The Portland daily press., 1868-09-18

Inc number for 1868 comprises the lists for
lour months only; probably the total for the
year VIII be about that for 1867 The Hing
on. however, from 1866 and previous wears, is
very great. The above list does not comprise
new vessels altogether. as some old vessels are
fe.surVeyed and released. 1t shows with suf-
nclent clearness, however, how stand our ship
ping interests, at the present time.
Inc snip Lydia Sheffield" of this town, an
a ship, second to none. recently arrived at
Liverpool, from Savannah, with little over
nall cargo. On 4 previous voyage she laid hve
months in Apalachicola and then sailed for
Europe short of cargo.
The above is copied from the Argus, which
credits it to the Brunswick Telegraph.
The Argus has published article after article
during this last political campaign, in regard
to our shipping interests and the foregoing
doubtless comes as neal the truth as anv of
the previous ones published by that paper
Now let us see how much truth there is in the
above list. 1t says: at shows with sufficient
clearnesS, however, how stands our shipping
interests, at the present time," that is, with
sufficient cLeaTness for the purposes of the Ar
gus.
The Irresponsible party" that furnished the
above list says the number N vessels of all
classes, surveyed in 1867 was AZ, and adds with
refreshing GOODNESS: "The above list does not
comprise new vessels altogether, as some old
vessels are re-surveyed, and re-classed."
Now had the argus man" looked over his
back numbers for 1867, he would have seen
thai he had published tlist of vessels built at
and registered in the District of Machias dur
ing the year 1867" consisting of twenty five
vessels of all classes, with a total tonnage of
5340 24-100 Also "list of vessels built at and
registered in the District of Waldoboro, during
the year 1867, consisting of AZ vessels of all
classes, with total tonnage 1888 1900.
Thus in two districts alone, there were built
Chat is if the reports published by the Argus
at the time, are true) seventy two vessels of
different classes in 1867, only thirty more
than the Telegraph and Argus would have
their readers believe were built in the whole
State.
Having thus shown by the reports as taken
from the Argus ITSELF that the number of YES
sells built in two districts alone far exceeds the
nun Der as noD given by the Argus for the
whole State, how much reliance can be placed
in articles published in those papers relative
to our shipping interests, "The responsible
is probably some old defInct and "played OUT
surveyor for whom our mercantile community
have now no further use.
How much reliance can be placed upon the
rate given TO an old or new vessel by survey
or that will furnish the above figures and con-
vey the idea that they contain more than the
whole number of vessels built in Maine during
the year 1867?
There is not one word of truth In the whole
array of figures given by this responsible par
ty," except it may be, the number re-surveyed,
and re classed by him. Instead of showing so
large falling off, in our sbipbuilding. 1t
merely shows large falling off in the conf
dence of the ship owners in the surveys of
this responsible party" as appears by the
small number reported by him in 1867 and 49,
We admit that the number of our vessels has
been reduced, and TOR which we say to this
responsible party" that he can thank his
friend Raphael Semmes," who is now and al
ways has been Democrat. x.