THE 
 
 TEMPERANCE LECTURER: 
 
 BEING FACTS GATHERED FROM A PERSONAL EXAMINATION OF ALL THE 
 
 JAILS AND POOR-HOUSES 
 
 STATE OF NEW-YOBB. 
 
 AND OF NUMBERS IN 
 
 Maine, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, &c- 
 
 SHOWING THE EFFECTS OF INTOXICATING DRINKS IN PRODUCING 
 
 TAXES, PAUPERISM AND CRIME. 
 
 ALSO FACTS SHOWING THE NUMBER AND PROPORTION OF 
 
 DEATHS FROM INTEMPERANCE, 
 
 DISCUSSION ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE 
 
 LICENSE LAW, DUTIES AND POWERS OF BOARDS OF EXCISE, At, 
 
 ADDRESSED TO 
 
 ARISTARCHUS CHAMPION, Esq, 
 
 By SAMUEL OHIFMAN. 
 
 ALBANY. 
 
 1846. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 The first thirty pages contain the statistics of the state of New-York, from an examination of Jails, Poor* 
 
 Houses, See., the counties arranged in alphabetical order. The statistics of Vermont, Massachusetts and 
 
 Connecticut follow, as in my former report. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Recent examinations in other states—also in alphabetical order,... 36 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 References to facts showing the effects of intemperance in producing domestic discord and human 
 degradation—Rochester Orphan Asylum—Charity School at Elizabethtown, New-Jersey-Frequent cases 
 of death which came under my notice,. 42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Deaths, from an examination of four counties—Cholera statistics and a great variety of facts bearing 
 on this subject—deaths from intemperance,. 40 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Adulteration of liquor,. 49 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Summary of my former report, including the number of Criminals and Paupers, nnd the amount of 
 Taxes—Also Quantity of Spirits used in the United States—State of New-York—Cost of it, &c.. to 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Traffic Immoral—Remarks of Rev. Mr. Pierport, of Boston—Objections answered—The pledge, • • • • 62 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Total abstinence—Objections to Christians joining temperance societies—Temperance a substitute for 
 religion, Jcc—No alcohol in grain,. 66 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The inconsistency of the License Law, and the propriety and constitutionality of prohibitory legisla* 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 duties and powers cf Boards of Excise—The responsibilities of tavern keepers—with the opinion of 
 Judge Savage, Chancellor Kent, Timothy Jenkins, Esq., Col. Young and J. C. Spencer, Esq.,. 6 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Traffic unprofitable,... 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The influence of the traffic on Republican Government,... 61 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Temperance reform favorable to the progress of religion,... & 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Anecdotes,. C 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 What is the remedy,.. 8 
 
 Entebxd, according to act of Congress, in the year 1842, 
 
 Bv Samobl Chipblan, 
 
 In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the Northern District of New-York. 
 
 CLAV'-y 
 
REPORT 
 
 OF AN 
 
 EXAMINATION OF POOR HOUSES, JAILS, &e, &c- 
 
 Aristarchus Champion, Esq. 
 
 Dear Sir —I am now prepared to make an exhibit of the result of an ex¬ 
 amination, which your liberality, with the blessing of God has enabled me to under¬ 
 take and accomplish, to which I have devoted nine months’ time, and in which I 
 have travelled more than 4,500 miles. It may not be improper to state here, the 
 reasons which led me to propose this examination. I had become fully satisfied 
 that in our efforts to advance the cause of temperance, facts must be our principal 
 reliance. I saw one great field yet but partially explored, wdiere a rich harvest of 
 facts might be gathered. I proposed to you sir, to assist me—to furnish me the means 
 —to explore. You very liberally and promptly complied with my request. The 
 field to which I allude is Poor Houses and Jails —connecting with them the ex¬ 
 pense of pauperism, as well as the expense of the administration of criminal justice. 
 I commenced my tour of examination on the first of July, and have visited all the 
 counties of the stale, the results of which I hereby submit to your consideration. 
 
 It may excite surprise that I should speak of this as a field but partially explored. 
 I do not mean by this, that much had not been said and written in relation to it, and 
 facts gathered and presented having an important bearing upon the subject of tem¬ 
 perance. I do not mean that the most casual observer had not seen that the im¬ 
 providence and idleness which lead to poverty and furnish tenants for our poor 
 houses,—that the recklessness, the profligacy, and crime, 'which people our jails, 
 w r ere the legitimate offspring of ardent spirits : but I do mean that the statements 
 which have been made in relation to them, have very seldom been the result of a 
 critical examination. Of this I was satisfied before I commenced my tour, and in 
 the progress of it I have found abundant evidence to show that this opinion was well 
 founded. The superintendents of the poor and the keepers of poor houses had gi¬ 
 ven their opinions. Sheriffs and jailers had done the same ; but not a single Distance 
 have I found where an actual -examination had been made into the case of each pau¬ 
 per and criminal—where all of them had been classed. The statements, many of 
 them, might have been correct, but they were not known to be so. Ground was 
 still left for cavilling. This I thought possible to remove, and so to fortify the facts 
 presented, by the evidence we should adduce, that if incredulity herself would not 
 subscribe to their correctness, she should not be able to disprooe them. How well 
 I have succeeded the results must show. 
 
 The expense of the support of the poor has been frequently and correctly given; 
 but I have never seen a- statement which even pretended to have been obtained by 
 an actual investigation, showing the expense incurfed in a single count}', for ad- 
 
ministering and executing the laws relating to criminal justice. I may go further, 
 I have not found a clerk of supervisors, although many of them are men of the first 
 intelligence—lawyers, legislators, and judges—who had ever before attempted to 
 collect and add together, the various sums which constitute this item of expenditure * 
 and I have frequently been amused at the surprise which they expressed when they 
 have ascertained the amount. I nave also given the amount of county tax to each 
 eounty, that it might be seen how large a sum was left, after deducting the expense 
 of the poor, and criminal justice, applicable to other purposes. I consider this a 
 very important part of the object of my investigation; for however trifling the pe¬ 
 cuniary evils resulting from intemperance may appear to the Christian and the phi¬ 
 lanthropist, when compared with those of a moral character, yet while the love of 
 money so powerfully influences mankind, and is so instrumental in corrupting their 
 morals, it cannot be amiss to remove misapprehensions on this point, and to show 
 them, that instead of making money by making paupers and criminals, they are only 
 increasing their taxes. 
 
 The course which I have pursued in obtaining these statistics is this: I have 
 called on the keepers of jails and poor houses—requested them to take their book 
 which contains the names, &c. of those committed—to go back one year and exam¬ 
 ine each name separately—to tell me who was temperate, and who was intemperate; 
 and where the habits of any one were not known, to say so ; while I took my pen 
 and marked according as they belonged to one of the three classes— temperate, in¬ 
 temperate, or doubtful. Th o footing of the three would give the whole number of 
 inmates for the year. In poor houses the inquiry was whether the poverty which 
 brought them there was occasioned by intemperance—their own or that of their re¬ 
 latives. In jails the questions were as to their own intemperance, although as you 
 will perceive from my certificates, I occasionally, where I found the names of quite 
 young persons, extended my examination farther, and inquired into the habits of the 
 parents. This however did not alter the classification. I embraced it in my cer¬ 
 tificate only as showing the influence of intemperance in parents, on the moral cha¬ 
 racter of their children, and consequently upon their standing in society, and their 
 destinies in future life. I found in almost every jail, some lads from ten to fifteen 
 years of age—but very few, however, were known to be intemperate ; neither was 
 it known that any of them, according to my recollection, practiced on principles of 
 total abstinence. 
 
 In giving the information called for, there has, in my opinion, been extreme cau¬ 
 tion used; but as I was asking for information, I could not of course, dictate the 
 answer that should be given—especially as my object was not to obtain some gene¬ 
 ral expression of opinion, but an official certificate—one which it was understood 
 was to be published, and which the person giving it would meet in his own county, 
 where any error or mis-statement might be detected and exposed. 
 
 I have no hesitation in saying that the facts thus obtained are entirely within the 
 bounds of truth, and exhibit a less vivid picture of the evils of intemperance than 
 would be exhibited, could all the doubtful cases be ascertained, and these individu- 
 
 * Since the above was written I have found two eiceptions, Otsego and Schenectady. 
 
