New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-28
XXXIId CONGRESS-. First SESSION

SENATE. WASHINGTON Tuesday, April n, 1852
The CHAIR laid before the Senate COM
suncaons from the Secretary of the Navy in reply to
resolutions calling for information relative to allowances
b. Naval Officers for furniture, &C. and relative to the
several kinds of coal used in the Navy.
Mr.. HAMLIN made n personal eXplana-
ton, defending the u. s. District Judge OF Maine, Hon.
Asher Ware, from gross, unjustied assault upon him
in The Boston Mad upon charge OF attempting TO nave
his salary increased He denied that there was any ap
picaton from that Judge for any increase OF salary
MIR. SUMNER presented the memorial OF
The American Statistical Society," asking for copies OF the
Journals OF Congress, &c.
Mr.. SUMNER introduced bill to enforce
liens in Admiralty and to regulate the proceedings
therein.
NIessrs. BAYARD and COOPER presented
petitions from Journeymen Printers praying forthe es'
tsbishment Of a Government Printing once.
The Joint Resolution from the House
approving and confirming the act Of the Assembly Of
Oregon fixing the sea. Of Government at Salem In that
Territory, taken up and passed
The Deficiency Bill was then taken up.
Mr.. SEWARD took the floor and spoke as
follows:
SPEECH OF MR. SEWARD.
What will Congress do! What has
Congress done for the Collins Steamers These
are the questions which every visitor returning
from the Capitol on his arrival in New-fork, and
every traveller from America encounters on Change
in Liverpool and London, and in the Courts of
Paris and St. Petersburg. There is reason enough
for all this curiosity and interest among the mer-
chants and statesmen of the two Continents.
Mr.. President, under contract with the Uni
ted States made on the 10Th of April, 1919, be-
tween Edward X. Collins, James Brown and Ste
wart Brown, merchants of New York and the United
of New York and Liverpool forty voyages across the
twenty outward and inward voyages annually
In Steamships carrying freight and passengers their
account and also public mails the account of the
United States and receiving from the Treasury as
compensation for that service three hundred and eighty
five thousand dollars year, which is equivalent to
somewhat than $4,000 tor. each outward and re-
turn passage. The Committee ON Finance propose an
amendment to the annual deficiency bin the effect of
which Is 10 increase the number Of mails and voyages
from twenty to twenty six and the compensation from
<le,o0o to s33o0O for each voyage
Ought Nis measure 10 be adopted?
assume for the present that the existing enterprise
to be perseyCringy sustained In that view the ques-
sion arises Asv the proposed increase If mail srce is
saYedisnt When this line established, the British
Cunsrd Steamers consisting OF vessels max
ing semimoEthly voyages and carrying semi-monthly
mails between the same points during the eight tempe
rate months, and monthly mails during The four months
and then they had monopoly Of steam postage
between the two countries We authorized he Collins
Line TO carry just the number Of mails alternately
with the Cunsrd Steamers and so we broke Up the
nopoy and divided the hostages of the route equally
with Great Britain. So far all right and well But
recently the Cpnard Steamers have continued their
semimoathly mails throughout the whole year. while
ours are limited to the eight temperate months and so
tne equality OF postage has been partially re
stored BY the proposed increase OF mails shalt ex
Sc'iy alternate again, and every day that an Amer
ian or European Mail Steamer shall leave New.York
one OF me other line will leave the opposite port and
30 te monopoly viii again be broken and the complete
ceNsuy o. postage revenues will be restored We must
do Just tils or rehnqalsh IN Important degree tho
great postal object OF the enterprise The Postmaster
General &n0 the secretary Of the Navy aud the Sens,es
Committee on the Post.Ofce, Naval AAsirs sna ON
Ills to be &, all continued The Increase then is no.
merely expcGieut but necessary and Indispensable
Assuming now that the service is to b. increased, The
question comes UP
is The Increase of Compensation from $4,000
10 S53,OtU per rogGge yUst 9,id reasonable?
II Is lust and reasonable II necessary II ia clear
cline 10 make TIE Elk voyages for noshing, and even
10 make them for $1,000 voyage. We cannot obige
the contractors to make them for this compensation on
TO make them for any compensation. for they are
beyond the contract No one else offers make them
on these tcrins, or indeed on any terms. We mus
therefore apply Mr. Codns and his assocsiistes
large the contract But opening the contract for en-
Arsement opens il for revision They consent to en-
i&fge and they show for that while the aver
cost Of each voyage 70 .e6o,2l6 a
1ne average receipts are only. 1885 s.
And that % they incur an average los Of e69s u
Ana an aggregate loss amounting 10 .SxS ia ~
ssy further show that capltal of three millions In