New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-30
tb. utelves with what priocely hnsoness tneir
money ia distributed, and to shom it goes.


c,ed on hi. one point, aud aeree 10 re]'ice
together that ths question ~ leogta Is se'"eu'
Leaving out % consideration Altogether tne desr"c
ton of tte buildings on Staten Island on toe nights
Of the Is. and % cf Septemb' last, and taspe uP
the question de noro-where .b.u Ne~-lork nave
her Quarantine lit would ipdeed be ourhos
shame to this great city, the com nercia metropolis
of the Western Hemls phere, if there could no.
xerv ,peedily be found S satisfactory solution oi
such problem. 1t would, Of course, be prePo-ter-
Gus 10 suppose that in that magnificent sweep OF
water. from Staten Island to the jersey coast from
Wsrds Point to the Ship ChaOnel there could zoe
found sone here spot fit for Quarantine Purpo'es'
sa:e in IT. anchorage ground protected from storms
convenient of access, ard which yet should no' en-
daDser ,he safety Of auy living creature. Andcer'
tainly the suspicion would be euns ntly unjust and
injurious 70 the public sp,rit and the humanity OF
our citizens, aid especially TO those high IN place
and power, to suppose it possible that on question
which 90 nearly concerned the welfare and health
Of the people, there could be admitted for one
moment any thought Of passionate resentment, or
apy other con.ide atoms than those which good
s.nse and sound judgmeIt should dictate. We
rlay take it for granted, then that there will b.
but one feeling and that Of great relief that 1t ia
at last decided that the lazaretto is to 60 where
few of US will ever tee and few ever hear OF 1t
sgaln.
We are not, we trust, at sl premature in this
rejoicing and this confidence that Others viii re-
joice with us. II is possible that that interest
which las hitherto kept the Quarantine on Staten
Island, in spite of acts Of the Legislature, and
which prevented its being taken to Sandy Hook By
bringing its nfue nee to bear upon the Legislature
of a n. .iehborng State-it possible that tina, IN
terest, which represents portion Of the shipping
merchants of this city. msy not yet eye to eye'
with us in this matter. Their time, however,
will come by and BY. year or two hence,
when on some lovely Summers day they shall look
across the smiling waters of our noble harbor,
upon the pleasant shores of Staten Island and CT
Long Island aud shall reflect that pestilence no
longer turks among the foliage Of their trees, or
breaks over their pebby beaches IN the gentle rip
pie of the coming tide; then, it may be, that our
lively South-street friends will understand that
what to them was matter Of lishterage was to
others q matter Of life and death; and that truly
TO calm and consideIate MUD, there never could
have been moments hesitation rs TO choice
bet xeen percentage on the cargoes of ships and
a percentage on the lives Of human creatures
But. whether this shall be 80 or not-whether the
merchant shall ever discO-er not, that the Quar-
antine question was one of human happiness and
welfare and not Of dollars aud cents, the common
instinct Of the people, we doubt not, has sready
Jumped to that conclusion, and they are rejoicing
that the difficulty is disposed of, aud that pe,ti'
ence and death shall IA" ''"o~- "'"'I -~''e "' -
invited guests.
TIE choice of Old Orchard Shoals as the site of
the new Quarantine is, We presume, wise one
1t may be remembered that We suggested, some
months ago this very spot as the proper Que Tor
the purpose for which it has now been chosen.
We know that some yeaIs ago it WAS pointed out
BY an old and distinguished naval officer, who al
carefully surveyed the Bay of New-York, as the
most proper spot within her waters for Qasran-
tine But even had we had no such prediction,
and had there been no such expression of opinion
from spy authority, we should still presume the
choice to be Wise one, from the well-kuown char
acter Of those who have made aud directed the
survey. There can be, we take it, but one possible
objection suggested in regard to IT, and that is
| bas it good anchOrage' Had there been any doubt
| on so important point, it is not likely that
| il would have been fixed upon by the
| Commissioner. and Engineers suitable for the
purpose for which it is designed. This, in its1lf
is good prima faeie evidence on that point; but,
which is telter still and much more conclusive, 1t
| il. We believe, well onder.tood ard acknowiedged
| that no better anchorage gfound Is needed-and
| indeed hardly any better can Dc foDnd-than that
| at Seguine's Point; ard the waters of Seeulnes
| z, int are the waters Of Old OrchiId Shoal ais
| a. the two loo ,lties are but about three miles
| apart This point, then, may be considered set
| tied and glance at the map Will show that in
every other respect the Shoal Is emlnentls fitted
| for Quarantine. Let us describe lts positions
Tie Shoal is on the south side Of Staten Island,
| king perhaps half mile from a long, low sandy
| peninsula, which can oever be Inhabited, and be-
| tween which aud the main lard Of the leland is a
BODY of water Of probably threefourths of mile
in width. The nearest p int on the Island on which
house i, ever litely TO sraud-as much of the
| shore in that neighbohoOd is swamp-is, then, be-
| tween one and two miles from tfe Propo'ed quar-
antine ground SO that 1t m,y be considered for all
practical purposes as completely isolated as it Is
possible TO be aud yet be at all accessible 1t is SIX
nautical miles northwest from the polot OF Sandy
Hook, four miles northeast from the light at Red
Bank. FIVE and half southwest of the light at the
Nsrrows. four miles vest Of the main ship channel,
anc four and half north west from the southwest
Spit. Vessels drawing twelve feet OF water c,n
anchor within mile and half of the ground, aud