5 
 
 als be ranked in one of the other classes, where they might appear to belong. As 
 evidence of this, I would state, that I have repeatedly had the means, subsequent to 
 my examination at the jail or poor house, of ascertaining as to many of those classed 
 as doubtful in my certificate, and in every case, without a solitary exception,'such 
 information has transferred them to the intemperate, and not to the temperate class. 
 As I consider this somewhat important, I would particularly invite attention to the 
 supplementary certificate of the jailer of Jefferson county. So confident am I that 
 there is no exaggeration, that what I exhibit as facts will bear the closest examina¬ 
 tion, instead of soliciting the indulgence of the public, from an apprehension that too 
 high a coloring, in some instances, may have been given—I here fearlessly, not as a 
 mere bravado, but in sober earnest, invite and challenge the strictest scrutiny. 
 
 It now remains for me to show how I obtained my information in relation to the 
 expense incurred in the administration of criminal justice. This was by far the 
 most difficult part of the business of my agency. The course pursued was this:— 
 I called on the clerk of supervisors in each county, who examined the entries made 
 of the accounts of the different county officers, as audited by the hoard. Those 
 which belonged to criminal business only, were the bills of the district attorney, the 
 jailers, grand jurors, justices and constables. (In these were occasional items be¬ 
 longing to civil business.) The hills of the county clerk, sheriff, and crier we 
 examined, and separated the items which related to civil from those which arose out 
 of the administration of criminal-justice. The pay of judges, petit jurors, and con¬ 
 stables for attending court, the clerk apportioned according to his own judgment— 
 in some few instances taking one-half, but generally one-third, and in some coun¬ 
 ties, where the criminal bore a small proportion to the amount of civil business, on¬ 
 ly one-fourth. So much of the pay of supervisors was included as was supposed to 
 be a fair compensation for that portion of their time which was occupied in auditing 
 these accounts. This, however, and some other small accounts, were entirely omit¬ 
 ted in a few of the first counties that I visited. In fact, the expense of criminal bu¬ 
 siness, as put down in the several counties, will be found, in almost every case, to 
 be below the actual expenditure. 
 
 As I have before in substance remarked, the pecuniary considerations connected 
 with the subject of temperance, are absolutely so contemptible, when compared with 
 those of a moral nature, that it is humiliating to be obliged to give the former so 
 great a prominence when presenting motives designed to influence the minds of 
 our fellow men ; still, if there are those that cannot be affected except by the love 
 of gain-—if there is no chord in their hearts that can be touched by representations 
 of domestic misery—of bodily and mental suffering—and even the everlasting dis¬ 
 pleasure of their Maker, we must, however humiliating and revolting to our feel¬ 
 ings, let dollars and cents, the god of this ivorld, make their appeal. 
 
 It now, Sir, remains for me to give the information thus obtained, in doing which 
 I shall take the counties in alphabetical order—omitting the form of the certificate, 
 except in Allegany, as it is essentially the same in all giving, however, the ex¬ 
 planations which are embodied in many of them, together with the names of the of¬ 
 ficers by whom they are subscribed. And here it may not be improper to remark, 
 
that in many cases, these gentlemen were not members of temperance societies, yet 
 I uniformly received from them the most courteous treatment; and they promptly 
 entered upon the investigation, although often at a sacrifice of their own convenience, 
 and considerable interruption to their business. There were, it is true, a. few cases 
 in which their prejudices led jailers and keepers of poor houses, (more particularly 
 the former,) to make the number of temperate as large as possible. In such instan¬ 
 ces, the “ particulars” contained in their certificates, will serve to explain and cor¬ 
 rect this bias. There are some instances, also, where I did not, and do not believe, 
 that the classification is strictly correct. There are a few cases where prejudice 
 against the temperance cause, may, perhaps, have classed as temperate those who 
 might with propriety have been placed in one of the other classes. Temperance 
 men too, I have often thought, erred quite as much, in some instances, from extreme 
 caution. The explanations given in the certificates themselves, will be sufficient to 
 correct these errors. For instance, where the charges are given on which the tem¬ 
 perate were imprisoned, it is generally designed to show the degree of moral turpi¬ 
 tude implied in the charge, but the specifications to which I more particularly al¬ 
 lude, and to which I attach the most importance, are those where prisoners are 
 classed among the temperate or doubtful, who were committed for “ whipping their 
 wives,” for “ assault and battery,” for “ vagrancy,” “ for want of sureties to keep 
 the peace,” for “ profane swearing,” &c. &c. 
 
 After the explanations I have given, you will, I trust, be able to understand the 
 plan I have adopted—the reasons for it—and you will decide too, as to the manner 
 in which it has been executed. 
 
 In giving the statistics I commence with Albany county. 
 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 SAMUEL CHIPMAN 
 
>aving a balance applicable to BROOME COUNTY ,—Pop 
 
 other purposes, of. $10,879 14 JAIL. 
 
 m0 ^clrktfslp^isoT3. "Whole number committed 
 
 Many, mh 1833 . SST?:::::::::::: 
 
 ALLEGANY COUNTY—Population 26,276. Intemperate,. 
 
 JAIL. One of the intemperate w 
 
 Number committed for crime since 1st Janua- whipping his wife; andtwoc 
 
 , 1832—about 18 months, 57. _ ,_■ - - 
 
 . “ VINCENT WHITNEY, 1 o 
 
 . WM. CHAMBERLAIN,' > 
 
 . d4 STEPHEN WEED, S B 
 
 THOMAS, Keeper. Binghampton, 28 tk Nov., 183 
 inert a considerable 6 ' 
 
 -York, which I shall Expenses. 
 
 “• County tax for 1832,. 
 
 iegany county jail. Poor, (over and above re- 
 
 over one year, 24. $ | 
 
 Intemperate,. hi 
 
 Of the temperate one was acquitted—three 
 were lads of II, 14 and 16 years old, and one 
 or both parents in each family were intempe¬ 
 rate. JOHN F. WRIGHT, Jailer. 
 
 Angelica, 25th Fell., 1835. 
 
 Poor-House—Second examination. 
 
 From 1st January, 1835, to 22d Feb., 1836, 
 whole number received 20. 
 
 Not from intemperance, (all in one 
 family, the mother has fits and 
 
 the father very inefficient,). 7 
 
 Doubtful,. 3 
 
 Intemperate,. 1° 
 
 VIAL THOMAS, Keeper. 
 Judge Allen, who is better acquainted with 
 the pecuniary affairs of the county than any 
 other man, gave me the following: 
 
 County tax,. 
 
 For poor-house and farm,. 4,o00 
 
 Leaving as ordinary tax,. $7,500 
 
 Current expense of the poor,. $2,300 
 
 Expense of crime,. 3,568 
 
 Balance,. $712 13 
 
 M. WHITING, Clerk of Sup. 
 Mr. Whiting also states that after making de¬ 
 ductions of money received for the poor by li- 
 
 Purchase money for the farm and house was 
 about $4,000. 
 
 In theserfhree years there have been twelve 
 assisted, not reduced by intemperance. 
 CATTARAUGUS CO .—Population 16,724. 
 JAIL. 
 
 Whole number committed in one year, 17 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 14 
 
 The one that is put down as temperate was 
 
 I committed for not interfering to prevent a riot 
 in which a number of drunkards were engaged. 
 
 S. BARROWS, Sheriff. 
 Ellicottville, 5th August, 1833. 
 
11 
 
 CORTLAND COUNTY —Population 23,791. 
 
 JAIL. \ 
 
 Whole No. committed in one year, 23. 
 
 Temperate,. 5 
 
 Doubtful,. 6 
 
 Intemperate,. 12 
 
 Of the temperate, two were lads, one of whom 
 was committed for assisting his father to break 
 jail; and one was a man committed for profane 
 swearing! three for assault and battery!! 
 
 G. KINNEY, Jailer. 
 
 County tax in 1832,. $6,200 
 
 Poor,. $3,030 
 
 Criminal justice,. 1,926 
 
 - $4,956 
 
 Leaving a balance of. $1,244 
 
 DANIEL GOULD, Clerl of Sup. 
 
 DUTCHESS COUNTY—Population 50,926 
 JAIL. 
 
12 
 
 Poor-House. I 
 
 Whole number received into the poor-house *- 
 in one year, 235. 
 
 Not from intemperance,. 42 
 
 Doubtful,. 17 
 
 Intemperance, . 176 
 
 A. CALLENDER, Keeper. 
 
 I am confident that the keeper was over cau¬ 
 tious in his classification. A considerable num¬ 
 ber of the temperate were Canadians, necessa¬ 
 rily strangers previous to their admission. 
 
 Balance,. $811 51 
 
 EDMUND F. WILLIAMS, Clerk of Sup. 
 Elizabethtown, 23 d January, 1834. 
 
