The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-29

ever, that that ship built upon entirely diff
ferent principle and therefore there cannot be any
fair compa rison between them.
have called the attention Of the Senate 10 thu
speed, the models and the capacity OF these vess'
for another purposethat is, to show that his
pany have, in executing this enterprise, made ex-
periments. secured information, and given models
Of steamships, with their engines, of great practical
value to the public. IL we never received a cent oi
postage, we should be fully compensated for the
money we have paid by the increased knowledge
we have received with regard to the building OF
ocean steamers. Collins h Co. have, at an inn
rDense expense Of time and money, rendered all
these services to the country. and wo have reapcd
all the advantage of their enterprise. They have
sustained all the loas say, therefore, that these
considerations ought to enter into the minds oi
Senators when they vote on this proposition.
Again: the building and running of these ships
have produced to the country a class of practical
engineers that it would not have had without this
undertaking. 1t has been a school for our young
engineers These vessels are now every year
training up engineers. who are to take charge ol
our steamships Of war. or to be employed in the
commercial marine. Thus the country ia acquir
ing knowledge at the expense Of the owners Of the
Collins line. This, also, ought to be taken into
consideration. So great has been the cost, and
perfect the skill in the construction of these ships
and Of their machinery, that no accident Of any
moment has happened TO them.
Dir. HALE. The Atlantic broke her shaft.
Mr.. MILLER. True; but it which was
made in England!
In advocating the policy OF our Government
sustaining these steamers wieh to call the atten-
ton Of the Senate and the country to what G rea
Britain is doing upon this subject of ocean mail
steamers, not only with regard TO the Cunard line
but in regard to many other lines. She has estab-
ished five great routes of ocean mail steam
do not speak now Of her inland steam postal ar
rangements She has under contract with
the Admiralty sixty three ocean mail steamers D.
every one Of which may be converted into war
steamers. The aggregate power Of these steamer
10 twenty nine thousand six hundred and twenty
horse power; their tonnage is sixty one THOUSAND
three hundred and forty-eight; they annually
steam one million five hundred and seventy five
thousand miles; and the aggregate amount paid
by the Government for mail service performed on
these several routes is about 5 4 100000. These
routes are, hrst the Atlantic route from Liverpool
to New York; the second is the route to the West
Indies and the eastern coast Of South America
That route has it's depot at st. Thomas, from which
they branch out with about twenty steamers to the
various West India Islands, to the coast of South
America, and to Mexico have prepared a state
ment Of the different minor routes connected Will
this line, showing their destination, the amount o
tonnage, and the number OF miles they steam
Then there is the great East India lne which sails
twice a month from Southampton, in England
touching at Gibraltar, and then to Alexandria
thence by overland route for a short distance take
steam again at Suez to Calcu and Bombay, and
China Then there is also the route by way Of the
Cape Of Good Hope, and the Pacific route from
Valparaiso to Panama. There are several other
proposed routes, and which / understand have
been contracted for, to Australia and other por-
tions of the East. ] have prepared tabular state
ments OF these different routes, showing the mum
Der OF steamers, tonnage, power, and the miles
steamed.
From Southampton 10 Uea Indies and South Ame