The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-30
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
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Report OF the Special Committee ON Quaran-
ri.c-Coliisioas Sea, SO.
The Chamber hed special meeting yesterday noon, at
tho Of William ami Cedar streatS, to hear
the report OF the Special Committee Quarant,ne-P
Perit, r. NJ wetmore, s. Opdyke, VIM Nelson, Royal
Phelps, F. A. ConckIing, G. h. Marshall, f. NJ French
D, Drake Is and Tnomas reson, the Chairman Of 'oe
Commuaee. In the absence OF the President 'n' ufss
Vice President Royal Phelps presided rbs Chairman or
the Committee presented the report stating that was
very lengthy, the subject was one wncn required
ide range He then proposes that the report should be
printed before being pressAed in order that esch men,
bar could have an opportunity TO understand we'll when
e question came up for it, adoption. BY request Of the
Chamber, the report was read, wiz
REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON QUARANTINE.
me sobect referred for the consideration OF the Com
rn,stss may % treated under three different beads
Fust-rhe general ject Of the Quarantine laws AZ
Administered oy the State authorities.
20 the cOuSagousUess OF yellow fever, avowed BY
the Nstona convention in reference 70 future Legislation
Thro-Tns duty Of ihe Chamber 10 insist FREQ COM
petucn the business Of lighsrage and other services
connected herewith.
OF the Commntee, who have held several meetings for
their and taken testimony from negligent
and competent persons, with the view 70 arrive q such
Der.
the Committee must remind tho Chamber tnAs 1t has
already expressed is dsappsobe lon Of the manner In
which the health OF the port OF ne" York have peen
adminNesuod Imposing and unnecessary bur-
upon commerce and throwing needless restraints
upon the personal rights snd liberties or toe citizen
These OF the Chamber have received additional
strength and conf nation from the examination made oy
the Committee.
OF the laws may not be out Of place 10 con-
tder briefly the origin Intention Of these legal re-
srains upon Commerce, order to judge how far may
tion
Under oar own government shese restrictions have
listed almos from lis hr they prevailed
for other unuer the colonial authorities
anterior " the Revolution
England was late in adopting thetheory, which orgi-
Continental Europe taat external sanitary regu
latols could prevent the Introduction and prevalence OF
infectious diseases.
originated in As;s ,hencsnsroduced into Europe
by WAY Of the Mediterranean, and upon the cossts OF
Hay the hrss European lszarestos were Inc
principle Adopted OF preserving health oy prevent
ting the OF disease lies at the foaddston OF
the syst. still maintained under our laws, AMI which
has at last the occasion Of 90 msny abuses that
public sentiment aroused 10 she necessity OF deman1n
relief.
Rightly TO understand tho bearing of this question We
must view in many OF s aspects. The idea Of the alb
solue necessity Of these restrictions, the only safe
guard from pestenoo prevailed 80 ong and 40 20.
y,
1t mus not lightly be DISMISSED nor without the mature
deberaiiop which importance demands and justines
IL fortunate for the interests OF the commercial COM
muny that Ibis subject has awakened pubic attention In
other quar- than ao5g merchants. Men Of science
from pufest and most dsnterested motives, have
tered into the investigation with zeal intelligence that
deserve the knowledgmenss OF those deeply
eeted in the result For three successive years National
Conventions been ncd for the express purpose OF
regard to matter In the cities Of Pniia1ei
phia, Baltimore and New York, these assemblages have
given their attention TO scientific elu
cidaton Of vital question Of contagion and the final
action Of the ia this city has brought the
subject prominently before the commercial world and has
led 70 the institution Of these proceedings
The definition OF Quarantine, given by Mccullough,
who has long been REGARDED authority on commercial
or Sy from %
eed with the plague or other contagious disoders or
supposed TO be peculiarly Liable 70 sucn Infection is inter-
dicted for o certain definite period"
Upon this theory has the legislation OF our own State
been fourded tue laws have been administered upon
the hyposbess that the febe diseases be ap
pretended from he Commerce oil the tropics we're cona
gious The sboe action Of authorities who admnis
tered these laws has been directed to the one object Of
sustaining this exploited theory, and the
has been that vessels cagoes, crews and passengers
have been confined within the narrow compass Of
heailn ana NE, without producing any known beoefcis
effect, securing inordpstc profits to officers,
agents and employees engaged In sustaining 30 unWse and
in Other ces on the Atlantic such bur ien-
come ressrcLlous placed upon the energies Of COM
ercc AZ exMt a. this port rhs evil escs Of this in
equality o. IN the steadily Increasing dvsr'iSn 81
ard the duties precauon are better understood than
with us.
pubcatiop the questions which under this branch
OF subject referred the committee are, discussed ~
length ID therefore scsrcey necessary ID enlarge
upon Them At tins the following extracts from that
report will show clearly the entertained by the
Chamber regard oppressive results OF tho system
and the practice under IT.
The principal complaint and classification in
gard exsng quarantine restrictions may DO enumerated IS
Frt-rhe detention and temporary control vessels Of Al
every Glass; whether ineeed or at the discretion Of
Be directly promosed Oy delay Of The quarantine
proacted detention Of healthy passengers and
crews under oOservaon in eu.rsnsios = o. expense Of
imposed slightest accommodation rendered
THIRD he practice OF r.nmhpmens or usherage of c.r-
goes :, The Quarantine anchorage and the exorosn charges
motion Of private inisress md objects '' -''
RISKS delay and actual os:es incident 70 the de-
fnh-Tts tho eapanaive continuation frequently given 10
arbitrarily deemed capable OF conveying infection from
These among the conclusions adopted In the Annual
Report, this Committee do Lot hesitate TO the
sentiment OF that report The abuses alluded i'm
perat,v call for immediate reform, and that the whole
syssem Lader which they prevail "reqares an intelligent
The Committee come now to the consideration of the
second Of the subject referred for their examna
ton This branch Of the question nvoves the one great
principe which the Of the Chambe 10 invoked
and cannot be rightly considered without caiefa ana
uerSeus investigation.
with singular unanimty by the National Quarantine Con-
Vention namely the absence any evidence
establishing the conclusion that yellow fever has eyer
hs Convention that personal quarantine cases OF vel
low fever may be safely abosned provided that fomes
of every be rigidy restrCtedthen clearly 80 far
as Judgment action Of the Chamber concerned
its Influence must stand pledged TO the abrogaton Of re-
Arctons upon liberty under the plea Of
int corvp