 Whole number committed in one year, 16 
 
 Doubtful,. 3 
 
 Intemperate,. 8 
 
Not reduced to pove 
 Doubtful, 
 
 Intemperance,. 
 
 y tax,.... $10,606 80 v 
 
 is sum was raised to pay for b; 
 
 and debts,. 2,000 00 It is more than probab 
 
 - tificate attributes much less to intemperance. 
 
 Leaving; as ordinary tax,... $8,606 80 than a more thorough knowledge and scrutiny 
 
 alter, gives me iouowmg result: M . w . G ILf 
 
 ole No. in the year, 71. Mr. Gilbert says that th 
 
 emperate, .. 5 I the county by the adoptici 
 
 ° uMfuI >. 1* I House system, is about 
 
 itemperate,. 48 f ac t for those states who 
 
 le doubtful, propably a majority were in- in the several towns. 
 
 and battery. ■ Number cc 
 
 ERSON COUNTY .—Population 48,515. Ia5t,31. 
 
 JAIL. ■ dSSuu 
 
 ile number committed in one year, 98. Intempe 
 
 smperate,. 22 There wer. 
 
 oubtful,. 8 JONA. 
 
Anil there is left for other purposes, $(!22 11 
 O. If. WILLEY, Clerk of Sup. 
 MADISON COUNTY —Population 30,037. 
 JAIL. 
 
 ut the doubtful, one is a vagrant, and two Of the ten 
 were foreigners. of color wli 
 
 EBENEZER CASEY, Keeper. sonment fro 
 Loimille, 31 si Aug. 1S33. ■ 
 
The number received into the poor-house, 
 ring the year, was 59. 
 
 Not from intemperance. 7 
 
 Doubtful,. 9 
 
 Intemperance,. 43 
 
 Expenses. 
 
 ranty tax,.$6,600 00 
 
 om this debt for cholera ex¬ 
 penses,. $500 
 
 >r repairing court-house,... 500 
 
 Expenses. 
 
 County tax, (1832,). $ 
 
 Expense of cholera and building 
 
 lance,. $857 58 
 
 EPENETUS HOLMES, Clerk of Sup 
 
 MONROE COUNTY .—.Population 49,862. 
 
 In relation to the expenses of poor, 
 ed my information from Wm. S. B: 
 Harvey Humphrey, Esqrs. 
 
 There was also about $5,000 raise 
 towns to support their own poor. 
 
 | . I add the following certificate, r 
 j gentlemen were so obliging as to furn 
 “ Of the number of criminals brous 
 Ius for trial, seven-tenths were in a st 
 toxication when before us, or when I 
 
admitted during t 
 of this number < 
 intemperance. I 
 to be the true stat 
 ed by intemperan 
 bably other cases. 
 
ANDRE 
 
 Clerk of Ihe Board of Supervisors, .the 
 ount of taxes and the expense of crime. I c , , 
 ilied to him personally, but lie was partial- p Qor y 
 ly engaged; he promised however to make Crime' 
 
 Intemperate,. 36 Intemperate',".’ 
 
 SAMUEL M. MOTT, Sheriff. Of the temperate, 
 Explanation ,—This jail is three miles from ting timber on land 
 ica, from which place a very large propor- own. One was acqi; 
 
22 
 
 County tax for 1833,. $13,912 <1 
 
 Poor,. $5,190 54 
 
 Criminal justice,. 4,666 63 
 
 - $9,857 1 
 
 Balanci 
 
 $4,055 28 
 
 LEVI C. TURNER, Clerk of Sup. 
 
 N. B. Mr. Turner was the first clerk of su- 
 , pervisovs I hail found, who had adopted the plan 
 I had pursued, of exhibiting the pecuniary evils 
 ' of intemperance. Mr. Turner is now (1842,) a 
 resident of Cleveland, Ohio, 
 amination of their jail and p 
 examination in regard to the expenses growing 
 out of the use of liquor, he has obtained a mass 
 of facts which have been spread befoi 
 pie, and doubtless laid the foundation 
 ry great revival of the temperance cause, which 
 has, during the last and present year, taken place 
 
 PUTNAM COUNTY_ Population 12,f 
 
 JAIL. 
 
 Whole No. committed since the 1st of March 
 last, (at which time I took charge of this jail, G. 
 
 Temperate,. 2 
 
 Doubtful,. 1 
 
 Intemperate,.. 3 
 
 QUEENS COUNTY .—Population 22,460. 
 Whole number in one year, 70. 
 
 One of the temperate was committed for as- 
 st.ult and battery, another was a pauper who had 
 threatened to burn the poor-house ! ! ! 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number assisted since the 19th of Feb. 
 last, 81. 
 
 Not from intemperance,. 19 
 
 Doubtful,.■.. 29 
 
 Intemperance,. 33 
 
 Among tiie temperate, are a number of idiots 
 and lunatics, and among the doubtful at 
 children. 
 
 _ I would not question Mr. TownsencVs vera¬ 
 city; he has certified to what he thought was 
 true; but who will believe that the parents of 
 all these 18 children, or even a majority of them, 
 were temperate. I have found but very few chil¬ 
 dren whose parents were temperate, supported 
 at the public expense. 
 
 Expenses. 
 
 County tax for 1833,. $3,200 
 
 Raised for the support of 
 
 the poor,. $2,140 00 
 
 .... 216.00' 
 
 - $2,356 00 
 
 e was imprisoned fordis- 
 from tiie chancellor; two 
 boys; two were females, 
 id proba- 
 i woman, 
 
 obeying an injunctio 
 for bastardy; twowc 
 Of the doubtful, two . 
 
 My intemperate; another 
 for abuse.. 
 
 JOHN SIMONSON, Sheriff 
 North Hempsted , March 1, 1834. 
 
 N. B. There is no county'poor-house in this 
 county. An individual is hired to keep them at 
 one dollar per week, ineluding all ages. I call- 
 , “Pon Mr. Tappan, who keeps them this year, 
 and who has, I believe, kept them a number of 
 3-ears past, and obtained the following statement. 
 
 ear, 31. 
 
 Whole number receii 
 
 Not from intemper;... 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 From intemperance,. 29 
 
 LEONARD TAPPAN. 
 Jericho, March 1, 1831. 
 
 Expenses. 
 
 County tax,. $5,135 0C 
 
 County poor,.$1,610 12 
 
 Crime,. l',9S2 74 _ 
 
 Balance,. $1,545 14 
 
 county, each main- 
 -,—, at an aggregate ex 
 
 pense of $4,300. 
 
 JOSEPH DODGE, Clerk of Sap. 
 
 N. Hempsted, March 1,1S34. 
 
 . the county 
 49,424. 
 
 
 Dec. 14, 
 
 N. B. Jurors are not paid in this count)-, and 
 none of the expense of summoning jurors is in- 
 
 lve each their own poor-house. 
 
 RENSSELAER CO_ Popula 
 
 JAIL. 
 
 Whole number committed in the month of 
 January last, 66. 
 
 Temperate,. 4 
 
 Doubtful,. 12 
 
 Intemperate,. 50 
 
 Of this number, (66,) 13 were for assault and 
 battery; 6 disorderly conduct; 26 for breach of 
 "'-peace; 5 were intemperate females; and 6 
 re men for whipping their wives, or abuse to 
 their families. 
 
 The whole number committed during the year 
 533, was 1,275; and I have no doubt that they 
 would average about the same as for the month 
 
 Among the doubtful, are two men who are 
 generally considered as temperate, but were in¬ 
 toxicated at the time they committed the offen- 
 for which they were imprisoned. 
 
MINOT JENISON, Keeper, 
 i Jan. 1834. 
 
 Expenses, 
 
 . $13,661 46 
 
 . $7,702 79 
 
 . 3,648 35 ^ ^ ^ 
 
 . $2,310 32 
 
 PRESTON KING, 
 Supervisor of Osmegatchie. 
 
 COUNTY_ Population 26,780. 
 
 is the gooi 
 SULLIV. 
 
 Whole i 
 
 JAIL. . 
 
 ier imprisoned since 5th of June 
 
 Monticei 
 
 6 
 
 ful one is said to be intemperate; 
 bably intemperate; the third ap- 
 itemperate. Of the intemperate, 
 
 charged with shooting his wife. 
 HENRY T. PENNY, Jailer. 
 3d March, 1834. 
 
 during the 
 Temp 
 Doubt 
 
 the other i 
 few days. 
 
 Dee. 6,: 
 
 d Examination in 1835. 
 
