The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-08

PROSTITUTION IN GREAT CrTrEs-There are
some subjects which are naturally approached
with reluctance in a public journal, and
yet which cannot be ignored without a gross
neglect Of duty. Such a subject is the great,
the enormous evil Of public prostitution in large
cities. For two thousand years good and SEN
sible men have been studying this question of
prostitution, with results which have varied in
everything but their uniform failure. Every
student and every legislator has started from
the principle that the abandonment by a woman
of her chastity and modesty for hire was an
evil but no one has ever devised a method of
preventing that evil. There have been laws
under which prostitutes have been buried alive,
thrust into cages and drowned, whipped naked
through the public streets, pilloried and mu-
tilated there arc. laws under which the single
fact of prostitution exposes female to i'm
prisonment; every penalty, every form of pun
ishment, in short. has been or il inflicted in the
view Of prohibiting public prostitution and
yet ii must be admitted by all that there never
was a time when public prostitutes did not infest
all large cities.
There has lately been published report of a
meeting just held in London to attempt to de-
wise measures TO rid some Of the larger thorough
fares Of London from the dsgraceful creatures
who now enjoy a monopoly OF them after
nightfall. The general subject was but
incidentally touched upon; that was by a
speaker who proposed to license prostitutes
The question was laid over. II may not be
generally known that the license system which
is in force in France Prussia, and some other
continental countries has never been adopted in
countries prostitutes and prostitution are re-
cognized by the laws; the women are not sub
jet TO punishment from the mere fact of their
prostitution; though they are subject to com
pulsory attendance at public dispensary, and
10 various legal and social disabilities. Each
be identified or followed by the description Of
her person which il taken when she IL entered
on the books Of the police. The advantages Of
this method are, greater security for health;
less likelihood of robbery; greater police con-
troll over class Of the population naturally
calculated to be turbulent The disadvantage
which in England and in this country has
hitherto availed 10 prevent its aloption-is
simply the seeming wrong-in the eyes of GER
tain religious persons-in recognizing and
licensing an evil which nobody pretends to be
able to put down.
We cannot forcsee what will be the upshot
of the new movement in London. The
same question was raised in this city some
time since, and, if we mistake not, our present
Mayor, then prominent Governor a the Aims
house, took leading and intelligent part in
the discussion IL ended in direction TO the
Penitentisry physician, under whose charge
prostitutes are placed, to collect oil the facts
and statistics be could relating to the general
subject in this country and abroad, and to en-
body them in a report to the Governors of the
Almshouse. This direction must have been
given some two years since ample time has
elapsed for the collection of all the facts neces-
sary; yet we hear nothing of the report. What
has become of II? Have the AImshouse Gov
ernors backed down?
From the names Of tho persons who are iden-
tiled with the reform movement In England II
may be fairly anticipated that the subject will
receive a thorough handling, and that all the