New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-11
TIE PIRATES IN Tile ely.

We present this morning complete array
| of facts which convict Dr. CaTDochan, Health
| Officer, Of having used his power to the en-
richment of himself and the damage of the
| commerce of this port The general fact has
| long been patent to many whose invested in
terests compelled them to silence, but few
of the details which we present, with names
| of the victims, dates of the robberics, and
| amounts of the plumber in full and without
reservation, were known to others than the
robbers and the robbed. The results are
startling and depressing. Five hundred and
odd vessels were driven from our port in q
single year by the exactions at Quarantine of
this officer and his colleagues. FOrty-fOur
! thousand dollars were plundeTed from few
| score merchants whom we name during the
four Quarantine months of a single year in the
items of stevedoring and unnecessary ligbtering
and coopeTing. Many thousands OF passengers
have been most unnecessarily put to the
inconvenience Of transferring themselves and
baggage to tugs in the Lower Bay and then
compelled under threats of detention, to pay
from 81 80 to S. each for transportation dis
lance of less than twelve miles, while at the
same time the tug maintained by the State at
.extravagant rates to do this very work free
of cost to passengers has been employed
as q pleasure-bOat by the Health Officer.
The private mails Of shipping merchants
have been detained until they consented TO
pay for their transportation by Quarantine
boats at q rate hundred fold higher than
that for which the United States Postal De-
partment does the same work for others.
Cargoes of valuable and perishable goods are
said to have been ordered by the Quarantine
Il. l. I,,z;
ness part of the city, in order that those who
pay brides might reap the benefit of the large
commissions illegally charged.
Numerous as the facts are which we give in
proof of the grave charges which we have
made, and to which Drs. Carnochan and Reide
have not found themselves able to reply, the
half has not been told, and we are prepared
to offer other proofs Of the wholesale piracy
which has been going on in this harbor for
more than year past. These we purpose to
offer at an early day, in further illustration of
the gross abuses which are rapidly making
this, the largest port in the country, and the
one of all others most deeply interested in the
increase of its merchant marine, the most
costly and dangerous to enter.
But do we not give in this single article
sufficient testimony to warrant the immediate
removal of these leechcs on the commerce of
the cOuntry7 Can Gov. Hoffman, who APP
pointed DR.. Carnochan, in the face of these
undeniable facts continue him longer in
position to plague the merchants and shippers
of the port and the travelling public and the
immigrants who enter it This officer divcrts
the property of the State from its lawful USES
the accommodation and service of its citizens
for the sole purpose of throwing them de-
fenseless into the jaws of cOrmorants who pay
him for the privilege of rObbing them. This
ofiense alone would warrant his removal, and
Gov. Hoffman must make inquiry into his con-
duet and take action upon it, or be content
to share in the infamy of plundering the COM
merce of the city, as others of his party bear
that of robbing its taxpayers.
We have pointed out, for the benefit of the
merchants and shippers of the port, the man
ner in which this scheme of plumber is con-
Quoted, and the extent to which it is carried.
1t now remains for those who have been
despOled individually to take united action to
rid themselves of these foes to their business.
Numbers of firms have already rsked their
prosperity and subjected themselves to the
prosecutions Of the Health Officer by refusing
70 submit To his cXactions. These are