New-York tribune., 1883-03-11

The vear 1850. compared with 1881, shows n de-
crease of 26S in the number OF prisoners, While
compared with 1874 il shows a decrease OF l7,oo4,
being 81 g per cent in nine years, or an average
annual decrease of 2.35 per cent. The Justices
seem to think that the police are as eiclent now III
making arrests as they were in 1874. There were
40 persons arrested for burglary during me year,
of whom o were women. There were 2O,69J ar
rests made for intoXicatlon-an increase OF i0I
over the previous he arrests Tor disor cry
conduct were 2l.796. There were ARA gncd az
suspicious persons LIB men ana lOZ women, All
of whom discharged. .
Although there has been large increase IN tae
nnmber of p r>onS committed To insane aSyluinS
within recent years. there has been large decrease
in The numoer of commitments by the fohco Jus,
tees on this charge. In 1874 there were conm tted
on the charge OF insanity l,333 persons WHO Hst
year the number was only 6O3.
An interesting part of the report s'that IN relation
to the violations OF the Excise laws. lie number
OF persons arr2igncd on this charge last year was
,2S2, and in 1891 .335. while ~ 1873 there were
4,I21 arrests thus charge The justices again
call attention to their previous reports on TINS sun-
iect They assert that clearly III pres
cnt laws are not too stringent, as they are now
administered. The very large number OF unlicensed
grog shops and thousands of drum <ardS Prov ms
After asserting that the criminal conrts can now
administer the Excise laws with no probability OI
erroneous nterpre citation, they add: All ciuzens
who are unwilling 10 give encoufag"neht 10 Into1-
icatlon among in favor OF closing mp places
unlicensed 10 sell intoxicating beverages. Ana
dealers themse yes who have paid for and received
their licenses are not willing "a have others sell
without license. The history OF our conrts shows
that whenever one of these IS on rial c0nyic-
tiOn by the jury Is readily obtained ~ IN Other
cases Of misdemeanor" The Justices assert
that they cannot be charged with neg
lcct OF duty, as all they can 60 lS
10 hold an offender for trial at the General
sessions IN the limited sun uf 500. The police
officers often arrest the same man several times,
take him before the magistrate. who after hearing
the case goe, thrOu IN the form of taxing the de-
PENDANTS rrcognILaucr 10 the General sessions. ana
the defendant regarding the matter as hnally dis
posed Of rers at the police emau. returns 10 MS un-
authorized traffic aui continues IN open dcnance OF
the law retail his liquors by glass, Some 0t the
police officers become disguised at THIS ana smut
their ewes 10 gross violations of tn statute.
The Police Justices think that there Il no call Tor
the special law In favor Of liquor dealers limiting
bail N such cases to ~ 90 Aud as these eases are
not tired a. the General sessions now con-ttutrd
there ought to be a Part ILL., created for that court
to try such cases ia the law sin uld be changed
so a. allow excise cases to bs tried by jury Mt the
Special Sessions.
Heretofore the Justices have been changed at Spe-
cial Sessions every two weeks or The Board has
now arranged 80 that three justices will st per
manontly in that court Tor the term OF one year.
ana this II s thought will improve In" character ot
the court. The Justices think that the law shnuld
be so amcndcd To authorize them
20 admit 10 bdU aiter commitment Tor trial Inc
amount of fines collected IN the police courts last
wear was S75,J9l a. compared with SO3,3lO IN
1851 The nativity OF the persons he'd ior trlal,
convicted or committed, wa follows: United
states 23.0fS; ireland, l6I22; Germany. 310J
Eng and, l,JO5; scotland, 5l7; France, 372 !!
Italy, p23 other cOuntrie-, 760-totai. 47,llo