There is no poor-house in this county, and the clerk of supervisors assured me that the accounts of the county were in such a state, that it was impossible to give me any satisfactory information in relation to the objects of my inquiry. The cause of this state of accounts, I understood, was the negligence of the officers of the several towns in not rendering their accounts to the Board. ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY.-Population 36,354.

Of the temperate, two were lads one of whom made free use of ardent spirits; the third was a lad, the son of a drunkard.— Another was a woman who committed a nun ber of forgeries in order to obtain opium; was previous to her contracting this habit, a woman of fair character and respectability.

Of the three, one was committed for selling ardent spirits, he drank it also; another also, is known to drink spirits. Of the 38, onǝ was a young man, once very respectable, became intemperate, and has been in jail twice for assault and battery, and once for petit larceny; another was a woman for threatening to kill her husband; and two men for whipping their wives. L. BUCK, Sheriff.

Canton, 15th Jan. 1834.

Of the doubtful, two are said to be intemperate, one other was a hard drinker, and another is a boatman and probably intemperate. There is one who was once a man of property, drank freely and is now a pauper..

Among the intemperate, is a woman and four children; the husband was sent to jail for stealing a barrel of whiskey, and his family was sent to the poor-house. Eleven others were the wives and children of two drunken brothers, who abandoned them in the street; one of the women gave birth to a child a few hours after she was brought here, and the other in a few weeks.

About 150 others have received assistance during the year who have not been brought here, as our establishment was not large enough to accommodate them. I have no doubt whatever, that

quite as large a proportion of these were reduced to poverty by intemperance, as of those who were assisted here. MINOT JENISON, Keeper.

PRESTON KING,

Supervisor of Oswegatchie.

Mr. Perkins, the clerk of the board, being absent, Mr. King, being acquainted with the business of the county and familiar with its pecuniary concerns, made an examination of the accounts of the clerk, and gave the above statement.

SUFFOLK COUNTY.-Population 26,780

Jail.

Whole No. imprisoned since 5th June last,.... 25
Temperate,

6

4

15

Of the temperate, one was imprisoned as a fraudulent debtor, and was acquitted; three others were acquitted; the fifth and sixth are persons of color, now in jail.

Of the doubtful one is said to be intemperate, another is probably intemperate, the third appeared to be intemperate. Of the intemperate, one has been convicted of KILLING HIS WIFE; another is in jail, charged with SHOOTING HIS WIFE.

River-Head, 3d March, 1834.

HENRY T. PENNY, Jailer.

No poor-house, and but 2 or 3 persons that have been assisted the past year as county poor.

....

Expenses.

Of which was raised to repair court-house

County tax,

and jail,

$2,924 83

500 00

$2,424 83

$145 00

1,270 40

1,415 40

$1,009-43

N. B. The amount ordered to be raised by the several towns for the support of their own poor, was $6,850. It will at once be seen that the people pay more than twice as much for the support of the poor of the several towns as for all their county expenses.

It would have been very desirable to ascertain the cause that had reduced so many of the people of Suffolk county to poverty, but there were obstacles in the way which would have effectually prevented my obtaining accurate information had I attempted it. From the inquiries I made however, I have no doubt that as large a proportion of the town as of the county paupers, are reduced to poverty by intemperance. Suppose that only three-fourths are made paupers in this way, the proportion of the expense, that is, three-fourths of $6,850 is $5, 138, or more than twice the whole sum raised for the ordinary contingent expenses of the county. Here is unquestionably a serious evil. Where is the good to counter

balance it?

The one put down as temperate was a lad, a foreigner. The other six were very intemperate ; one for abuse to his family, and another for assault and battery with intent to kill, and for sending a challenge.

Monticello Dec. 5th, 1833.

Poor-House.

B. GRAY, Jailer.

Whole No. received into this poor-house during the

One of the doubtful was a transient women, the other was a poor girl, who was here but a few days. I had no knowledge of

her parents.

Dec. 6th, 1833.

CORNELIUS YOUT, keeper.

County tax,

Expenses.

$4,235 98

Amount carried forward,........ $

E

$1,059 76

P. F. HUNN, Clerk of Sup'rs,

TIOGA COUNTY.-Population 27,690.

Jail at Elmira.

men.

E. B. TUTHILL, Jailer.

It will be at once perceived that the criminals in the western jury district of Tioga county are a remarkably temperate set of This certificate exhibits a very striking contrast to those of the other jailers in the State, and especially to that of Mr. Armstrong, of the eastern jury district. I have evidence which I might exhibit in regard to this certificate, but I deem it perfectly unnecessary to do so. The common sense of the community will apply the necessary corrective.

Poor House.

$443 39

The reason why so small a balance is left is probably this; about $3,000 was raised in 1831, and placed in the hands of the superintendents of the poor, which rendered it necessary to raise less in 1832, and of course diminished the amount of county tax for that

year.

T. MAXWELL, Clerk Sup.

One of the two doubtful was an intemperate man, but I cannot say that his intemperance was the cause of his committing the act for which he was in prison. Two of the intemperate were charged with abuse to their families; one was committed twice for this offence.

FRANCIS ARMSTRONG,

Under Sheriff and Jailer, eastern jury dist. Tioga co. Owego, 28th Nov. 1833.

N. B. A number of others were locked up here until they got sober.

Particulars. Of the temperate, one was a man of color who committed an assault upon a drunken white man, who insulted him ; five were acquitted on trial, and another has not yet been tried. Of the intemperate, one, a notorious drunkard, was committed on conviction for petit larceny, to 30 days imprisonement, and on being discharged stole three of the blankets from his cell, concealing them under his clothes. He was apprehended and convicted of petit larceny, second offence, and sent to state prison. One was committed for assault and battery upon his brother, with intent to kill; was convicted and sentenced to state prison 7 years. He was, when not under the influence of ardent spirits, an inoffensive good natured man. He had lain in jail at different times in the last four years, at least a year and a half. One, a son, sent here for beating his mother; and three husbands for abuse of their wives.