The second annual report of the managers of the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, in the City of New-York : read and accepted, December 29, 1819. To which is added, an appendix, on the subject of pauperism.

  • Society for the Prevention of Pauperism in the City of New York.
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The second annual report of the managers of the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, in the City of New-York : read and accepted, December 29, 1819. To which is added, an appendix, on the subject of pauperism. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    improving farms, or by assisting in the labors of husbandry. It is not right then, that the expense of supporting such poor as I have been describing, should be borne by the city. The state ought to provide the means of maintaining them; because they are the poor of the state, and not the poor of the city. I cannot believe that we have now so many as ten thousand paupers, but I am very much afraid that number will not exceed those to whom we shall have to extend charitable aid, in the ap- proaching winter, If that season should be one of any uncom- mon severity, I am persuaded that we shall have more distress here, than we have ever before witnessed. Circumstances to which J have herein before adverted, and the recent occurrence of yellow fever, will all contribute to augment the number of poor, who have not provided, and will not be able to obtain, even the necessaries of life. The state legislature alone is competent to provide, or to enable us to provide, for the distress which must shortly surround us. By a proper appeal to their justice and humanity, we must prevail on them to take the burthen of sup- porting that part of the poor, which is in fact the poor ot the state, and not the poor of the city ; or we must persuade them to re- store to us certain revenues arising from transactions in the city, which have been lately directed to other objects. If the legislature will not pursue either of these courses, then we must ask for, and be prepared to meet, taxes adequate to our exigencies. The amount of the increase of our city tax, is a frequent sub- ject of complaint; but those who are dissatisfied with it, do not consider the increase and extent of our population. I do not believe that the expenses of a city of the same magnitude can be less, and afford the same relief to its poor, and maintain as we do, those institutions which are necessary to the peace, order, convenience and respectability of every society. The fact is, that this city has no other resource to meet its expenditures, than the taxes it is permitted to levy on its inhabitants. The whole, or very nearly the whole of the revenue which it derives from all its estate, franchises or privileges, is absorbed by the payment of the interest of its debt. This is a representation that, no doubt, will surprise many; but it is a fact, and therefore ought not to be concealed from those whom it most concerns. We