New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-08
SIXTH MONTHS SENTENCES.
ABUSES OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF COM
MITMENTS.
WHY THE STEWART BILL SHOULD BE PASSED

WHY THE STEWART BILL SHOULD BE PASSED
by THE LEGISLATURE.
Senator Lispenard Stewart has introduced aud
there has been read twice a bill providing that CON-
mtments 20 the woriouse for ntoxicaiion, dlsorderU
conduct or vagrancy shall be for term OF six months
that the Commissioners Of Charities and Correction IN
the cases OF persons certified by the warden of the
worlshouse as not having been found TO have been
previously committed within two years next pre-
oedng may discharge such person after the expiration
OF five days and shall discharge him before the ex-
piration OF twenty days that in the cases OF persons
certified as having been previously committed within
two years the Commissioners shall not discharge
them before the expiration OF twice the time during
which they actually imprisoned under the last
previous commitment. This bill is strongly sup
ported by william II. Huntington, b. F. Watson, Rob-
ert Graham and W. II. Arnoux, of the Church Tenn
perance Society william Huntington and John p.
Faure, Of the New York Protestant Episcopal City
Mission Society," John A. McKim and Bache McE
whitlock, of the State Charities Aid Association:
Charlton T. Lewis and w. NJ F. Round, Of the Prison
Association; Charles S. Fairchld and Dr. L. l.. Sea-
man, Of the Charity Organization Society j. NJ.
KNAPP and Charles b. Meyer, of the Church Club, and
W. II. Arnoux, of the Society for the Prevention OF
Crime. These gentlemen have signed petition in
favor OF the BILL which they say that the existing
system of commitment to the workhouse, and OF the
discharge tererom of persons sentenced for intoxca
ton, dsorderly conduct and vagrancy, is % harmful
as rne rather than beneficial, to those committed,
especially to offenders; 2) dangerous to society
and promotive, rather than preventive, Of vice and
crime; 81 needlessly expensive to the city. They
maintain that the proper classification Of the inmates
OF the workhouse is impossible under existing cond
TONS and that the influence of the system Is per-
ncious They show that seventy per cent Of the
women and forty per cent Of the men each year have
been previously committed to the wOrkhouse; 6,S9o
women sentenced to the workhouse In the last SIX
months Of 1888 had aggregated since the beginning OF
the previous year twenty four months 23,l26 sem
fences, an average OF four apiece one woman served
twenty-eght sentences IN twenty-five monthsItwchly
OF the number being for ten days or less In the year
1887 about 1000 persons were arrested, tried ana
committed 10000 times to the workhouse. Thus the
time of the city magistrates, the police and other pubic
officers Is spent I'm dealing and over again. month
after month, with a comparatively small number OF
degraded persons, who serve as connecting Ilhk pc
tween the workhouse and the lowest resorts OF vicious
men and women in the city.
The Grand Jury has urged the necessity OF some
change In the method OF commitment and the wardens
of the workhouse who are most familiar with the
workings of the present system. have expressed their
approval of the system proposed In the stewart DILL