The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-11

a private enterprise, which now complains, the
+ display Itself II il was prevented by BIRTHS
f government contracts, surely no hardship result
TO private enterprise from the counteraction o
that system by our system. And then as to tn
great favors shown by government to our OK
listing lines, why, they were all offered TO
public proposals. Why did not some Of thes
enterprizing and injured gentlemen, who thinl
such contracts such great favors, come FORWARD
then and bid for them Why, the fact is, at tina
time they would not have them, buttoned VI
their breeches-pockets dryly, and laughed a
those who had the temerity to take them.
One of the parties, who is now so much in
jured and oppressed by these government con
tracts is Mr.. VANDERBILT, an enterprizing mil
ionare of New York, who is a large owner il
an Independent line Of steamers running be
tween that city and Nicaragua-and he claims
also, We understand, to be principal proprietor
Of grant of the right to make canal there to
connect the two oceans. He wants contract
now to carry the mail oil the way from New
York to San Francisco for half the price now paid
for that service. We understand that he was Of
fered originally large share of the present con.
tract with the government soon after it was
made, and declined. He afterwards built u
couple Of steamers to runin opposition to those
Of the contract: and boosted that he would
had built were too large and expensive, and that
with cheaper vessels and less fuel and expense,
he could make more money without contract
than with one which required them of peculiar
the prices of pnssage-both lines lost money
and now he comes for a contract with vessels
whose fitness for naval service may be inferred
from the fact that the beams of the engine vi
brate above the decks This is the gentleman
who is now here by himself, or agents, who are
distressed, at the rate of ten dollars week, at
the enormity of the present government mo-
nopoly. Why, of the whole five or six lines ex-
listing under contract, we know of two only that
have made money--the two engaged in the
California trade: and the discovery of gold was
made there after both contracts were consum-
mated. The COLLINS liue, it is admitted has
lost and is losing money, for it asks an increase
of pay on that very ground. Any part of thai
monopoly can no doubt be had very cheap.
The truth is, that before this system was adopted,
British naval mail companies had the monopoly
of It's peculiar business across the Atlantic and
in the West Indies, and but for it, might now
have line running from British Oregon, uia San
Francisco, to Panama, as they have on the South
Pacific.
And is it too much for the purpose either of
commercial competition in peace, or Of naval
defence in war, that we have the four Collins
steamers, and the three Bremen and Havre ones,
opposed to the seven Cunarders-that we have
the three or four New York and Chagres
steamers opposed to the eleven of the British
West India mail line, or that We have four in
the North Pacific against several in the South
Pacific Why, In case of war with any mari
time power, its first effort would be to intercept
our communication with California, and capture
or cut off our supply of gold. And certainly il
for anything, for the transportation and defence
of that-steamers combining both speed and
power are important
We should deeply regret the suspension or
abandonment of the Collins line. 1t is an honor
to the country. And, although it may be too
costly and expensive for the trade, it's services
in peace, and its value in war, are equivalent to
| thn or of kaapipr al vNa fhipk Mr.
COLLINS erred in the change of the original con.
tract so as to dispense with officers of the navy
as commanders and watch officers And we
think that if government should increase the
pay, it ought to insist on rcnstatng its officers
There is another class of persons who object
to this system on the score Of expense. We
have shown that there was almost no expense
before the last reduction of postage. If ex-
pense now results, it ought to be charged not
to the mail steamer system-but to the low
postage system. For even at the previous rate
of twenty cents letter for three thousand
miles, the charge was less than the penny post
of England, distance considered.
We have seen lately, the system attacked in
a nameless pamphlet, on the ground that the
contracts are forfeited for default or delinquency
The profound genius who made the discovery is
too late. Ithas been we'll known that the con
tracts were not literally complied with. The mum,
Der of vessels established in the Chagres line
has not been completed, and in pc rhaps no line
were they completed in the time specified. But
on the other hand, the size of almost all has been
greatly augmented. The total tonnage on the
four lines now is about thirty thousand, all &C
cepted. The tonnage stipulated for, could moi
have exceeded twenty thousand. But Congress,
has long since waived literal, in consideration
of substantial and even liberal compliance
with the contracts and has paid the compensa
ton accordingly.
The complaint of delay in the construction
was made by the last Secretary of the Navy
The very law confirming these contracts, pro
| ,;J,d ror thu rnction oF fnur war afaams RI