their fellow citizens, but unworthy
consideration for moment OF such Oil the public
offices in our neighborng city When the excitement Of
the hour shall have pAssed away, they will be heartily
ashamed Of their conduct and reasoning Far better
they should, good citizens chccruiIy operate with
in carrying out the law for the Quarantine removal
II these gentlemen will calmly examine the following
statistics showing the relative Of population
around the harbor a New York 1900 when the aran-
tine located Staten Island and nj the present time
they will sec that this Institution cannot much longer
remain where Il h;-
IN 1900. IN 1855.
New York county had ............. 60,4s9 GO $40
Kings county had :................ b,I0 216,3l5
Richmond county had ............ 4,5S3 II ,3s9
Total T0,7e2 s67 ,554
II thirty of land required Isolate the Qua
ranne in 1900, when there only seventy one thou
sand inhabitants In and around New York when the com
mercc Of the port very small, and when there
comparatively little intercourse with the city be
said the same win protect nearly million Of
habants at the present time, when the crowded ferries
daily carrying thousands from under the walls Of Qua
ranne 10 tho ncThborng counties and the shipping has
increased more than sixty folds The quarantine at
vcrnors Island better protection 70 the city in 1900
than Staten Island 1855 According 20 the laws
of Increase the population and around New York In
1870 viii amount 70 1000 o0o and the of the
port be than doubled
But there any question expedency of re-
erecting permanent hospitals tho present Site
forever put at by the Commissioners of Emigration
In their report 70 the Legislature the 10th Of February
In ming fov md hnwsp