 JAIL. 
 lommittcd, 38 
 
 . 6 
 
 te,. 27 
 
 temperate used spirits. Of the 
 
 re for whipping their wives, one 
 
 le woman, twice, for threatening; 
 a woman; one deranged by in- 
 ne man for killing his wife, both 
 
 County ta: 
 
 Rah 
 
 TIOGi 
 
 HENRY T. PENNY. Jailer. 
 
conduct, one for stealing fowls, a 
 for petit larceny; nearly all of the 
 torious drunkards, one of whom w; 
 
 ause of liis. committing the act for which he ( 
 ras in prison; tw'o of the intemperate were t 
 liarged with abuse to their families. One was 
 ommittcd twice for this offence. 
 
 FRANCIS ARMSTRONG. 
 
 Under Sheriff and Jailer, 
 eastern jura district Tioga co. 
 Ornego, Nov. 2S, 1833. ‘ 
 
 N. B. A number of others were locked up 
 ntil they got sober. 
 
 FRANCIS ARMSTRONG. 
 
 Not from intemperance,. 
 
 Doubtful,. 
 
 01 ' SAMUEL HASBROUC1 
 
WARREi 
 
JAIL. 
 
 Temperate,. 3 
 
 Doubtful, . 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 20 
 
 One of those classed as temperate made free 
 use of spirits, but could not be considered a 
 drunkard; his offence, an assault and battery on 
 - woman; another made use of spirits, and was 
 imprisoned for whipping his wife! 
 
 JACOB FOSHA.Y, Jailer. 
 
 White-Plains , Dee: 12,1833. 
 
 The county clerk says that he knows the per¬ 
 son last mentioned, and that he was very intem- 
 fere'l. 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number assisted during a year, 374. 
 
 It was not convenient for the 
 keeper to make an examination 
 
 Intemperance,.’ 50 
 
 Particulars.— Eight of these belong to one 
 family, and the father makes free use of ardent 
 spirit. I have however classed them as not re¬ 
 duced to poverty by intemperance. 
 
 ISRAEL CIIISSOM, Keeper 
 Expenses, 
 
 County tax,. $6,900 00 
 
 In this was included, to pay towards 
 poor-house, &c. 2,136 70 
 
 Ordinary tax,. 4,763 30 
 
 Poor,. $1,676 97 
 
 Criminal justice,. 850 00 
 
 1 —-- $2,526 97 
 
 Leaving for other purposes,. $2,536 33 
 
 JOHN POWELL, Clerk of Sup. 
 
32 
 
 last, there were about fifty-five persons assisted 
 as paupers by the town of Pittsfield, whom I 
 class as follows: 
 
 Not reduced to poverty by intem¬ 
 
 perance, . 13 
 
 Doubtful,.... 18 
 
 From their own intemperance or 
 
 that of their relatives,. 24 
 
 Of the doubtful, are a number who were in 
 the poor-house but a short time, and I had no 
 
 children whose parents I did not know, and five 
 others were transient foreigners. The expense 
 of the poor for the first year was about §800, 
 and the last year about $540. 
 
 DANIEL H. FRANCIS. 
 The poor tax formerly paid by this town was 
 generally more than $1,200. I 
 
 Mr. Francis has had charge of the poor a 
 
 There arc about twenty trials on criminal 
 prosecutions in this county annually, the expense 
 of which may probably be estimated at §25 each 
 trial. 
 
 H. ROBINSON, 
 
 Clerk of Sup. and County Courts. 
 
 I made very few examinations in Vermont; 
 among that few was one in regard to the poor 
 of the town of Monkton, and this grew out of 
 the circumstance of my being told that of the 
 whole number oi paupers in that small town, 35 
 in all, every one was brought to poverty by in¬ 
 temperance. I expressed an opinion that if 
 every case was examined, exceptions would be 
 
 —not one about which there could be any doubt. 
 In one family there were 7; in two, 6 each; in 
 another 5; in two others 4 each in another 3, 
 
 number of years. 
 
 Poor of Williamstowr » 
 
 Whole number assisted in one year, 29 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 10 
 
 Intemperate,. 18 
 
 Of the doubtful is a family of eight persons, 
 the parents of which make free use of spirits. 
 One of those reduced to poverty by intempe¬ 
 rance is a woman whose husband is in state pri¬ 
 son for beating her while he was intoxicated. 
 
 HENRY RAYMOND, 
 One of the Overseers of the Poor. 
 
 STEPHEN HOSFORD, 
 Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and 
 late one of the Overseers of the Poor. 
 
 Whole number committed in one year, 5. 
 
 Doubtful,. 1 
 
 Intemperate,. 4 
 
 JESSE LOOMIS, Jr., Jailer. 
 Bennington, May 13,1834. 
 
 Poor of the town of Bennington. 
 Whole number in one year, 12. 
 
 Temperate,. 4 
 
 Doubtful,. 3 
 
 Intemperate,. 5 
 
 | and another 1. 
 
 This examination was made by Luman Smith, 
 Esq. and Judge Collins. 
 
 ALBANY POLICE OFFICE. 
 
 As every person charged with crime in the city, 
 must be brought before the Police Court for tri¬ 
 al or examination, I took my station in the office, 
 and for three weeks took down a brief memo¬ 
 randum of facts in most of the cases—some 
 were brought up when I was not in the offico— 
 of others I could not decide.' The details were 
 
 ly, and they were embraced in an address to 
 the Hon. Erastus Corning, then Mayor of the 
 city, and six thousand copies were struck off in 
 handbill form and circulated through the city. 
 Some of the details were of an interesting cha¬ 
 racter, but I do not think a republication of 
 them at this stage of the temperance reform 
 would he advisable. The following is a sum¬ 
 mary of most of the cases: 
 
 Whole number in 3 weeks, 85. 
 
 Temperate,. 4 
 
 Doubtful,. 5 
 
 Intemperate,. 76 
 
 deed, the facts connected with some of the : 
 interesting cases are of such a character o 
 render the propriety of embodying them in 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 RECENT EXAMINATIONS IN OTHER STATES, 
 
 IK ALPHABETICAL OltDER. 
 
 The ample details which I have given in my , 
 report of thejailsand poor-houses of New-York, 
 may he deemed abundant to show the moral and 
 pecuniary evils growing out of the use of intoxi-! 
 eating drinlts, but it may be important to show 
 that their effects are uniform—that other states 
 suffer equally with our own. I therefore will 
 give a few facts gathered from the same sources 
 in other districts and states where I have had 
 opportunities to examine. 
 
 I will be as brief as possible and will com¬ 
 mence with 
 
 DELAWARE. 
 
 Newcastle County Jail. 
 
 Whole No. committed in sixteen months, 84. 
 
 Temperate,. 9 
 
 Doubtful,. 14 
 
 Intemperate,. 61 | 
 
 Of the temperate one is an old woman who 
 will live in jail, and when turned out commits 
 some act to get re-committed. One was a 
 colored man for killing a white man for impro¬ 
 per intimacy with his wife. Of the intempe¬ 
 rate, one for negro stealing, two for assault and 
 battery, three for manslaughter!! two for mur¬ 
 der!!! and three for whipping their wives. 
 
 WM. E. MOORE, Sheriff. 
 
 Newcastle, March 31,1842. 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number assisted in one year, 140. 
 
 Temperate,. 66 
 
 Doubtful,. 28 
 
 Intemperate,. 56 
 
 H. F. ASKEW, M. D. 
 
 Wilmington, April 1st, 1842. 
 
 N. B. I will not attempt to account for the 
 very great difference between the proportion re¬ 
 duced to poverty by intemperance here and in 
 other states. 
 
 INDIANA. 
 
 Dearborn County Jail. 
 
 Whole number committed in 11 months, 17. 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate,. 16 
 
 WM. GLASGOW, Jailer. 
 Wilmington, March %th, 1841. 
 
 Floyd County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in 13 months, 27. 
 
 Temperate,. 6 
 
 Doubtful,. 4 
 
 Intemperate,. 17 
 
 Of the temperate three were lads for stealing 
 pies. WM. B- GREENE, Jailer. 
 
 New-Albauy, April 6,1841. 
 
 Franklin County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in one year, 6. 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate,..'. 5 
 
 Two for whipping their wives. 
 
 LEWIS BRIGGS, Jailer. 
 Brookville, 22d March, 1841. 
 
 Jefferson County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in about 15 months, 39. 
 
 Temperate,. 3 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 34 
 
 One of the temperate uses liquor and was sent 
 here for a riot!! Of the intemperate four were 
 committed twice each—two, three times, and 
 one five times—four for whipping their wives— 
 one three times for that offence. 
 
