American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-28

opinion OF the CIty Counsellor whether the city
authorities have any power to close any street,
alley, sc. Passed. Adjourned.
MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH FROM BALTIMORE TO
New YORK. We have been favored with the
able report of Mr.. Chappell, from the Commit
tee OF Ways and Means, in the House of Re-
personalities, Ito whom was referred resolu-
ton inStructing said committee to inquire into
the expedlency of reporting bill to continue
the Elcctro-M Magnetic Telegraph from Balti-
more to New York, by way of Philadelphia"
The report assigns various and substantial rea
sons why this telegraph should be thus contin-
ued, and expresses the opinion, that the time
will arrive when it Will be extended East, West,
! North and South. The report very correctly
assumes that the telegraph should be the pro-
perty of the General Government and points
out the injurious consequences which would re-
suit from permitting it to be extended at the
expense and for the use of private individuals.
In reference to this matter it says
"The importance of prompt action in the
matter on the part of the government is further
apparent from the fact that the invention is a
private patented property. 1t is property to
the production ofwhich professor Morse has de-
voted years Of the highest order of labor--tho
labor OF genius and science combined. Under
the patronage and at the expense Of the gov
eminent, he has been enabled to give to the
world in the line between Baltimore and
Washington, visible and perfectly triumphant
demonstration of the success and utility of his
invention. But the pecuniary reward to which
he is so justly entitled remains yet inabeyance
II depends upon his being successful in making
contracts with the government, or Others for
the use othis invention. And Of course, if go-
vernment shall not speedily embrace the pro-
! Iect, and enable him to realize Il compensation
for his discovery, he will be necessitated to look
elsewhere for his indemnifcation and reward
/ And, should the arrangements into which he
may find it neCessarj to enter with private in
divlduals or associations, stipuate exclusive
rights in their favor, it is manifest how greatly
! government and people would lie at their mer-
cy. Having in their hands the monopoly of
such a medium ofinteligcnce on the important
lines they could make such use oftheir advan-
tages over the government and the communi-
ty as would at length enable them to exact
their own terms as the price of the surrender of
their exclusive right; for the truth cannot be
too often repeated, or too deeply impressed in
relation to this subject, that the people will
it Of the public post office transmission of cor
respondence and intelligence being outstripped
by any private monopoly or establishment
whatever. The loss ofrevenue will cooperate
with the complaints and suiferings of the peo-
! pie to compel the government, i'll the long run
to do what were better done at once--namoly,
to establish the telegraph IN connection with,
and as branch Of, the post office, on such great
| lines of communication as the correspondence
and commerce of the country may indicate"
We make one more extract from the report,
to shew the wonderful capacity of the telegraph
to convey information 1t is as follows:
"This brings the attention of the committee
to very material point, namely the quantum
of matter, or amount ofintelgence, which the
instrument would be capable of transmitting in
given time. The ordinary average of trans
mission s about thirty letters per minute along
each wire. Six wires can be erected at an OK
pense of somewhat less than $500 per mile,
which would make the telegraph competent to
the transmission of one hundred and eighty let
tiers per minute, on an average. The words of
our language are estimated TO average six let |
tiers to word. A telegraphc line composed
Of six wires, would, consequently, be able to
transmit per minute thirty words fully spelt.-
But it is wholly unnecessary that the words
should be fully spelt by the instrument. BY
well-contrved system Of authorizations, the
number of letters to be transmitted, in order to
communicate given number of words, is
greatly diminished; and, of course, the number
of words transmissible in a given time is pro-
portonably augmented. To such great perfec-
ton has this system of conventional abbrcvia-
tions been carried, as TO have enabled the tele-
graph, on one occasion, to transmit in thirty |
minutes, from Washington to Baltimore, con-
gresslonal intelligence enough TO fill column |
of the Baltimore Patriot This was done, too,
with only one wire. Increase the number of
wires to six, as proposed in the bill introduced
by the Committee on Commerce, and it follows
that the capacity of the instrument will be ade-
quate to the transmission of six long newspaper
columns Of matter in haitian hour Then it is
to be further noted, that the telegraph is capa-
BILE of working throughout the whole twenty
four hours, without ntermssion--in darkness
as well as in daylight-in stormy weather as
we'll as in serene--which would enable it to
communicate in a single day two hundred and
eighty eight long newspaper columns of mat
ter. All these facts put together, evince that
the capacity of the instrument, in reference not
only TO the celebrity of its communications, but |
in reference also to the kind and quantity of |
matter it can communicate in given time, is |
such as to recommend it as most efficient |
medium both of private correspondence and
public intelligence"
We hope that the government will adopt an
enlightened and liberal policy in respect to this
invention, the greatest and most useful of the |
age. The right to use it in this country should
be purchased from Professor Morse, who merits
a handsome reward for his ingenuity. When
once under the exclusive control of the govern
ment, it can be extended as the public interest |
may require-and we have no doubt can be
made a most useful and probably profitable,