The southern press., 1852-07-13
MONDAY, JULY IL, 1852.


We have been both amused and surprised at
the proceedings in the Senate on the bill 10
amend the act for the better security Of passen-
gers in steamers. Ii is intended to operate
chiefly in theWest andSouth- west, where steam.
boat accidents more frequently occur-and with
peculiar propriety it is offered by Senator DAVIS
Of Massachusetts, State the most remote, and
the least acquainted, with the high pressure nav
igation of the West and South. On the second
reading Of this bill the mover offers about one
hundred and fifty amendments as n 10 show the
high degree of acquaintance with the subject
with which he undertook to prepare the bill
originally. And these hundred and fifty amend.
ments are voted for by the whole body Of the
Senate without debate which thus shows the
intuitive knowledge of the subject that grave
body possesses, and its extraordinary fitness TO
legisate on it.
The bill thus amended creates a host of fed.
eral offices with high salaries and fees, and im-
poses multitude of useless, impracticable and
vexatious restrictions chiefly on the steam navi.
cation of the Mississippi valley.
Of all the wonders of this age the steam nav.
igation of the Mississippi is perhaps the most
wonderful. 1t comprehends more steamers than
are on the whole Atlantic and Pacific coast
and perhaps more than in all the world besides.
1t is the creation of the last forty years. and be-
gan almost with the settlement of that valley.
And now notwithstanding it is the work Of a
oipnIa rap IF. mil; "a Ia 81
marine of the Mississippi valley affords an ex.
tent and an amount of comfort and luxury of
steam transportation superior to any other part
of the world. If man were to look for a steam
er combining in the greatest degree the elements
of comfort, luxury, speed, and elegance, he
would not find her on the Thames, the great
avenue of worlds commerce to its capital a,
London, and the abode of more wealth than
elsewhere, he would not even find it in the
finest of the Collins steamers whose mainte-
nance 10 now claimed Of he country at the cost
of millions as a question Of national glory, be
would not find it in the semi-barbarous States
of continental Europe to which our people GO
for civilization, but he would find il in a boat
that transfers the afiaent planters and merchants
of the Mississippi to and from the State Of
Kentucky and the Ohio valley. This magnif
cent boat, the Eclipse, commenced her career
last spring. We are not informed whether she
pays expenses, or whether, if she does not, any
Western or Southern member will have the
hardihood to present her bills to Congress ant
ask for the deficit to be paid out Of the publ,
purse, for the glory of the country.
The system of steam navigation in the Mis-
sissippi valley has risen to its excellence by th,
freedom from restriction it has enjoyed. Now j
isproposed forCongress to interfere andSenato
DAVIS, Of Massachusetts,, offers his BILL II il
true, he has taken counsel of a number of highl,
respectable and experienced steamboat naviga
tors of that valley. But We beg leave to protes
agrnst Incorporating the theories Of any com
mittee Of this kind into the statute law of tn,
land. The Senate does not understand th,
subject-nor does the House. Nor could the,
even after debate, as long as that on the Com
promise or on Intervention.
The grand pretext for Congressional inter
vention in steam, is to prevent the loss Of lif
from explosions, &C., and Senator DAVIS show
from statistics, that this is greater on tn,
Western than Eastern waters. He does not
however, appear even TO have suspected tina
there is slight difference in the navigation 0
streams four thousand miles long, with boat
that stop hourly to take in, and put out passen
gers and freight, and that of daily or night,
lines, as in the east, Of one or two hundrec
miles distance with ample intervals for reitting
Awestern steamboat voyage is from five TO ter
days duration, stopping on an average perhap
eight times day. An eastern coast voyage i
about ten hours, and sea voyage six 10 twelv
days without stoppages.
Now about nine-tenths Of the explosions OF
the Western waters result from these frequen
stoppages. But we may be told bosts in III
North river stop frequently. These stoppare.
however, are at fixed points, and almost for
fixed time p put out and take in passengers. D
the Ohio and Mississippi, however, the stop
pages are Irregular as TO time and plsee-th
boat calling wherever a signal is made, and stop
ping To deliver passengers and freight whereve
required. Hence the peculiar liability 10 explo
sion on the Western waters. A degree Of car
and vigilance is required there which no othe
navigation requires And making due aIlowanc,
for all the difficulties Of Western navigation
we believe the explosions are not greater thai
elsewhere.
But We shall not argue the question. Tha
would require volumes.
IA for the comparison Of Senator DAVIS be
tween the loss Of life on Western and Easter
waters, he might as well compare the Hudson
to the Mississippi The mail line from Cincin
natl 10 Louisville, which is about as long a
from New York to Albany, has scarcely lost
life BY accident in twenty FIVE years.
II Congress intends TO prevent accidents 1
the West by law, IL had better enact that IN
rivers Of the valley be divided into streams on
t,n honJ.oI Ill. - 4