The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-05 00:00:00

THE COLLINS STEAJISIIIP LINE.

Mr. E. K. Collins, of New York, the originator and
chief proprietor of the U. S. mail steamers plying between
New York and Liverpool, has memorialised Congress,
praying for a release from his contract. His memorial
has been referred to the committee on post-offices and
post-roads. The following is the document referred to :
To THE HONOURABLE THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF Rarau
SENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS
ASSEMBLED—

The undersigned memorialists are contractors for the
carrying of the mails of the United States between the
ports of New York and Liverpool, and they ask for relief.
In the year 1845 Congress passed a law for the trans-
atlantic mail steam service, with the twofold object of
mail and auxiliary naval steamers. In 1846 the Postmaster.
General made a contract with the Bremen line, and
about the same time the Naval Committee in Congress
reported bills for the construction of ten new war steamers.
After the contract. was made with the Bremen line, it
was feared that they would be unable to compete with
the British steamers, and failing to do so, the British
government charged the same ocean postage upon the
mail matter, whether carried by the Bremen or the
Cunard line. The Bremen line was a failure, and the
British government took advantage of that fact, and
refused to make a postal treaty, and would not and did
not until after the contract was made with your memo-
rialists. Under these circumstances your memorialists
were called upon by the government to make proposals
for carrying the mails between New York and
Liverpool, and iu view of an agreement by your memo.
rialists to build the desired ships, the administration
caused the reported bills unon that matter to be altered,
and to provide for the construction of only five, instead of I
ten, new war steamers ; thus in fact considering the
intended vessels of your memorialists as naval ships, and
your memorialists constructed them mainly with that
♦iew. At the time your memorialists made their proposals
for carrying the mails as indicated, the ships employed in
the Cunard line were about 1.200 tons each, and they
received the same pay as that which your n emorialists
originally received for the service. But before your
memorialists actually commenced construction of
their ships, which were intended to be of 2,000 tons
each, and of 1,000 horse power, the Bremen line had com-
menced to run with the loudest vauntings. Their boasts
alarmed the Cunard company, who at once built four new
steamers of 2,000 tons each, and notwithstanding it is
expressly stipulated in the contract of the Bremen line
that they shall beat the Cunard line in point of time, they
not only have failed to establish their boasted superiority,
but have uniformly fallen far behind the English line.
The performance of the Bremen line left a stain upon the
character of American ocean steamers. To put a stop to
the boasts of England which were loud in view of this
state of facts, your memorialists were compelled to build
larger ships than they had at first contemplated.
They built ships of near 3.000 tons each, with 2,000 horse
poiver. This increased size caused additional cost. of con-
struction, and nearly doubled the expense of keeping and
running the ships. When your memorialists made their
proposals, the average time of the trips of the Cunard
line to Boston was equal to sixteen days to New York.
but year memorialists have pt-rformed their trips in the
average time of eleven days fly...eights, and if they had
been sustained would have reduced the time to eleven
days—this of course excepts the present year, the well
known misfortunes ofavhich have compelled your memo.
rialists to employ ships not built by themselves. After
running their ships for a year your memorialists found it
to be a fact that they could not, under their contract pay,
keep up the speed of their ships without great pecuniary
loss, and titey petitioned Congress for additional ray,
which was granted in 1852, and mere►y compensated for
the increased cost incurred by the high rate of speed o
your memorialists' ships, but is now within a few weeks
to be withdrawn. There are no other American ocean
steamers which can perform the same service in the same
time which the ships of your memorialists have made ;
but the original contract pay will not enable your memo-
rialists to keep up a successful competition with the
British line, sustained as it now is by increased government
support. Your memorialists, however, feel unwilling to
be themselves the parties to surrender to England this
great national ocean supremacy which they have gained.
They desire that if the supremacy in ocean steamers must
j be surrendered it shall be by other hands ; and they pray
your honourable body that, inasmuch as they embarked in
this enterprise at the solicitation of the government, you
will pass a law to terminate their contract and to dispose
of their ships, so that your memorialists may be relieved
from the undertaking without any loss ; and, as in duty
bound, your memorialists will ever pray.
EDWARD K. COLLINS
Washington, Dec. 16. 1856. For associates and self.