Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-04-29


sderatIon that certain law abridged personal liberty
was noi in itself, conclusive objection.
There two lines of these British steamers ply
ing coast one Of which touched the coast al It's
northeastern extremity, by the way OF Halifax aad
Boston: the other ts southern extremity by the
British West India Colonies the Gulf of Mexico, and
some OF the Southern ports Mr.. {. did not know how
far there might be ulterio Government objects on The
part Of Great Britain in the establishment and mamie
nance of these new lines Of steam commu nca ton
! They were both understood TO be losing concerns,
considered commercial enterprises; though the lire
at the North was not SO disasrousy 80 as that by way
of the West ladies. 1t would seem that there must
be somebody behind the merchants, osiensItly con-
cerned, who furnished the immense outlay necessary
to such undertaking. and sustained the very serious
| loss attending it.
There was another circumstance attending these
steam vessels their strength of construction and ma
chinery such fitted them with comparative case
10 be transformed into vessels of And there
vet another: that whatever light the real purpose of
maintaining these expensive lines Of steamers, one fact
Obvious, and very singular fact was-tla they
continued 10 ply up and down great extent OF our
coas, for proiessed ostensble object They did
not thus coast along Shores and enter ports and
habors either for the purpose of Transporting merchan
disc of carrying the United States mail. What vas
the object in view, II impossible not to suspect
that there ulterlor purpose OF Government IN
the arrangement.
But further Considering the obi ct as simply a
commercial enterprise, these vessels were allowed to
make the triangular voyage-to leave Liverpool, touch
Halifax thence proceed TO Boston, and then back to
4 Liverpool. But were American vessels permitted by
the British laws to do ths' Not at ALL II was nolori-
GUS that our ships prohibited from The indirect
voyage. They not allowed to touch at British
colonial port, ard thence 10 British port that trade
Great Britain reserved for her bottoms. The
sequence was that the British steam lines enjoyed a
monopoly of this indirect trade. The voyage from
England to Halifax gave them freight enough 10 cover
their expenses and realize profit Then il but 4
days sail 10 Boston, and there they could compete
with American vessels that enjoyed no such advan.
tage The same fact existed, and to still greater ex.
tent, on the Southern line, which swept the colonial
ports of the West Indies entered the Gulf, and then
coasted our shores, pursuing voyage in which no
American shipping could be competitors. Was it
policy in US to superadd the profit Of carrying Amer.
can passengers from one American port TO ano,her:-
See hos such state CT things operating on Anne
rcan navigation. A steamer which had secured
handsome freight between Liverpool and Jamaica could
afford 10 come on md transport passengers
at half price, and still do good business THIS was
taking the business from railroad companies and
| from our shipping.
MIR. c. was opposed to the continuance of such
state of things Still less he favor of throwing
into The hands Of persons thus engaged in supersedng
orr own bu sncss intimate knowledge of every part
of our coast the soundngs Of every h0rbor and thus
preparing them, from thorough knowledge Of our