New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-18

advlsabii!ty OF ha ing the paupcr dead crcmatef
instead Of being buried in trenches in rude
wooden collins is DONE IL urged
that cremation would be an improvement over
burial from sanitary point of view, well
as the saving effected by the non-parcbase Of
land for burial purposes The commissioners
were inclined to think fnvorably Of the matter.
and Secretary Britton, by direction OF the Board,
wrote to Corporation Counsel Beekman to OBJ
tain from him his official opinion. This Is Mr.
Bcekman's reply:
LAW DEPARTMENT
OGice OF the Counsel Corporation,
New-York. Feb 49, 1882.
g. f. Brit'on, Secretary Department OF Charities
and Correction
Sir beg TO acknowledge the receipt OF your letter.
under date Of January 8 1888 stating that the attention
OF the Commss oe> Of Pubic Ch rites an Correction has
ben called TO tn pIopiie and eypedency of bttung
cremation for burial in the Of the unclaimed dead in
the Possession OF your depar and requesting me 10
inform the comms whether they have the right 10
adopt crematon n pla'e Of burial.
resolution adopted by the Common Council July 25,
1s49 and approved by the Mayor August IA is49 in is
tlon large OF buras the Poters Field,
Randals Island provides that the question be rferred
to special committee OF three from board ascertain
and Ak proper location wherein the public bursls
OF the city shall he made and BY resolution adopted by
the body August 1919, and approved by Mayor
August 1s49 the Conoller with the OF the
special comm te appointed pursuant tn foregoing e>o
luton, Authorized ana empowered 10 suit
able location Or publ buria ground
Chapter 329 OF the Laws OF 1870 entitled An Act to
exlin and extend the powers AID duties Of the Governors
Of the Amshouse OF the CITY and County OF New-York,
prov follows IL The Governors OF the Almshouss
shall the ntire AMI ex xlslye nt and control
OF Pote's Field public burial place Of the poor and
strangers in the City and County OF New-York and shall
have power and shall be their duty, 10 appoint such
keepers and TO employ such and aboers as may
be for the proper care OF said burial place and
he
be there inferred"
Section 335 OF the New City Consolidation act In
defining the powers and duties OF the Commissioners OF
Charities and Correction that they shall possess
and exercise full and exclusive powers for the govern
ment management maintenance and direction OF mo
Potters Field other public burial place OF the poor
and strangers In the City and County OF New-fork"
Section Article Chapter g. OF the Revised Ordinances
of $780, gives minute and specific instructions as 70
the which nterments shall be made In he Po
ters Field specifying the manner In which trenches shah
be constructed for such inermentS the number "hch
shall be placed upon the plates attached 70 the eohhs
and the manner in which such collins shall be placed IN
and Section Of the same Article requires
that register Of buals shall be kept by the sueln-
tendent person IN charge OF the city cemetery,
which shall arranged that the name Of each person
inferred shall numbered correspond with the num-
bers on heldbosrs the tiers OF eortns deposited
In each trench and shall be accessible at all reasonable
times for the inspection OF the public the use Of any
PEI desiring ascertain the particular pace III "h'
any person may be buried"
view Of the provisions Of the law above cted u
me the manifest intention Of the law that the bodies q"
poor, unclaimed d al which shall be In mo
possession your department SHALL unless delivered Z"
medical colleges pursuant to the provisions OF the laws
OF 1887, be buried the usual manner am sir yours
/ respectfully, HENRY X BfhhNAN'
Counsel the Corporation.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH on CREMATION.
1t will DO observed that the Corporation Conn
sci does not touch upon the objection to the pro
/ tbntb baS hoo sod lpP
which rests upon the op ostion of the Catholic
~, TN. cbiocton has hBcc" hBccccn the siablectd"n3
much debate Some persons including Catho-
lie pri sts insist that crt nation is hVe
at variance with the doctrines OF the Chufch
but the majority OF Catholics seem 10 holI .ne
contrary opinion, and according TO one OF inc
most eminent prclaes in this country the majority
is right. When asked about the matter yesterday
this gentleman said:
Cremation is unlawful according the doctrines OF onr
church Action taken regarding the new system or
rather the Of the old pagan custom by one OF he
Roman congregations held May 49, 1ss0 The subject Vas
pres body in the form of t"o quesuons-T'r'
Is it lawful Catholic TO become a h"hNrr
OF cremation society ~ and second Can Catholic law
fully give his body be ncinerated after dcaihF
Both Of these questions We're decided in tie negative
and the acton Of the congregation Was Mefwaid AZ
proved by Pope Leo MIL Hence IL is Just AS bhd"s
unon u a. the action of the council would be. The
congregation the position that fl did on the question
on the grounds the advocates o cremation "l many
/ o
hatred of Christian mode Of burial than by hyg'me
reasons; and secondly, that the practice OF IRE burial
tended TO take away the the rites Of inter
which the Church holds sacred
CREMATION HEATHEN CUSTOM.
Moreover crem,lon is heather custom that was sup
paned by the present mode when Christianity made its
/ appearance The 0ody Of Saviour was buried nos
burned and the desire OF the Church is TO Initiate his
! example n all things. The Romans Ike the oth"r an
cent pagans burned their bodies, but this ys'"m was
ha To al
moor decent form burial either in the Catacomos.
where no less than 100000 bodies weIe cnombed or >"
some place This being the practice Of s9e E.s
cGafSn holds to the +, Pr.ssn' 'ys,sn .
The prelate further expressed himself as III ac-
| cord with the position taken by Others on the
proposition to cremate the paupers, nancy .n'o
While the Legislature Of this or any other State
NAV permit cremation to be practlsed, III mas no
power to order the burning of the bodies OF inc
people who die in charitable ihstisu,lohns i yren
many Of the paupers beiong TO the Catholic lalth.
TO subject their bodies to process of ineneranon
WOULD, he thought, be violation oi the eoiis''-
! tutonal guarantees concerning rciIsloh
ANOTHER CATHOLIC VIEW.
Tho views expressed By this Catholic authority
will surprise a great many people, even Catholics
themselves They are certainly not held by all
Catholic theologians rs TIE TRIBUNE has shove
I'm preyous articles OH this subject. The Learned
Able Buccetate, professor of Catholic theology al
Padua after carefully examining the subject anne ,
TO this conclusion and did not hesitate TO puolIsn
his views Moreover. the bodies of ~ least Two
priests have been reduced to ashes at the Milan
crematory. Catholic clergymen officiating at tOe
incinerations The names of the priests cremafi
wore the Rev Giovanni SartOro. on Septembe1,
l6. 1854 and MOnsignor Saw, the chaplain oil
the Italian Court, whose body was burned ~
| December of the same year.
| In fact the revival OF cremation has made more
rapid progress in Italy than in any other couniiy
of the world. The system there seems ripidiy
loo ~ VI
crcmatorics in Europe the great majority are IN
Italy. and in the Milan CTmatory over LOCO
bodies have been incinerated Between one ana
tvyo hundred bodies have been burned in Konie,
almost under the shadow of the Vatican
WHAT CARDINAL GiBBo's SAYS.
| Cardinal Gibbous's views on this subject have