The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-02-01
Carey vs.. Twombly.

This contested election case, which at one
time threatened to change the aspect Of the
majority In the Assembly, has been decided in
favor Of Mr.. Carey, the incumbent, by means
which, although strictly honest in parlia-
mentary sense are not likely to prove salts
factory to the original voters in the district
that Mr.. Carey now represents. The commit
tee some time ago had permission given it to
report at any time, and the republican men,
bers had q right to expect that some notice
would be given them Of the coming
event. Instead, however, the committee
came in yesterday, when three of the republic
cans were absent, presented their report giving
Mr.. Carey the seat, ard then, under the whip
and spur of the previous question, the House
was compelled to adopt it. The vote stood sixty
three to sixty-one, and there was one demo-
crat absent; so that if every member had been
present the aspect of the vote might not have
been substantially changed, the democrats still
having one majority. But there was some
hope on the part of the republicans that at
least one democrat would bolt, and the
hasty action of the majority would
seem to vindicate that there was some reason
for the hope. However that may be, no
case has ever shown up 80 completely the
ridiculous aspect of this mode of deciding a
contested election. The people to be repre-
scented are not taken into account at all. The
votes actually cast in the three wards which
compose the Seventh district of this city were
q q
but because supervisor of elections,
appointed, not by the State, but by the
United States, handled the ballots during
the canvass the whole vote in one district Of
the Sixteenth ward is thrown out, leaving the
very suspicious looking majority for Carey of
two. These tricks are old politicians tricks,
we know. Our citizens have long been familiar
with them, and no doubt the republicans have
frequently comprised their ends by the same
means. But they cannot be entirely satisfac-
tory to the eighteen republicans whose majority
at the polling place has been thus wiped out
by two democrats at the canvass.
Our Shipping Interests-'A Sorry Sight,"
The official report to Congress on the
shipping of the United States is Distress
ing exhibit Of the whole tonnage entered
at our seaports for the year 1870 only thirty
six per cent was American against forty-seven
per cent British and seventeen per cent for
other countries. Since 1860 our seagoing
tonnage has fallen OF fifty per cent, while that
of England has increased one hundred per
cent, 80 that England In this important
matter has gained upon us one hundred
and fifty per cent since 1860. No wonder
her nobility, capitalists and spectators
went in for JEFF Davis and his Southern Con-
federacy. jeff and his confederacy have en-
riched England in the increase of her COM
mercial tonnage at the expense Of the United
States. First, those Anglo-rebel cruisers
scared our commerce from the seas; next, our
high war taxes cleared off our shipbuilders
and stopped our building OF ships and SO it is
to-day. New York, as things are, can no
more compete with Glasgow in building ships
than she can compete with Cuba in raising
oranges. Congress will not allow our traders to
buy their ships abroad, we can't build them at
home on dead loss Of half the cost, and 80
our sea tonnage has gone and is still going
into the possession of England. Was there
ever such stupidity in any Of the excuses Of
home protection? There never was before,
and we hope there never will be again.
The RAPID TRANSIT QUESTION has been
reinforced with the very novel idea Of an