Although the writer has already occupied so many of your pages, he still desires to trespass on your patience a little longer, in attempting to give a very brief sketch of the efforts made to improve the moral and spiritual condition of a most meritorious class of men, to whom this great mart of commerce is largely indebted for its prosperity and in a national point of view also the character of the whole country has been elevated by the brilliant naval exploits achieved by the skill and bravery of this patriotic class of men, during the war of 1812 and 1814.

Previous to that period, you scarcely ever heard the name of a sailor alluded to, except as a necessary evil, to man our ships of war, or our merchant ships when loaded, ready to sail on their foreign voyages. They were considered a reckless, improvident race of men, only to be found among the sailor boarding-houses, in the streets contiguous to the shipping ready to ship on any new voyage, after they had spent in riotous living the earnings of the last. They were believed to be almost without the pale of civilization. Few thought that any attempt to improve or change their character would be of any avail, hence the long neglect of sea-faring men.

But, in pleasing contrast to this, is the history of the great reform, commenced soon after the close of the war. This work has been carried on by clergymen and pious laymen of all denominations, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed, Baptists, and Methodists, have all borne an active part in this commendable effort to improve the condition of seamen. In December of 1816, the first religious meeting ever held in America, for the special benefit of sailors, was assembled at No. 37 Cherry street. Rev. Ward Stafford preached on the occasion.

Frequent meetings were held in succeeding years, by merchants and shipmasters, interested in the work, at private residences, and when necessary to carry out any of the plans suggested by them for the promotion of the object in view, public meetings were called, which were generally well attended by many of our influential citizens, and important measures one after another adopted in aid of the object. In February, 1817, a meeting was held at the house of Captain Christopher Prince, to take into consideration the subject of forming a "Marine Bible Society." which was organized at a public meeting held at the City Hotel, March 14, 1817.

In June, 1818, "The Society for promoting the Gospel among Seamen in the Port of New York," was suggested at a meeting of merchants and others, at the house of Jona. Little, and organized at an adjourned meeting. It was incorporated by act of Legislature in April, 1819. It is known as the "Port Society of New York." About the same time, Rev. Ward Stafford, was acting as Missionary among the poor in the city, and also devoted much of his time to distribution of Bibles and tracts among seamen, and to preach occasionally to them in a small school-room in James street, under direction of the "Marine Missionary Society."

In February 1819, the Port Society, encouraged by the success they had met with in prosecution of their work, purchased the land in Roosevelt street, near the East river, for the purpose of erecting a Mariners' Church, the corner stone of which was laid 14th October, 1819. This edifice, the first Mariner's Church ever erected, was of brick, 59 by 58 feet in dimension, with galleries and a basement, and with the land cost $16,000. It was dedicated to the service of God on the 4th June, 1820. Rev. J.M.Matthews, D.D., of the Reformed Dutch Church, preached the sermon; Rev. Lawrence Kean, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rev. James Milnor, D.D., Rector of St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, performed the remaining services.

In March, 1821, an engagement was made with the Rev. Henry Chase, to devote a portion of his time to labors in behalf of seamen. He visited them at boarding-houses, distributed Bibles and tracts, preaching occasionally on the Sabbath. In January, 1822, the Society employed the Rev. John Truair, as full pastor of the Mariner's Church, which post he held till August, 1825, when he resigned. In April, 1826, the Rev. Henry Chase was employed by the Society, to succeed Mr. Truair as pastor, which place he filled until his decease, at an advanced age, July 7, 1853, after a long and useful ministry of nearly thirty-three years. In 1822, the Society published the "Seaman's Devotional Assistant," compiled by Rev. James Milnor, D.D., of the Protestant Episcopal Church, which is still in use.

In May, 1821, "The New York Bethel Union" was formed, with Divie Bethune as President, and Horace Holden as Secretary; and on Friday, 22d June, 1821, for the first in America, the Bethel flag (a present from the London Bethel Union to the Port of New York Society), was hoisted at the mast-head of the ship Cadmus, Captain Whitlock, lying at the foot of Pine street wharf. At 8 o'clock, the President opened the meeting by stating its object; the Mariner's 107th Psalm was sung. After prayer from an aged sea captain (Captain C. Prince). Rev. Dr. Spring addressed the seamen; other exercises followed with much interest. This meeting was followed by others during the summer. On Tuesday, August 21, the Bethel meeting was held on board the United States 74-gun-ship Franklin, Commodore Stewart, lying off the Battery, for which purpose the Commodore had cheerfully granted to the application of the Society the use of the ship. The crew of the ship, and others, composed a congregation of about 800 persons. The Rev. Dr. Spring opened the meeting with prayer. The Rev. Joseph Eastburn, who preached to the seamen in Philadelphia, delivered a short and appropriate discourse, and the Rev. Dr. Staughton closed the services with prayer and benediction.

In February, 1824, the Port Society appointed a Committee to take into consideration the expediency of establishing a Seaman's Bank for Savings. From this early movement, the Seaman's Bank for Savings, the first Institution of the kind in this country, was incorporated by the Legislature of New York, January 31, 1829, with the names of the following gentlemen as trustees, Najah Taylor, Rufus Davenport, Silas Holmes, Lockwood De Forest, Pelatiah Perit, Peter Remsen, Reuben Bramley, Gordon Back, Benjamin Clark, Hubert Van Wagenen, Brittain L. Wooley, George T. Trimble, Gould Hoyt, Benjamin L.Swan, Anson G. Phelps, John R. Hurd, Benjamin Strong, George Douglass, James Lovett, Jeromus Johnson, Oliver H. Hicks, John Pintard, and Horace Holden; and on the 9th February, 1829, Najah Taylor was elected first President. His successor was Benjamin Strong, elected in 1834, who held the office till his decease in January, 1851. Pelatiah Perit, the present incumbent, was elected in February, 1851. They commenced business May 11, 1829. By their statement of assets on hand, January 1, 1859, they show the amount to be $7,792,747.14, of which it is estimated about $2,500,000 has been deposited by seamen since its organization.

Pelatiah Perit, President
Ebenezer Platt, Cashier,
H.P. Marshall, Assistant Treasurer, 78 Wall street.