The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-18

the sailing packets this question will leave to
the decision OF our commercial merchants, TO say
whether they choose TO have the steaning business
entirely mOnopoiized by the English shared by
the Americans, and will leave TO their decision
whether, long they to have steam com.
petition, they do not desire the American steamers
10 occupy the relative position to the English
as our sailing packets do TO theirs
"Fair Play" treats in ridicule the idea that the
support Of The Collins line Is a national question
True AMERICANS do not require any instruction
on this point, and if they should, will hero give
the language of Mr.. Cunard himself before com
mittee OF the House OF Commons, in July, lS49: 81
aoas most anxious TO haze IL (ite ere1asiOn of the
cOntracD done, because knelD the consequences Of
hauing these riUG lines Of steamers running against
as, and that u Mould affect the oovERNMEsT MORE
THAN WOULD US"
Ii is expressed by "Fair Play" that Congress
should not pay the Collins line any more for carry
ing the mails than other steamers are willing TO
carry them for. This portion of the communca.
ton will leave to the memtcrs OF Congress and
citizens general y-whether they will not give
to nave thoir mails carried by a class of
steamers which a credit TO our nation, and an
exponent OF the ability of our ship builders and Gu
gineers, than they will give 10 steamers that shall
Joliolc the English instead of leading them Any
one acquainted with the subject knows that to at
tain great speed the vessels must be of large di-
mensions, and have great power; and il is self
evident that such steamers must be much more x
pensive in their construction, equipment, con-
sumption OF coals pay OF oiiicere, crew. &c, than
\ class of steamers one third smaller in size.
The next assertion is, "that the construction of
the Collins steamers. in reference TO their easy
conversion into war steamers, has been entirely
overlooked
As "Fair Play ia 20 anti American, ! will here
quote an eminent English authority respecting the
identical vessels he assails The extract is taken
from the Liverpool Mercury of the LIST of August,
1851. The occasion the entertainment OF u
large party Of gentlemen at Liverpool on board the
American packet ship Great w estern, commanded
Shern he rlf5 de
by the justly celebrated ship. builder, Mr. Wilson
Green, in Acknowledgment OF the toast, ''The Lv-
erpool Ship buders:''
"Aiter speaking of chip building generally, and
what could be done in America, he said that the
Americans had advantages which did not pos
sess in England and it must be acknowledged that
their ships were amongst the nohcst specimens OF
naval architecture, and could not be rivalled. lie
thought, however, that if in Liverpool we had
the advantages which they had in America, we
might compete with them He would not say they
should beat u.s. but we would first have a trial.
He would say this, that in almost every thing
nected with ships, the Americans were leading
Hear, hear.l They had a class of steamers which
came here from the United States Now, ship
builder, and one acquainted with building large
steamers he did not hesitate to say there were not
finer or better built vessels than these American
steamers [fIear, hear The Atlantic had
tanned n succession Of severe gales which few ships
could have with5;ood; and when she was examined
in the dry dock at this port there was not the
slightest appearance of any strain. She exhibited
what he never before. 1t was well known that
ships Of invariably settled about five inches;
but the Atlantic did not vary an inch and a-half.
IHear, hear There not frigate in the Bri
tish navy that would not sink five inches The
sinking shown by the copper; but there was
not the slightest abrasion on the Atlantic"
Last season had the pleasure of spending
raj months in Europe, where opportunity was
afforded me of visiting all the principal ship yards,
engine works, and steamers III Great Britain, and,
as an American, confess myself highly gratitied
at the many complimentary expressions which
were frankly and literally made by the most emf
nent ship and engine builders in favor of the mail
steamers and were il not that this article already
TOO long, would gladly give these acknowledge
ments in detail Several Of the parties engaged in
the construction Of the famous Cunard steamers
admitted the necessity of deeiation from MeV old
beate,, track before they could compete tcidt us.
shall ever hold ia kind remembrance the many
c1urtesies received from friendly rivals; and
vii close this article by expressing the belief that
If the Americans held the Collins steamers in the
same estimation do their rivals, all necessary
suprort from Government would be cheerfully
granted L. w. SMITH,
Superinending Engineer to the New York, South
ampton, and Bremen United States Mail Steam
New YoRK March Is, 1852.
NB-The ships of the Collins line have not only
been built in accordance with the specification fur
nished TO the Secretary OF the Navy, approved OF
by hs board OF constructors, and under the inspec
ton of n naval constructor, which specification
forms part Of the contract. but their strength is
tastlv increased beyond what would have met fully
the specification, and more than equali in strength
TO any OF our naval steamers.