The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-07-05

The question heard on every hand is,
what are the Health Authorities of
Mississippi going to do about it? The
power vested in them by the laws of the
State to meet the emergency, is ample.
Section IS Of the act approved March
4th 1880 (Campbelrs Code, p. 23D,
says that, "the power to establish quar-
antine in this State shall be vested alone
in the State Board of Health, and said
Board, ~wheneverit is deemed necessary
to prevent the introduction of yellow
fever, or other infectious diseases from
an adjoining State, shall have the power
to establish quarantine stations at the
limits Of the State at such places as may
be deemed necessary, and said State
Board of Health shall enforce at such
stations such rules as may be adopted
by said Board, with the approval of the
Governor of the State" And for the
purposes defined in the foregoing and
other sections of said law, the act of
March I'd, 1882, appropriated the sum
of s45,O 900. The appropriation was
liberal, because the Legislature realized
the Importance of keeping the disease
with all its attendant horrors, out of the
State. That the occasion has arisen for
action is clear. The State Board
through its Executive Committee, is the
judge of the necessity for preparation (;
and we imagine that it can reach but
one conclusion, and that the Governor
will sanction whatever measures are
needed to ward OFF the calamity.
Salls populi, supreme kr. The public
safety, is the higher lar. In whatever
measures our State authorities may
decide to take for the enforcement of
rules to prevent the introduction of
the disease, the laws of the United
States require the aid and cooperation
of the National Board of Heath and
the latter is even empowered to supply
such regulations where States fail or re.
fuse to adopt them. But even in the
absence of National authority, the SUI
preme Court of the United States, years
ago, defined the police power of the
State to be a right to protect itself from
danger to It's olra WeV-being. We quote
from the language of Judge Grier, Pas.
senger Cases 5 Howard Without at
tempting to define whatare the peculiar
limits or subjects of this power (policC
power it may safely be affirmed thaI
every law for the restraint and punish
ment Of crime, for the preservation o
the public peace, health and morals, mus
T come within this category. As subjects
of legislation, they are from their verl
nature of primary importance; they Ii,
at the foundation Of social existence
they are for the. protection of life anC
liberty, and necessarily compel all law
on subjects of secondary Importance
which relate only to property, conve
nience and luxury, to recede when they
come in conflict or collision. Sala
POpuli, suprsma Ter 1t is for this reason
that quarantine Ia'rs. srhick protect the pub
lie heath, compel mere commercial regu
%la,iOns to submit 10 their control. The,
restrain the liberty Of the passengers
! they operate on the ship. which is thl
instrument of commerce, and its officer
and crew, the agents Of navigation
They seize the infested cargo and throw
it overheard. An these things are done
not from any power which the States -