The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-07
EDITORS coRREsPoN DRNcE
[FrOm our regular correspondent

EDITORS CORREsPoN DENcE
iFrOm our regular correspondent
NV YoEK, February S, 1876.
| The Mae York pilots gain 90 in for $40 40
on thia great question. go in for legal regulations
or none at all Free trade and pilots rights is what
! contend for. | claim 10 fight on my own hook,
disclaming all coparnershp associations, volun-
tary or involuntary, which do without fee, reward
fear, or favor. have no quarrel between the high
| ly respectable gentlemen, underwriters merchants
and shipowners, who have voluntarily created
board Of commissioners TO license pilots nor do
intend the Courier and Enquirer with the Journal Of
Commerce. shall make such issue between US
1 1 have on all proper occasions done all could TO
defend and promote the mercantile and shipping in
terest Of the country. have no quarrel with the
merchants aud underwriters, and do not intend the
papers IN question shall create one for me |
have over and over again declared that those
creating the commissioners for licensing pilots were
| honorable men, and were no doubt operated upon
by good motives, aad from just desire 10 protect
| by proper precautions their immediate interest. That
the commissioners created by them have also done
their duty, and acted correctly, have no reason 10
doubt, beyond what the New York pilots have said
and sworn to.
Can the Journal Of Commerce undertake to say
that the gentlemen acting commissioners have
been az p0inted by authority of law Where did
the Secretary Of the Navy find law Of Congress
authorizing him to appoint Commodore Jacob Jones
a commissioner
Where is the law of Congress, or the State law,
| TO be found authorizing the board of underwriters
and chamber OF commerce TO appoint Messrs Mar.
shall, Taylor, Blunt and StuTges commissioned
Can these gentlemen enforce obedience to their acts
| by any legal steps whatever Not at all.
| We have yet TO learn whether Commodore
Jones's name ever appeared for anything more than
for bare effect His name, IL is believed as well as
those of Capt Marshall and Mr. TAYLOR appeared
| mo leaa lv A,
the pilots clear them from any active interference
with their business
The Journal says the only profit derived by any
ofth officials Of this voluntary arrangement is the
salary Of the secretary, Mr.. Blunt, which amounts
TO 81 900 dollars, "a very small hole to Green
out al" IL will be easy to make il large enough for
a Daniel Lambert to crawl through, with years
file Of the Journal on his back.
Now, in addition to the salary OF 81 900, the
commissioners claim TO exact two per from the
business Of all pilots submitting TO their regulations
! Besides this sum, they exact 81 for certificates
and require bonds In the sum Of $3.50 each.
Let US auppose that all the pilots doing business
in New York hsrbor were to submit to their volun-
tary regulations: what would be the amount gath
cred from their business nj two per cent? The pilots
doing business at this port stand follows-yiz:
New York pilots 81
Created or licensed by the commissioners, IT
Total l26
| When the old State law was in force the earn
ings Of this class Of persons amounted TO, in the
gross, about s60,0O0, on which the commissioners
levied per cent from the pilots. The business Of
pilotage for the port and harbor OF New York for
the year l545, in the hands Of the l26 pilots was
estimated at about 100000. Two per cent. on this
amount Of business would yield the commissioners
| or the officers Of the voluntary association, $4,000
per annum besides the fees received (sl26) for l26
| md tha fs.a nFt r.
captains licensed to pilot their own vessels II this
is free trade, could il be fully carried out we pro-
fess not to know what free trade means.
Having proven that the "hoie" is somewhat lar
ger than "rat-hois," proceed to another point
remarkng, however, that the commissioners Of the
association admit Of vessels to pilot their
own vessels by the payment Of four cents ion on
the issue Of certificate and its renewal (See their
bylaws p. 81
This fee would amount to 90 on vessel of 200
tons. Now, as nearly all small coasting vessels
come within this tonnage, here we an attempt is
made to take away from the pilots altogether most
profitable branch Of their business.
MIR. VIM. p Tunure, one OF the pilots, came for
ward and in the presence Of witnesses of the high
| eat responsibility, told that one of the commits
soners' pilots had divided his fees with Capt Sur
gs for the privilege Of carrying vessel to sea-
The secretary, Mr.. Blunt, on this statement being
published, came forward with denial. This was also
published, and Mr.. Tunure's name given up by me
IL.
Tunure, and not morgan, was the author oft. Yet
the Courier and Enquirer" has come out, charging
Morgan" with asserting a falsehood and then re-
tracing 1t. beg leave to hurl back the nsinua-
ton into its teeth with the scorn and contempt il
merits. If this paper, which never appears capable
of writing without working itself into vituperaiive
passion, mlsaking anger for wit, and low saes
and personalities for arguments, wishes to change
the dispute into one Of personal nature it will find
Morgan" ready to MAINTAIN, his own account
oil he asserts to be true. What he asserts on the
authority OF Others he gives their az author
ity for it; beyond which, no paper has a right to call
in question his veracity.
| Mr.. Tunure, with other New York pilots still
repeat that apprentice boy in one of their boats
by the name OF Martin Gray, Swiss, or German,
was licensed as pilot by the commissioners of the
voluntary association, and that he carried out YES
sci given to him by Captain Sturgis, one of the
commissioners, with whom he divided his fees, for
the privilege of carrying her out. They have prom
lsed to supply me with an affidavit for my letter of
tomorrow bearing on this fact.
Your space will not allow me to saw more to- day
than to notice that the very system the association
is pursuing towards the pilots il calculated to rear
up monopoly worse than any heretofore existing.
For instance, what inducement is there for the Jer.
sey city or commissioners pilots TO go beyond
Sandy Hook at all, when they know that without
this trouble they receive the vessels to take out
in which the New York pilots have boarded PERHAPS
rough weather. 200 miles at sea, and safely broue ht
im win favorable wind, tide, and weather, IL il
an easy matter to carry a vessel out. Any master
might do this
As'to the other point, | again repeat, that the
commissioners connot enforce their equations, UNI
less New York underwriters insert clause in their
policies to the effect that they will pay no losses on
vessels, &c, damaged in the hands of New York
pilots. And suppose that they were to do this, what
would be the RESULT They have not yeniured to do
this, however, as they have bean told fatty by some
large ship-owners that If they did they would in
sure their vessels somewhere else. But if such
were the case, suppose merchant Of New York
insures his vessel under this stipulation, and she
goes to New Orleans or Savannah, and takes in
1000 bales of cotton, shipped by merchant on
the spot, who nsures the same in local Office, and
that, when she comes within one hundred miles of
Sandy Hook, competent New York pilot offers his
services and is refused and that before the captain
can find one of captain Sturges's commissioners
pilots TO take on board the vessel is lost II is
true, the owner Of this vessel would recover