 S. E. HATCHER, Jailer. 
 
 Madison, April 10, 1840. 
 
 MAINE. 
 
 Bangor Jail. 
 
 Whole number committed in about one year. 
 
 Temperate,. 7 
 
 Doubtful,. 23 
 
 Intemperate,. 53 
 
 Of the temperate, one was a young girl for 
 arson, whose mother was intemperate—the 
 others were lads. Of the doubtful, three were 
 lads under 14 years old, whose fathers were in¬ 
 temperate—two others for assault and battciy— 
 one for assault on hi? wife—one was a vaga¬ 
 bond, and one rum-seller for assault and battery. 
 (How much temperance was there probably 
 among them all?) Of the intemperate 18 were 
 committed as common drunkards—two for whip¬ 
 ping their wives. 
 
 GEO. WELLINGTON, Keeper 
 Bangor, Jan. 6th, 1840. 
 
Whole number in 10 months, 50. 
 
 Temperate,. 
 
 Doubtful,. 
 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 )r that offence—three 
 imes—two deranged 
 man for killing his 
 H. JOHNSON. 
 
 NATHANIEL HAYWOOD, ll 
 Belfast, 4th March, 1810. 
 
 Poor of Canaan, Somerset count 
 
 Whole number in one year, 40. 
 
 Temperate,. 3 
 
 Doubtful,. 3 
 
 Intemperate,. 34 
 
 Average expense for the last 10 years, $1,000. 
 
 Temperate,. 
 
 Doubtful,. 
 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 In the year 1838, whole number, 11. 
 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 In the year 1839, whole number, 7. 
 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 In 1840, whole number, 8. 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 Champagne County Poor-House 
 
 Intemperance,. 7 
 
 JOSEPH SMITH, 
 Director of county Poor-House. 
 Wcslville, 15th Feb. 1841. 
 
 Whole number in a year, 10. 
 
 Temperate,. 5 
 
 Intemperate,. 5 
 
 Of the intemperate, two for whipping theiit 
 wives. E. PARKER, Jailer. 
 
 Whole number, 8. 
 
 Temperate,. 
 
 Intemperate,. 
 
 Of the intemperate, one 1 
 assault and battery—one for! 
 for burning the barn of a 
 committed suicide in jail. 
 
 Whole number in 16 months, 9. 
 
 Temperate,. 0 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 7 
 
 SAMUEL MORRISON, Jailer 
 
 1st June, 1840. 
 
Of the intemperate, for assault anil battery 
 four—larceny six, one the third time for that 
 offence—three for murder—three for whipping|| 
 their wives, one three times—three were girls— 
 
 Whole number si: 
 the 2d Nov. last, 18. 
 Temperate. ... 
 Doubtful,. 
 
 SANFORD HOWARD, 
 Superintendent. 
 
 Fei. 3d, 1841. 
 
 Perry County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in one year, 11. 
 
 Temper: 
 Doublf ' 
 
 Trumhull County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in one year, 16. 
 
 Temperate,. 4 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 10 
 
 Oflheintemperate five were for horse stealing 
 
 WARREN YOUNG, Sheriff. 
 Warren, June 22,1841. 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number, 16. 
 
 Temperate,. 6 
 
 Doubtful,. 4 
 
 JOHN LANE, Keeper. 
 Here was one case about which I knew. I 
 told the keeper it was not through intempe¬ 
 rance, but on reflection and inquiry, I find I was 
 mistaken. So that it should stand, 
 
 Temperate,. 5 
 
 Doubtful,. 4 
 
 Intemperate,. 7 
 
 This person was of one of the most respecta 
 ble families—her father has held two of the 
 the gift of the people of a 
 
 state. 
 
 Wan 
 
 n County Jail. 
 one year, 24. 
 
 Intemperate, . 13 
 
 Of the intemperate, one was a colored n _ 
 for killing his child—two for assault and battery 
 on females—one for whipping his wife—or 
 drowned himself when intoxicated. 
 
 Sent, by city authority, since Jan. 1840, 21. 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 18 
 
 Twelve were committed for drunkenness. 
 
 CHARLES MARTIN, Late Sheriff. 
 Chillicothc, June ith, 1841. 
 
 Stark County. 
 
 Whole numbi 
 Temperate, 
 Doubtful,.. 
 
 Also three by the 
 rate. 
 
 Lebanon, March 10, 1841. 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 Center County Jail. 
 
 AVhole number in one year, 11. 
 
 Temperate,. 2 
 
 Doubtful,. 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 7 
 
 Of the intemperate, one for horse stealing— 
 one for sheep stealing, and two for whipping 
 their wives. WILLTAM COOK, Keeper 
 Bellfonte, Jan. 25, 1842. 
 
 John Gardner died or was killed when intox¬ 
 icated, and the inquest and trial of the supposed 
 
 pers, a 
 
 5 made so by intern 
 300 per year. 
 
 Chester County Pi 
 
 AVhole num! 
 Temporal 
 Doubtful, 
 
 m for mur- 
 
 
40 
 
 battery—three for whipping their wive3, and 
 one sober woman for whipping her drunken 
 husband. ROBERT IRWIN, 
 
 Keeper of Prison. 
 Westchester, March 28,1842. 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number received in about 10 months, 
 
 220 . 
 
 Temperate,. 51 
 
 Doubtful,. 36 
 
 Intemperate,. 133 
 
 Of the intemperate, 13 had sore legs. Thir¬ 
 ty-nine died during the year, and nineteen of 
 them were intemperate. The last were all 
 adults, the temperate were, many of them, 
 children, some of a few days, or even hours, 
 old.. 
 
 The expense over and above all receipts from 
 the labor of the paupers, was $6,000. Mr. 
 Walker, the keeper, declined signing the above 
 lest he should injure the feelings of some of the 
 unfortunate individuals. 
 
 Of the three, one for larceny, one assault and 
 battery, and one for whipping his wife. 
 Mifflinton, Feb. 3, 1842. 
 
 I am unable to decipher the name of the per- 
 
 Lancaster County Jull. 
 
 Whole number males, 355. 
 
 Temperate,. 59 
 
 Doubtful,. 91 
 
 Intemperate,. 205 
 
 Whole number females, 30. 
 
 Temperate,. 2 
 
 Doubtful,. 4 
 
 Intemperate,. 24 
 
 Of both, 385. 
 
 Temperate,.. 61 
 
 Of intemperate, for assault and battery, 15; 
 for whipping their wives, 5; murder, 1. One 
 woman was committed eight times. 
 
 West Bradford, March 29,1842. 
 
 Columbia County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in eight months, 11. 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate,. 10 
 
 Two of the intemperate for abusing their 
 JOHN FRUIT, Sheriff 
 Danville, Jan. 4,1842. 
 
 Dauphin County Jail. 
 
 From 25th Oet. 1839, to Nov. 1840, whole 
 number, 110. 
 
 Temperate,. 21 
 
 A. E. ROBERTS, Sheriff. 
 
 I am authorized by the sheriff to say that he 
 docs not suppose there was, in the whole number, 
 one who did not make use of liquor. 
 
 The large business done at this jail will sur¬ 
 prise no one, when told that in Lancaster city, 
 with a population of a little over 8,000, there 
 were, last year, seventy-two licensed 
 taverns, besides groceries and stores where 
 spirits were sold. 
 
 Poor-House. 
 
 Whole number received in six months, 280. 
 
 Not from intemperance,. 19 
 
 Doubtful,. 75 
 
 Intemperance,. 186 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate, . 89 
 
 Of the temperate three for assault and batte¬ 
 ry!!! Of the intemperate four for whipping 
 their wives; twenty for larceny, thirty-one for 
 
 Harrisburg, Feb. 9,1842. 
 
 Erie County Jail. 
 
 Whole number committed in one year, 46. | 
 
 Temperate,..... 7 
 
 Doubtful,... 2 
 
 Intemperate,. 27 
 
 Of the intemperate four for assault and batte¬ 
 ry, one four times for that offence; two for 
 whipping their wives. 
 
 G. L. WOOD, Jailer. 
 
 Erie, June 28,1841. 
 
 Juniata County Jail. 
 
 Whole Nof committed, 4. 
 
 Temperate,. 1 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate,..:. 3 
 
 The temperate man was committed for assault 
 
 and battery on his intemperate brother-in-law. ] 
 
 Of the doubtful, 57 are put down so because 
 I do not recollect their persons. 
 
 HENRY MARKLEY, Keeper. 
 Lancaster, Feb. 24, 1842. 
 
