The New York herald., 1869-05-22
Tho Quarantine Question.

There is good deal of noise being made
just now about the question of quarantine, but
1t seems to have taken a wrong direction.
That the Health Officer, who is supposed to
have the care of the public health in his hands.
is using his position for very different pur-
poses than those which the law allots to him
or prescrlbes for him is q fact well known to
the whole mercantile community. In the first
place he has no legal right to become col
lector and vender of news. The law establish
ing quarantine precludes all parties alike from
boarding vessels within the limits of quaran-
tine, and then landing the crews and passen-
gers Of such vessel or the crew Of the boat
which boards her. Without this provision
there would be no quarantine; yet this health
official, Swinburne or his deputies, do this
very thing continually for . pecuniary con-
sideration. The law Of quarantine gives the
Health Officer no right to arrest anybody at
Staten Island, because the quarantine ground
there is abolished, except within very limited
precincts and outside Of those boundaries he
has no jurisdiction there whatever. The re-
cent action of the courts in Diminishing the
parties arrested at Swinburne's instigation
proves that he is acting as much outside the
law in these matters as he Is in smuggling,
under the guise of performing the duties of
Health Officer-an allegation which was 80
clearly made not long ago, and backed by
such substantial proofs as would probably have
put the Health Officer in a very disagreeable
but very secure place, only for the political
and other influences brought to bear upon the
case.
Now, is It not evident that If contagion is
likely to be brought to the city the quarantine
boats, whose crews and medical officer remain
on board the vessel for length of time, who
mix among the crew and passengers Of the
contagious vessel and then return to the city,
the men to roam at large among our citizens,
from Staten Island or landing at Whitehall
slip and Brooklyn, as it is well known they do
is it not evident, we say, that If there is danger
of contagion it is more likely to come from
that quarter than from the news boats which
run alongside incoming vessels for q moment
to receive the package of marine news thrown
to themp Our reporters do not board the
vessels except in cases where there is no con-
tagion likely to be on board. They have as
much regard for their lives as the employees
Of the Health Officers department-perhaps
more, as they are more useful in their sphere
and certainly they would not Gfrs to bring
contagious disease and death to the city in
their own persons. II vessel is healthy
there certainly can be no harm done in board
ing her for such legitimate purpose. Re-
strictions put upon emigrant runners and
''bummers" were not intended to be applied to
newspapers, whose object is to provide the
public with the earliest shipping news from
abroad-to place upon the desk or the break
ligence of the fate of his ships and cargoes,
wherever they may happen to be scattered
over the seas. This is part of newspaper
enterprise Of which the HERALD has never
been neglectful. 1t was one of the earliest
features in its infant history, and it is one
which to-day, when It's value is fully and
substantially established, it is not going to
surrender.
So far as any danger of contagion FROM
infected vessels being carried by ship news
reporters Is concerned that can be answered
by the fact that news has been furnished in
this way for thirty years, and yet who has
heard Of case Of infection being brought to
the city through this channel? The real cause
Of the fuss about the matter just now is that
other journals in the interest of the Quarantine
ring are jealous of the HERALD's enterprise,
and are governed in their opposition by
small-a very small-spirit of economy. We
news at a moderate cost, while we were willing
to bear, as we now cheerfully bear, the bur-
den Of the expense but they would not ac-
cept, preferring, 1t appears, to use such re-
ports as the Health Ofiicer, in violation Of the
Quarantine law, might furnish them. We put
our own steamers into the service. If the
papers which are in with the Quarantine ring
were not equal to bear the expense we cannot
help 1t. Under these circumstances It is not
surprising that they are jealous, irritated and
unhappy. 1t is not less surprising that DR..
Swinburne should like to use them for the
purpose Of keeping the merchants of New York
under his control, by attempting to furnish
them ship news just when and how
he pleases, and upon his own terms,
relying upon the grip which he has upon them
to prevent any remonstrance being sent by the
merchants to the Governor against his mis-
management of quarantine, because II is evi-
dent that, If Governor Hoffman should not act
upon the charges and suspend the Health
Officer, every merchant who signed such
charges would have to brave the vengeance Of
the Quarantine despot. It is quite probable,
however, that the Governor is not unwilling
to investigate any charges that may be pre-
ferred against the Health Officer; but Of
i