The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-06-09

reason to believe that ii would be much
smaller, but for the quarrel between the Blunt
and White factions of the wing party
These factions turned out in their strength,
and electioneered and voted for their res
pectve favorites Mr.. White has the conso-
lation of knowing that Mr.. Blunt is not elected
Mr.. Blunt has the consolation that Mr.. White is
not elected-and Mr. McKeon has the consola-
ton that both of them were defeated and himself
elected. There is consolation, therefore, on all
sides, and all parties are, doubt not, satisfied
with the result.
We rejoice that the question of free academy
has been decided in the affirmative, by very
large majority.
SCARCITY OF AMERICAN SEAMEN.-Much has
been said respecting the great scarcity Of Ameri-
can seamen, and the late Thomas Coin, one of the
firm of Coin, Pool, & Pentz, spent several years,
and expended large sums of money. in getting
Congress to pass law to take naval apprentices
This he succeeded in DOING but the government
have since abandoned the system, because there
sometimes appeared among the apprentices 6
most gallant and noble fellow, fit for promotion
and whose promotion would interfere with
higher classes of boys Owing to this the school
slumbered and died.
since view DIX mas Deen Il cOMmeIcldl city,
the merchants and shipmasters have never
suffered more than they have for the last year,
and are now suffering, for the want of American
seamen. There is scarcely vessel that sails
from this port that has over one quarter of her
crew Americans, and the other three-quarters are
English, Irish, Scotch and Dutch, many of whom
have run away from their own vessels, and en-
tered our service and we do not get the best of
these men. We get few of all nations, made
up of various sizes and characters.
Our merchants and captains do not suffer in
this respect only.
We now ask what is TO be done Where are
the American sailors! The naval apprentice
system is abandoned last winter our ships suf-
fered in consequence of having been compelled
frequently to take two ordinary seamen for
able seaman, and when they reached outside of
Sandy Hook, the captains have found, in many
instances, that they had only four or five men
who could properly steer the ship. Our own
port is not alone in this difficulty. Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Boston, and in fact every commercial
port in the Union, have suffered the same Our
ships of war have been compelled to lay at our
several Navy Yards for days and weeks, without
being able to obtain their complement OF men
they have, indeed, been paying a high bounty
TO obtain sailors.
We learn from a conversation with one OF our
most respectable merchants, that Mr.. John w.
Coin, who is now interested in the place Of his
brother Thomas, in the firm of Coin, Pool Il
Pentz, proposes to bring before Congress the fol-
lowing articles that all vessels Of two hundred
tons and upwards shall take one apprentice for
every two hundred tons that no apprentice
shall be bound for less than three, and not more
than five years, so that parents can bind theil
sons for five years, and adults can bind them
selves for three or five years, according as they
may agree with the agents or owners OF said shlI
or vessel i; that these apprentices shall be bound
TO the ship owners, or agents OF said owners
and in case said ship or vessel should be sold
the apprentice or apprentices, to be placed Of
transferred from the ship first bound to, to any
other vessel under his or their CONTROL an(
serve out the then unserved time that SHOULD
any owner or agent be unfortunate as TO b.
compelled by their failure in business, to sell thu
ship or vessel the purchaser in order to proven
loss to the boys, SHALL with their consent, buy
their unexpired term Of service, which shall be
considered as part of the property of the ship
or vessel that II shall be the duty Of the agent
or owners of said ship or vessel, to give these
apprentices good common English education,
and nautical instructions, so that in case the
ship or vessel should lose her officers, the eldest
apprentice may take charge Of said ship or vessel
and navigate her to her destined port as would
have been the case of the ship Columbia, which
ship last winter lost her captain, mate, and Sec
ond mate that it shall, furthermore, be the duty
of said owners or agents to see that these appren
tees have thorough knowledge of everything
marlin-spike sailor should know, also sail
making, and ship-carpentering, which can be
easily done, and be great benefit to the ship. oil
vessel, in Of the loss of spar, or any other
thing Of the kind; that any person harboring, oil
secreting, or causing tobe harbored, or secreted
any apprentice, shall be fined two hundred dol
lars for every such offence, and in case said per-
sons secreting or causing to be secreted, shall
prove not to be worth, or could not pay two hun
bred dollars, he or they shall be imprisoned rol
six months in the pententiary of said State
These articles can, perhaps, be improved and
modified We throw them together as we heard
them. Whether they will answer the purpose oil
not, il is necessary that something should be
done to increase the number ofAmerican sailors
we have not enough.
ARRIVAL OF EMreRANrs.-The number of pas
sengers who have entered at the Custom House
IL Ga. -, from,