 Lycoming County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in a little less than six months, 
 
 .Temperate,. 0 
 
 Doubtful,. 0 
 
 Intemperate,. 3 
 
 Two for whipping their wives, and the other 
 for assault and battery, and he had been hereto¬ 
 fore 18 months in jail for abusing his family. 
 
 HUGH DONLY', Sheriff. 
 
 been without a tenant for the last five or six 
 months. 
 
 Mifflin County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in 10 months, 84. 
 
 Temperate,. 6 
 
 Doubtful,. 3 
 
 Intemperate,. 75 
 
 Of the intemperate forty were sent here for 
 intemperance; twenty for assault and batteiy; 
 
4i 
 
 two for arson; one for rape, and two for whip- j 
 njnn their wives. A. OSBORNE, Jailer. 
 Lewiston, Jan. 31,1842. 
 
 Northumberland County Jail. 
 
 Whole number in two years and two months, 
 
 23 . 0 
 
 Doubtful,. 1 
 
 Intemperate,. 18 
 
 Of the intemperate, five for assault and bat¬ 
 tery, one for arson, one woman for assault and 
 
 battery, and three men for whipping their 
 ff ives. HENRY GOSSLIN, Sheriff. 
 
 Sunbury, Jan. 10, 1842. 
 
 lie Medical wards for men, there are 58 
 adults—16 temperate and 40 intemperate. 
 
 tale Surgical wards, there are 40—tempe- 
 3, intemperate 30. 
 
 he Female Medical wards, 60—temperate 
 
 Intemperate,. 3 
 
 RICHARD LANCASTER, Sheriff. 
 Bethany, Dec. 3,1841. 
 
 Whole number in the above jails of Pennsyl¬ 
 vania, which I examined at different periods, 
 
 Temperate,... 
 
 Doubtful,. 
 
 Intemperate,.. 
 
 Doct. J. R. Burden, one of the guardians of 
 poor for the city of Philadelphia, says that in 
 the Surgical wards for men, in the alms-house, 
 there are 86 patients, all intemperate. 
 
 is and females in the hospital, then 
 
 le 186. 
 
 alms-house 410 adult males—temperate 
 it 48, and 362 are, or have been intem¬ 
 perate. Females 184—temperate 40, intempe¬ 
 rate 144. 
 
 In the old women's asylum, there are 150. 
 The majority arc at present decent and orderly, 
 
 ■ ■ their poverty may, in general, be traced to 
 gular habits in former years, either in them¬ 
 selves or tlieir husbands. Only 25 cases can be 
 misfortune, and these ai 
 lie part of the hi 
 asylum, there are 9C_ 
 
 asylum 9S, and about the same proportion of 
 temperate and intemperate. There are 150 
 children in the different wards of the Institution, 
 the great majority being the orphans of disso¬ 
 lute parents, or children of vagrant prisoners. 
 Of a gross population of 1,400, about 330 may 
 be considered temperate at present—more than 
 one half of these have recently become so, if 
 reformed. About two years 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 REFERENCES TO FACTS, SHOWING THE EFFECTS OF INTEMPE¬ 
 RANCE IN PRODUCING DOMESTIC DISCORD, AND HUMAN 
 DEGRADATION. 
 
 See ROCHESTER ORPHAN ASYLUM—CHARITY | 
 SCHOOL AT ELIZABETHTOWN, N. JERSEY- 
 FREQUENT CASES OF DEATH WHICH CAME 
 -UNDER MY NOTICE—ALBANY JAIL-rf>RPHAN 
 ASYLUJI-ROCHESTER ASYLUM-OTSEGO CO. 
 POOR-HOUSE—RENSSELAER SECOND EXAMIN¬ 
 ATION DO.—DELAWARE CO. DO.-WASHING- 
 TON CO. DO.—CUYAHOGA OHIO DO.,-GREENE 
 CO., 0. JAIL—CHESTER CO., PA. DO.-COLUM- 
 BIA (N. Y.) CO. JAIL—JEFFERSON DO-KINGS 
 CO. PENITENTIARY—REFUGE, N. Y. CITY— 
 SCHENECTADY CO. JAIL. 
 
 These few cases will remind every reflecting, 
 observing person of other similar cases that 
 have came under his own observation, or that 
 have occurred in his own neighborhood, if not 
 among his own relatives. A few others which 
 have occurred where I have travelled,and which 
 have been forced upon my notice, I will just 
 name. It should be remarked too, that I have 
 not taken memorandums of this kind, had I 
 done so, they would have filled volumes. 
 
 Besides three cases which I found in Suffolk 
 
 wives, I saw an account in a paper, that another 
 drunkard had killed a woman there, I think in 
 1835. In the same county, in 1839, a man who, 
 when sober, was respectable and amiable, com¬ 
 ing home intoxicated, killed his wife in tire 
 most deliberate manner. Mr. Coffin, the able 
 State Temperance Agent, gave me the following 
 additional particulars: The man was carried to 
 the jail when very much intoxicated—slept 
 through the night—awakening in the morning, 
 and looking around upon the walls—seeing the 
 bars across the windows, he exclaimed, “Is 
 this a jail?” Some one answered, “Yes, 
 you are in jail.” “ What am I here for?” was 
 the earnest inquiry. The answer was, “for 
 murder!” With still greater astonishment and 
 earnestness he inquired, “ Docs my wife know 
 it?” “Your wife know it!” said some one, 
 “why it is your wife you have killed.” On this 
 announcement, he dropped as suddenly as if he 
 had been struck dead. Let it bo remembered 
 that the constable who carried him to the jail, 
 sold him the liquor which caused his drunken¬ 
 ness—the Justice who issued the warrant was 
 one of those who signed his license, and the 
 Sheriff who hung him also sold liquor and kept 
 
 Judge Edwards of N. York says, that he has 
 
 sat on Uie trial of eleven men for killing their 
 wives, and ten of them he says killed them 
 through the influence of liquor. 
 
 A Judge of Erie Co.,Pa. says, thatheliassat as 
 judge on the trial of eleven cases of murder, 
 ten of which were clearly attributable tointoxi- 
 
 At Ogdensburg, a man who had been respec¬ 
 table and wealthy, became very intemperate 
 and in a fit of drunken desperation took his two 
 children—the younger 3 or 4 years of age, 
 and the other a year or two older; one in his 
 arms and the other by the hand, and going on to 
 the bridge over the Oswegatchie river, plunged 
 the yoimgest into a hole in the ice, and the lit¬ 
 tle creature was instantly swept away. The 
 other child seeing what the father had done, 
 broke from his grasp and ran crying, “ father 
 
 entreaties, however, were unavailing; be ran 
 after it and before the persons who saw it from 
 a distance, could reach the spot, he plunged the 
 other in also. The father committed suicide in 
 the State Prison at Auburn. 
 
 Of three brothers in an adjoining county, one 
 died from disease growing out of intemperance; 
 another was drowned when drunk, and the third 
 who was once one of the most respectable and 
 influential man in the county, after becoming a 
 most degraded sot, was found dead in the morn¬ 
 ing, having fallen in attempting to return from 
 the tavern late at night, and being unable to 
 rise, perished with cold. His daughter who 
 had been genteelly educated, married a man who 
 engaged in distilling. He became intemperate; 
 abused, and finally deserted his family, and the 
 wife was reduced from affluence, to the necessi¬ 
 ty of taking in washing to support herself and 
 children. 
 
 A mar. in the next town, who had a large 
 family, and who were dependent in a great 
 measure on the milk of a cow for their support, 
 actually undertook to kiU the cow in order to 
 sell the hide for liquor. 
 
 While I was lecturing in the Court House o< 
 the same county, a drunken man beat his wife 
 so violently that she died, and he is in State 
 Prison for ten years. In the next county, a man 
 killed his son-in-law when intoxicated, and 
 was hung. In another county, a man was hung 
 for killing his wife when intoxicated. He was 
 executed the day I passed through the place — 
 In another, two brothers quarreUed about three 
 
CHAPTER IV, 
 
 DEATHS FROM INTEMPERANCE. . 
 
 DEATHS, FROM AN EXAMINATION OF FOl 
 COUNTIES—CHOLERA STATISTICS, AND 
 GREAT VARIETY OF FACTS BEARING ON TI 
 
poor-house, the keeper hcsi- 
 per class in which to place a 
 nally, he said rather hesita- 
 
48 
 
 the temperate and intemperate, and thus ascer¬ 
 tain which class lived the longest. 
 
