Balance,... $23,500 00 5,000 00 $18,500 00 $5,511 12 8,000 00 13,511 12 $4,988 88 A. S. ALEXANDER, Clerk of Sup. In relation to the expenses of poor, I obtained my information from Wm. S. Bishop and Harvey Humphrey, Esqs. There was also about $5,000 raised by the towns to support their own poor. I add the following certificate which the gentlemen were so obliging as to furnish me : "Of the number of criminals brought before us for trial, 7-10 were in a state of intoxication when before us, or when the crime was commited." J. P. S. HAMILTON, Two of the temperate were boys-one man was acquitted on trial-two threatening-one assault and battery-three made use of spirits—one of them was sent here for assault and battery committed when he had been drinking freely-one other was committed for profane swearing, and one was a female. Of the doubtful, one was a vagrant-one was committed for assault and battery -and one for profane swearing. Of the intemperate one was sent here for abusing his family, N. B. There is one among the temperate who, it is said, makes no use of ardent spirits. ISAAC JACKSON, Sheriff. Whole number received into poor-house in 1 year, Not from intemperance,. Doubtful, Intemperance, 156 39 24 93 At least one-half of those classed as temperate are idiots or lunatics a large proportion of the 24 are transient persons. ELIJAH WILCOX, Keeper. Expenses. County tax, $13,087 00 Of this sum there was raised to pay old arrear Mr. Reynolds (who is Clerk of Assembly) was absent; but I had access to his books and accounts, and with the assistance of his partner in the law business, obtained the above result, after a long and thorough investigation. I have since called on Mr. Reynolds who authorizes me to say that he believes it to be correct. He could not, of course, give his official signature to it without making the investigation himself. NEW-YORK.-Population 203,007. Return of the number of persons committed to the City Prison and Bridewell, of the City of New-York, during the year 1833, for the following crimes, viz: Misdemeanors, not included in above, Prisoners committed under the five day act for 13 1 1 63 507 3,066 3,112 909 2,096 59 13 29 6 3,112 909 2,203 Committed to Penitentiary on examination,. House of Refuge,.. Alms-House, Deduct the number fully committed, from the Committed during the year,... 5,269 There were also committed to the penitentiary for vagrancy, during the year 1833, 800; of which number, one half were females. So great is the number of persons committed to this prison from the police-office, it is impossible for us to ascertain from reference to the names, who were or who were not, intemperate. It will be seen, however, by reference to the above statement, taken from the books of the establishment, that 507 were committed expressly for that offence. Of those committed for assault and battery, it is safe to say that 8 out of 10 are caused by intemperance; of those committed for disorderly conduct, at least 19 out of 20 are caused by the same; of the vagrants, all are intemperate. New-York, Feb. 24, 1834. S. H. JAQUES, Dep. Keeper. Alms-House. The whole number of paupers supported in the Alms-House during the year 1833, was 5,179; of which number, nine-tenths were such from intemperance, directly or indirectly. The number relieved or supported out of the house for 1833, was 3,830 families, average five persons in each, making 19,150. Of this number, it is probable that three-fourths are from intem perance, directly or indirectly." This may appear as a very great average, but the great number of aliens, which are continually pouring into the city from all quarters, and their confirmed habits of intoxication are such, that if either head of a large family get out of employ, they almost immediately come on the public for support. This being the fact, it will appear evident that either the great cause of poverty is intemperance, or that it induces those habits of laziness and idleness, which lead to poverty. The amount expended in the support of the inmates over and above their earnings, was $92,040 17; less by $6,000 than the year previous. Bellevue, Feb. 21, 1834. E. M. GUION, House of Refuge. It is with difficulty I can confine myself here to the particular object of my inquiry; I will say, however, that after having examined the reports of this institution, which are published annually, and after a cursory personal examination of the establishment, I hardly know which presents the highest claims to my admiration the admirable manner in which it is managed, the rare union of security and comfort which it presents, or the plan itself, of thus placing these "juvenile delinquents," whose depraved morals and vicious conduct rendered their confinement indispensable, in a situation which to them is truly a REFUGE; a refuge from hunger and nakedness; a refuge from the corrupting example of older and more hardened adepts in wickedness; at the same time, that it is a school for the improvement of their minds and the cultivation of their moral. Could the annual reports of the House of Refuge be more extensively circulated and read by our citizens, its merits would be better understood and its value better appreciated. In my visit to the Refuge, I obtained information of much value in relation to the subject of temperance. In every case where a delinquent is received, an examination is made as to his former occupation and habits, &c. and those of his parents, and the result of these investigations is committed to writing, and such parts as are deemed proper, are embraced in their yearly reports. Five of these reports, Mr. Hart, the Superintendent, was so kind as to give me, commencing with the sixth, and including the ninth, which is the last. In the sixth, there is the following summary of the six preceding years, of which I avail myself. "Character of the parents of children received into the Refuge since it was opened on the first of January, 1825." Parents been in Bridewell, 35; Penitentiary, 16; State-Prison, 2; Intemperate, 464; Houses of ill-fame, 9; parents allow children to steal, 10: parents receiving the avails of stealing, 8. The whole number received in 6 years, 834. Boys,... 668 206 Mr. Wood, the assistant superintendent, was so obliging as to take up the book in which the entries above alluded to are made, and examine every case of those admitted the last year. We found the whole number, 129. In a great many cases, the habits of the parents could not be ascertained; some were dead; numbers died with the cholera; others had deserted their children, and left the country; but from the memorandums which had been made, we ascertained the following particulars : In 36 cases, both parents were known to be intemperate; in 25 cases, one; making 61 instances in which one or both were intemperate, or more than one-half the number of children received. Besides this, in 22 cases where the parents are not known, or are supposed to be temperate, the children are' themselves intemperate; making 83 cases where one or both the parents or the child were intemperate; and 8 more cases, where one or both parents and child were intemperate. There are a great many interesting and disgusting particulars, which I took down, that might throw light on the contaminating nature of vice, but these I omit as not being within the range of my particular inquiries, and hardly proper for the public eye. I add the following valuable certificate from Mr. Hart, the Superintendent. MR. CHIPMAN, Dear Sir,-From full and satisfactory proof, we know that a considerable more than half of the parents of the children committed to this institution are decidedly intemperate; but from our own observations and experience for several years past, we have no hesitation in indulging the belief that nine-tenths of the parents whose children come under our care, are intemperate, either one or both; and it is painful beyond degree, occasionally to see a fine mother visiting her son or daughter at the Refuge; and our minds are frequently led to wonder that such a parent should have been so unfortunate, as to have a beloved child wander from the paths of propriety and rectitude; but alas !-when the whole story is told, the father had become intemperate, and the care and sustenance of her large family of children devolve upon a mother, who but recently was in affluent, or comfortable circumstances; but now has to leave her babes to take care of each |