The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-23
~ yaws py~.lug Post VS.. The Commercial
Navy


Fn.n;n0 Post is so perfect specimen of the
ignorance and folly that have been enlisted in
The war against the naval mail steamship sys-
tam that we think it ought to be exhibiteds
OuR COMMERCIAL NAVY INDICATING ITSELF
We have Just received copy of the reports
of the Secretary of the Navy and of tbePof
master General, made in May last, c6mmuni.
eating to the United States Senate some impor-
tant information in relation to our mail steam.
ship service We desire to call public attention
to one or two facts which it discloses, for the
benefit of those gentlemen who are so anxious
TO transfer the commerce of this country TO the
hands of few political spectators and jobbers.
The first fact which struck us in the report of
the Secretary of the Navy, was, the perfect cool
ness with which he admits that the Law and
Aspnwall line of steamers have failed to fulfil
the terms of their contract. They contracted
TO build five first class steamships, and have two
ready in October, ls4S. They never had any
fit for the service until the Goth of January,
1850, when the Georgia was put on.
Mr. Secretary Graham, after making this state
ment, adds:
Another vessel, the Ohio built under this
contract had been put upon the line as early as
September, lS49, but the inspecting officer hay
ing reported.the ship as not having been COP
pered, the contract requiring that said steamers
shall be shsathed with copper the department
declined to accept the vessel under the contract
The Secretary then proceeds to account for
another violation of their contract which the ad
ADMINISTRATION has winked at:
AT still earlier date in December, 1913, it
was proposed by the assgnees, to place upon
the route, temporarily, the ocean steamer Fal
con- vessel inferior 10 The stipulation of the
contract. She was accordingly accepted, the de
Parments reserving the right to terminate the
arrangement whenever it should think proper to
do 80 The services of the Falcon have not
been discontinued. The Ohio the frat steam.
ship built and offered under the contract, and
rejected by the department AS before stated.
was finally completed and accepted in January,
1851 and third vessel, the illinois, was offered
and accepted on the 30th of September, 1851"
Though neither of the accepted steamers was
put upon the line until 1850 and though but
three of the lie stipulated for by the contract
have yet been furnished, yet the Secretary of
the Navy informs us in his report that mail
service on this route, was decided TO have com
menced with the trips of the Falcon Ist. De.
cember l84S."
The government commenced paying its bonds
for the encouragement of a commercial navy
two years before single vessel, corresponding
with the contract under which the service pro.
fessed to be rendered, had been furnished
Not only were the vessels not furnished for
two years, but the full quota are not furnished
yet. But, our readers may be disposed to re.
spond, 1.-THE government of course only paid
for the mail service rendered, pro rata so that
the loss was shared between the companv and
the people, but did not fall upon the treasury y
80 far from that being the case, the full paw I'M
OF the Falcon in lS48, and Law IL Co. from tina,
day forth, received precisely the same amount o.
compensation that they would have been entitled
to, ii they had supplied the five war steamer
for which they contracted.
We have the authority of Mr.. Secretary Grf
ham for what we say. We quote again fror
page of the report before us:
1.-The contract requiring the mail service @
this company, in five steamers of given cor
struction, after the passage of the naval appro
priation act of 2Sth Sept, 1850 doubts wer
entertained whether they were entitled to b
paid for the service performed, except pro rat
according to the number of ships in USE Blu
the question being referred to the Attorne
General, he was of opinion that, by the leg;
construction OF the act, full price should be PAL
Tor the service performed, and payment was mad
accordingly; and the subsequent appropriate
act employing similar language, the same CO.
struction has been followed, and the full pa
ments made in the same manner as if the who
number OF ships had been completed
"There have been but three steamships III
Georgia. the Ohio and the Iinois,O built ar
accepted under the Sloo contract which reouir,
five, and the department is not informed os
the intentions of the assignees 10 complete III
number"
The decision of the Attorney General her
referred to, is made in defiance of the followin
very explicit clause of the contract betwee
Messrs. Law q Co. ard the government, whc
may be found at length on pages 63, Ga and 6
of the report.
sand inasmuch as the sid steamships will b
completed at different periods, respectvel
within the time above limited il il hereby mr.
derstood and agreed by the parties aforesaid
that each of the said ships shall commence III
service as soon as she shall be in all respec,
ready therefor, according to the terms of th
contract, and that proportonate part of sal
compensation stipulated for the whole servic
aforesaid shall be paid 10 said A. G.. Sloo. f
the partial service which may thus be rendere
by the steamer or steamers which may, as afor
said, be first completed but no COMPENSATE
shall in any case be paid for any period prior
the time when such steamship or STEAMSHIP
shall commence the actual performance of n
service required by said act of Congress"
George Law and his associates had receive
up to the 2Sth of January Of the current We.
under this contract, thus violated in most in
portant particulars by themselves, the handsom
sum of S94I, 1926 80. "This sum-" says Seer
tary Graham, "ncludes well, the advance
one years mail pay, made by direction of IL
act last referred to, as compensation for Il
service actually performed, except one tenth {
said advance, which was accounted for and ga
isfed on the Sd Of March, 1851"
We may here add, that by the act of that yer
the advance spoken Of ia the contract, which W
$4,000 month on each steamer launched 20
exempted from interest, so that the contracto
were receiving the use of the government none
several hundred thousand dols-s =
nothing, and were receiving 5000 q, oo s'iiouni
sides, for carrying the mails two year
fore they bada single accepted stsam Years
line, and they bave ever since and do NJ, On
the same indulgent consideration fro,,, ~ elJ
tt