 At the moment I received a copy of Presi¬ 
 dent Nott’s letter, I was commencing my exami¬ 
 nation in the second county 51 began to put down 
 a 3 requested, the ages of the two classes; in one 
 column, I placed the names of the temperate; in 
 the other, those of the intemperate, with each 
 man’s age against his name. I soon began to 
 think that the result would not afford very strong 
 evidence against the use of alcohol. The occa¬ 
 sional instances of longevity surprised me. I 
 found cases where drunkards had lived to the age 
 of 75, 80, and even 85 years, and in one'ease I 
 was assured that the man “ had been a drunkard 
 ever since the old French war.” How to ac¬ 
 count for all this, was out of my power. I 
 tried in various ways. I knew that spirits would 
 preserve dead flesh from putrefaction; I did not 
 know but I should make the important discovery 
 that it would also preserve lice flesh, pickle men 
 —mummify them.* I had made up my mind 
 before I got through the county, that it might be 
 as likely that one class lived longest as the oth¬ 
 er; but on footing up my two columns and di¬ 
 viding the amount of each by the number of each 
 class, I found that the temperate had lived ten 
 years longest. In Cayuga, the difference was 
 just the same; in Ontario county the difference 
 was eleven years, and in places in Vermont 
 where I examined, the difference in favor of the 
 temperate was thirteen years! 
 
 Of the 65 intemperate persons who died, the 
 casualties were one burned, 3 frozen, 4 drown¬ 
 ed, 2 committed suicide, 2 had their backs bro¬ 
 ken, and two their necks, and 7 died of delirium 
 tremens. 
 
 In one town in this county, a physician who 
 hadbeen in practice ten years,found on his books, 
 
 * These cases of longevity among drunkards, have 1 
 been called “ The Devils Decoy Duces.” I 
 
 the names of twenty-eight, who had died during 
 that time, and on a critical examination, ho 
 found that nineteen had died drunkards? 
 
 In another town, a physician made a similar 
 examination, and found 58 names of men that 
 had died—temperate 35, intemperate 23. Here 
 was no great thoroughfare, canal or railroad— 
 these great business facilities—but in fact, af 
 fording greater facilities for intemperance and 
 its legitimate progeny. 
 
 I am aware that many will, even at this day, 
 when so many statements on this subject have 
 been published, doubt whether so large a share 
 of human life has been sacrificed at the shrine of 
 intemperance, but let an investigation be made, 
 and every doubt will be removed. Take cities 
 and villages alone, and my exhibit will be sup¬ 
 posed to be entirely too low. In one village 
 where I lately_ lectured, of nine men who had 
 
 the next, of seven, all intemperate; in the third, 
 six of the nine who had died in the year, or 
 two-thirds, intemperate; one of whom was a 
 talented physician. 
 
 In the village of B. in the county of S-, of 
 
 25 men who had died in 14 years, 12 were in¬ 
 temperate. Out of respect for the families of 
 some of these individuals, I omit the names of 
 the town and county. To get a fair average, we 
 must take country as rvell as city and village— 
 the temperate with the intemperate districts. 
 
 Many facts I have given, not from their no¬ 
 velty, or intrinsic importance, but from a hope 
 that they may provoke investigation. 
 
 In Elizabethtown, New-Jersey, 12 men died, 
 
 In the same place, in May, 1835, five died, all 
 intemperate. In one case, while the wife was 
 gone to the grave to see her husband buried, the 
 man who had sold him the liquor, went to the 
 house and seized every article that was liable 
 I to execution, even to a cake of shaving soap. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 ADULTERATIONS OP LIQUOR. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 SUMMARY OF MY FORMER REPORT, INCLUDING THE NUMBER 
 OF CRIMINALS AND PAUPERS, AND THE AMOUNT OF TAXES. 
 ALSO, QUANTITY OF SPIRIT USED IN THE UNITED STATES- 
 STATE OF NEW-YORK—COST OF IT, &c. 
 
 SUMMARY OF MY FORMER REPORT. pression. What! for a few dollars* license the 
 . sale of that which* in its consequences, will 
 
 The summary of the expense paid by the occasion a tax of perhaps ten times the amount! 
 people into the hands of the collector, growing Such political sagacity in legislators, reminds 
 out of pauperism and crime, as well as the sum- one of the editor who complains of the <*reat 
 mary of my examination of the inmates of jails inconvenience under which he labors from be- 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IS THE TRAFFIC IMMORAL? 
 
 REMARKS OF KEV. MR. PIERPONT OF BOSTON 
 
 OBJECTIONS ANSWERED-THE PLEDGE. 
 
 In order to answer this we must decide what 
 immorality is. Webster says, “Immorality is 
 any act or practiee, which contravenes the laws 
 of God ot ( the social duties.” Its tendency to 
 contravene the laws of God is to be seen in the 
 statistics of jails, and in the immense number of 
 murders, suicides, &c. with which the columns 
 of our papers are filled. Its influence on the 
 “social duties,” is more particularly seen in the 
 statistics of poor-houses, bnt the number impri¬ 
 soned for whipping their wives, tells a tale on 
 this point, which must stop the mouth of incre¬ 
 dulity itself. 
 
 See too, the statistics of Orphan Asylums, and 
 the number of wives deranged by the abuse of 
 drunken husbands; call to mind cases in your own 
 recollection similar to one which is to be seen 
 within a few rods of the spot where I write; a 
 smart, active child, taken from the county poor- 
 house, and bound to a neighbor by the overseers 
 of the poor, whose mother was deranged in con¬ 
 sequence of the abuse of a drunken husband, and 
 the family thrown upon the public for support. 
 
 See Albany and Rensselaer county jails. And 
 finally look upon every town and village, and 
 Hamlet, and see the wrecks of families ruined by 
 intemperance. 
 
 REMARKS OF REV. MR. PIERPONT OF 
 BOSTON. 
 
 must use a tiling tem] 
 
 of things useful, and 
 that are hurtful.” S 
 not use even a little : 
 alcohol. 
 
 “Will not P1.F.DG] 
 drink wine.” 
 
 I giveasanunansw 
 the pledge, the comi 
 
 is dictinctly approve 
 no wine;” and God 
 
 ample to his chosen 
 not obeying his comi 
 that of their father Jc 
 among other things, 
 intoxicating drinks. 
 “ Christ turned wi 
 Ans .—Do you dr 
 instance, because Cl 
 at Cana? Do you ft 
 
 ever use it from a se 
 that occasion? You 
 If you are under m 
 tion to use it, you m: 
 abstain, you certain! 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 TOTAL ABSTINENCE. 
 
 TEMPERANCE A SUBSTITUTE FOE RELIGION,, OBJECTION TO CHRISTIANS UNITING IN 
 Ac.—NO ALCOHOL IN GRAIN. j TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. 
 
 The objections to total abstinence have been 
 so often answered, that I must apologize for say¬ 
 ing any thing more on that point. But there 
 may be dark places where a word on this subject 
 may be useful. Of course I address those who 
 discard the use of distilled liquors. 
 
 Suppose you are are known as a temperance 
 man. You go to the bar and call for a drink of I 
 wine, cider or beer. If there are men present 
 who know you—men who make use of distilled 
 liquor, ten to one, but they are at once by your 
 side; one says, “landlord, that is a temperance 
 man, he likes cider, I prefer rum; another calls 
 for a drink of gin, another for brandy, &e. You 
 turn about and give them a lecture on the ruin¬ 
 ous consequences that will eventually result from 
 
 “ If I join, I must unite with infidel, Jew, and 
 Turk, in promoting a moral enterprise.” 
 
 A?is—I certainly would unite with Infidel, 
 Jew or Turk, in assisting any human being out 
 of the water, or to extricate him from any situ¬ 
 ation in which union of strength and effort might 
 be required; and assuredly I would unite with 
 them in any enterprise to improve his morals or 
 save his soul. Will unite with any one in ar¬ 
 resting the hand of the suicide—in dissuading 
 him from his murderous design—or from abus¬ 
 ing his wife and children, or violating the laws 
 of God or man. Here is a platform broad enough 
 for Infidel, Jew, Turk, or Christian, to stand 
 upon, without sacrificing their own or adopting 
 
 their indulgence in those drinks; point them to 
 the land-marks of ruin in their downward course; 
 of drunkenness, of disease, embarrassment, 
 blighted hopes, domestic discord, poverty, a jail i 
 
 Suppose after you have delivered yourself of the religious character of a community has de- 
 such a lecture, some one of your hearers should teriorated in consequence of the establishment of 
 turn and ask you the question, “Why do you temperance societies, and the advancement of 
 drink that glass of cider?” You might answer, the temperance cause. On the contrary, from 
 “Because I had a mind to,” or “because it docs its very origin, where great success has attended 
 me good.” Again the enquirer says, “What the temperance enterprise, revivals of religion 
 quality is there in it whiclf leads you to prefer 1,ave s0 speedily followed, as to compel the be- 
 it to water, or anything else?” Driven into a that the former had prepared the way for 
 corner, you would he obliged by honesty and the latter. 
 
 fair dealing, to answer, “ I drink it for the ex- In every state where I have travelled, and in 
 cilement it produces, for the fuddle of it.” “You a great many districts of those states, facts to 
 have told the truth,” say one and all, “that is this point have been brought to my notice. How 
 just what we drink rum, brandy, gin, for, so often have I visited little villages where every 
 here it goes.” You would probably be rather thing bore the marks of industry and prosperity 
 at loss how to answer this. —where new houses were in the progress of 
 
56 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE INCONSISTENCY OP THE LICENSE LAW, AND THE POPRIE- 
 TY AND CONSTITUTIONALITY OF PROHIBITORY LEGISLATION. 
 
 THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE LICENSE LAW, & c. I they may judge will best promote the great ob- 
 As this has been the subject of much discus- ject of government—will best protect themselves 
 sion, and will continue to be until it shall be en- in the enjoyment of their rights, both of person 
 tirely expunged from the statute book, I feel and property. Where is the power which is 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 DUTIES AND POWERS OF BOARDS OF EXCISE — THE RESPONSI¬ 
 BILITIES OF TAVERN KEEPERS — WITH THE OPINIONS OF 
 JUDGE SAVAGE, CHANCELLOR KENT, TIMOTHY JENKINS, Esq., 
 COL. YOUNG AND JOHN C. SPENCER, Esq. 
 
 POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION- | keep up a sign, on penalty of SI.25 for every 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 TRAFFIC UNPROFITABLE. 
 
 should the traffic be continued? 
 :ted? The drunkard is not—the 
 dns is not—the tax payer is not— 
 is not—the rich man is not. The 
 urchasing the liquor, “ takes the 
 his own roof and puts them on to 
 The use of it is at war with 
 e and health—destroys.the peace 
 . communities. 
 
 their decided disa; 
 the law now stand: 
 pression of approb 
 although the peoi 
 the power to suspt 
 of legal votes. I 
 pass a law proldb 
 beverage, but givi 
 pend its operation- 
 the right to say th: 
 
 VENDER EENEFITTED? 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE EFFECTS OF INTEMPERANCE ON REPUBLICAN 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Republican government is emphatically the | otherwise have paid the school teacher, have 
 government of the people. And it is a maxim gone into (ho pocket of the liquor seller. In- 
 ten thousand times repeated, and as true and irn- deed, the great mass of the children in the 
 portant as it is old and trite, that “Its main pil- northern and eastern states, that have not had 
 
 judges, are themselves the venders. should probably not have had a population to 
 
 In districts in Ireland, where the temperance exceed 16,000,000. This computation cannot 
 reform has so signally triumphed, the business be far from the truth. 
 
 of their criminal courts, which had been enor- Here then, the patriot may find a motive 
 mous, has been almost annihilated. which should enlist all his energies, in carrying 
 
 The influence of intemperance on the other forward this great reform, a million of lives 
 
 may be seen in our poor-houses. See there, philanthropist will exclaim,* “whatan immense 
 hosts of wretched children, who have lived, and amount of human misery has thus been prevent- 
 but for public charily, will grow up, in igno- edl! Yes, and while the Christian unites with 
 ranee, have been prevented obtaining the very both in their rejoicing, he will, remembering 
 rudiments of education by the poverty of their that « no drunkard can inherit the kingdom of 
 parents, conscrpient upon their intemperate ha- God, add, “how many souls have been saved 
 bits. The earnings of the father which would from the pangs of the second death.'!’ 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 TEMPERANCE REFORM FAVORABLE TO THE PROGRESS OF RE¬ 
 LIGION. 
 
 Although men may entirely abstain from in- On Sabbath night) when some thirty or forty 
 .toxicating drink, and yet be infidels in senti- of these reformed men were in the reading- 
 ment, yet there is nothing in temperance mea- room, a calculation was made by them of the 
 sures calculated to make them so. On the con- amount they would have expended on that day 
 trary successful efforts to promote temperance, for liquor in former times, and the result was, 
 have very often been followed by revivals of that at least twenty-five dollars would have been 
 religion. This was remarkably the case in the thus spent. 
 
 first years of the temperance reform. Instances Their morals were much improved, and they 
 might be adduced almost indefinitely. In west- were, to say the least, in a far more favorable 
 em New-York the connection was very often state, and more likely to become pious, than 
 observed and published. while intemperate—so that, although temperance 
 
 In Vemy, a little town in Indiana, which had is not religion, it is not opposed to it. Reason- 
 been very noted for its immorality—a very de- ing with a man on temperance does not render 
 cided and successful effort was made to promote him less disposed to hear you on the other two 
 temperance in the winter of 1840-41. Multi- infinitely important points, “ rigkleousness and a 
 tndes at once enlisted in the cause, and gave \ judgment to come. 95 
 
 their names to the pledge—and while it was yet . In North Wales, Eng., whore intemperance 
 going forward, a revival commenced which had long prevailed to a very great degree, 
 finally embraced, inits hallowing influence, al- temperance societies, on the principle of total 
 most the whole population—producing an entire abstinence, were established four or five years 
 transformation in the moral character of the ago, and the work of reform went forward with 
 place. great power. Soon their societies numbered 
 
 At a paper-making establishment, some thirty 100,000—next 200,000, and in the course of two 
 miles from Cincinnati, the owner being on a years, twice the last mentioned number of mem- 
 visit to that city, and hearing a temperance ad- bers was reported. A powerful revival of re¬ 
 dress, at once adopted temperance principles— 
 went home, established a society among his 
 laborers, of whom there were about forty. In 
 • ’few months after liquor had been banished 
 from the premises, a revival commenced, and as 
 the result, every adult belonging to the estab¬ 
 lishment and village, except two, became hope¬ 
 fully pious. ivaics. 
 
 In a city which I have recently visited, and But look at the great number of the recently 
 where a very large proportion of the inebriates reformed inebriates whose conversion from in- 
 had reformed—they established a reading-room, temperance to sobriety, was the immediate pre- 
 where some of them might be seen at almost all cursor to their hopeful conversion to humble 
 hours of the day and evening, profitably engag- followers of Christ. And here let them feel is 
 ed in reading. Quite a number have become their only sure reliance, that He who has thus 
 members of the church. far enabled them to triumph, can alone keep 
 
 One of them told me that he—though not pi- them steadfast unto the end. 
 ous—called, on Sabbath morning, at the read- The reformed drunkard, at the south—a man 
 ing-room and beat up for volunteers to attend of high standing—who carried, for two or three 
 church, flot six with him—some of the six years, a loaded pistol in his pocket, resolved to 
 are now praying men. Two of the churches commit suicide if he should once relapse, was 
 only would give notice, on the Sabbath, for the truly wiseman, when,on reflection, he threw 
 temperance lectures. The revival has been al- himself on his knees and committed his ways 
 most confined to their congregations, and they unto the Lord—looking to Him for strength to 
 have had an accession of some 200 members. rosist temptation, and keep him froqj falling. 
 
 ligion commenced, and went forward, and ex¬ 
 tended until every church and society in that 
 part of the Principality was reached by its 
 blessed influences—a vast number were gathered 
 into the churches, and at the last accounts which 
 
 progressed, and had extended also into Soulh- 
 
 # 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR INTEMPERANCE? 
 
 Answer. As intoxication is produced by al- cers and private members, used it more or lea* 
 coholic drinks, .just persuade people to abandon freely. Now, it would be considered the gross* 
 their use, and the work is done. est slander to charge a minister with drinking 
 
 But can we expect to prevail upon the whole li.|uor. Formerly, the smallest building, where 
 community—upon the people generally, to adopt the assistance of neighbors was required, could 
 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 Albany, 8th July, 1842. 
 Edward C. Delay an. Esq. 
 
 I them, and will aid in giving them general cir 
 culation. 
 
Sr™',:,!,.. i-sinSTBBN 
 
 DRUNKARDS; and he remarked ‘had I not I the world. 
 
 have kept this record, I should have continued 1 am ’™ y “"i Bin ’ cerelv -our friend, 
 
 under the belief that your original opinion was y EDWA RD Ch DEL AVAN 
 
 an exaggeration Since then I have frequently | ^