How we cite our quotes: (paragraph)
Quote #1
Soapy's mind became cognisant of the fact that the time had come for him to resolve himself into a singular Committee of Ways and Means to provide against the coming rigour. And therefore he moved uneasily on his bench. (3)
When we first meet Soapy his goal is pretty basic: find a place to stay warm and fed through the winter. Calling himself a one-man "ways and means committee" is ironic because such committees are usually formed to figure out how to accomplish really big goals that will likely impact many people.
Quote #2
Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at once set about accomplishing his desire. There were many easy ways of doing this. (6)
Now it gets really funny—of all the ways to accomplish his goal, Soapy picks getting arrested. The island he's talking about is Blackwell's Island, which back then was home to the main penitentiary in the area.
Quote #3
[…] every bed of charity must have its toll of a bath, every loaf of bread its compensation of a private and personal inquisition. Wherefore it is better to be a guest of the law, which though conducted by rules, does not meddle unduly with a gentleman's private affairs. (5)
Soapy seems to be looking for the way to live that gives him the least humiliation and the most privacy. But he limits his choices between jail and charity. According to Soapy, charity isn't free—he will have to exchange certain freedoms he's not willing to sacrifice in order to get it. This passage might also reflect a difference between the early 1900s, when the story takes place, and the early 2000s. In the 2000s going to jail would mean sacrificing privacy and probably dignity as well. Or, maybe Soapy is minimizing the discomfort of jail.