The Portland daily press., 1864-12-21
Employment Of English Vessels.

r. '''esseA '-'s s'ae PORTLAND, Dec. 10, 1854.
To the Editor Of the Press: .lg-1.
An article ia your mornings paper, signed
"Pro Bono Publico," reflected with gleat Sc
7 verify upon the merchants of this city, en-
gagged in the West India business. =
Thelwriter Of that article is entirely ignor-
ant Of the facts In the case, or he is one of the
combination who has his foot in the trap set
for the merchants, and must now suffer the
consequences of his imprudence. lssa issd 4 Vl
y wilrnow givesome history Of the delivery
Of goods in Cuban ports for twenty years past
and TO which all parties have conformed, both
merchants and captains. -...s
In the port of Havana, some years since.
there was some question between the CON
signees and captains as to- how goods should
ne delivered in the port. The question was re-
ferred to Col. Wade, now in this city, with
lrpther gentlemen, who decided that box shocks
should be delivered on shore by the vessel,
and that cooperage shocks should BE- received
alongside. This became the custom Of ali
the ports on the north side, and from the Get
Element OF which there was no appeal-all
! seemed satisfied. 49,
llA There was one feature In this Arrangement
which might lead to errors in counting the
box shocks, on shore, which might have been
removed By the consignee giving receipts for
a4he shocks counted from the deck Of the yes
sci into the lighter which sends them on
shore. This arrangement could have been
made without the least trouble, had the mer e
chants been consulted : but what are the facts
a few captains and ship owners. made an
agreement that they would not charter tn, ir
vessels except to deliver their cargoes along
: side in Cuba. The merchants received orders
50 ship box shocks ia the usual way, the purl
chaser expecting the vessel to deliver accord
ing to the custom of the port of destination.
3 Could any merchant fill an order at the
present high prices Of box shooks,s with this
addition to freight and charges in the customs
of ports in Cuba? .s~,a, se,es & 4 -s baa
The merchants, after due consideration, de-,
yeided that they could not consent to,this in
Nnovation, but made an agreement that they
would only charter vessels according to the
custom Of years they could not do other
sise. :.
The ship owners and captains then came
together and made an agreement, affxing
penalty Of one Thousand dollars for each Of
ience. Now what was the result? This
union combination Yves published in our daily
papers and proclaimed far and near. English
vessels immediately came in and took the
business of the port. ss
Iwould ask the question; could any honor
able commission merchant ship a cargo If.
nox shocks, and pay two cents per shook more
han The market rate? .,...,.s, baa
l think our merchants are not wanting in
patriotism or favor for their country. They
would gladly give their business to American
vessels. Applying the same rule In the pur-
cnase OF shocks, merchants who have orders to
nu would pay the American manufacture more
uan ne English manufacturer. Would this
vo tlshs, think not 1t Is his business to
20 ilieo tne market and make the best possible
pufcnaSo ,or ms foreign correspondence with
out regard to his own private feelings or pre,
inoices, OF decline the business offered him at
oHce. 81 lAA MERCHANT. "a
q, ARREST OF DEsERTERs.-T The Lewiston
Journal says Alvarada Russell of Buckfeld.
OF the LIST Me. Cavalry, and James E. Fopg of I
Hartfordof the sd Maine, were arrested last
week and lodged in jail at Auburn Both.
says the Journal, enlisted last spring, and
each received $500 bounty. Russell was
counting the girl he loved" when the officers
drove up. The girl promptly disposed OF her
lover BY putting him in bed between two fe-
males who innocently protested against the
officers examining their bed. The virtuous-
dodge wouldn't go down, and the officers pro-
ceeded to search the bed whereupon they soon
discovered pair Of pants with mans lower
limos In them, which proved to belong to Rus