The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-29
THE COLLINS STEAMERS.

from his friends in Justice to Gen. Pierce
THE COLLINS STEAMERS.
On Tuesday, the 18th instant, in the House
Of Representatives, the vote was taken on the
appropriation to the Collins line of steamers
and was passed, as we stated in the last Era
by a vote of SO to ST. The vote is as follows
YEAs-Messrs Aiken; Bayly, Va; Bell
Bibighaus, Bovine; Boyd, n Y. Briggs, Brooks;
Brown, n j.; Burrows; Cabell, Fla. Cald
well Campbell, Ohio; Cartier, Chandler,
Chapman, Clingman, Conger, Curtis, DSNk
Dean, Doty, Duncan, Evans, Florence; Fowler,
Fuller, Me; Gamble Gilmore Goodenow,
Goodrich, Hammond, Harper, Hart Haws,
Haven, HEM, Horsford, Howard Thomas M.
Howe; How, jr., n Y; Ingersoll; Jones Pa. /;
Kuhns, Kurt, Mann Marshall, Cal. Martin,
McCorkle, Meade Miner; Moore, Pa. More
head Morrison; Murray Pa; Perkins, Por-
ter, Price, Rantoul, Reed, Riddle, Robe, Robin
son, RUSSELL Sackett, Schcrmerhorn, School
craft Scudder Seymour, N. Y. Snow, STAN
ly Stanton, Tenn; Stanton, KY; Stephens,
NY; Stone, st. Martin, Strother Stuart
Sutherland, Taylor, Thurston, Walbridge,
Walsh Ward, Washburn, WEIGH White, Ala;
and Yates-s9
NAYs-Messrs Abercrombie Allison, Aver
EFT, Babcock Bailey, Ga. Beale, Bocock
Bragg, Ala. Brenton, Burt, Buell. Busby; Ca,
bic, Ohio; Campbell, Ill. Caskie, Cbastain
Churchwell Cobb, Daniel; Davis la. Daw.
son, Disney, Durham, Durkee, Edgerton, Ed
mondson, Ewing, Faulkner, Floyd, Freeman
Gentry, German, Green Gray, Grow, Hamil
ton Harris Tenn. Harris, Ala Hendricks
Hubbard, Hilyer, Holiday, Houston, John w
Howe, Hunter Ives, Jackson, Jenkins Johnson
Tenn Johnson, Ga. Johnson, Ark. Jones,
~ Y; Jones, Tenn; Preston King, Letcher,
Mason, McLanahan Mcqueen, Mllson, Mo-
lony, Murphy, Majors, Olds; Parker, Pa. ; Par
ker, Ia Peaslee Phelps, Powell Richardson,
Robbins, Rose, Savage, Scurry; Seymour,
Conn; Shelton, Smart, Smith Stanton, Ohio
Stevens, Pa; Swcetzer Townshend, Venable,
Wallace, Walker Watkins Wildrick, Will
liams, and Woodward-S7.
Thirty-eight Democrats and fifty-ope Wings
voting Aye, and seventy-one Democrats and
sixteen Wings voting Nag
The clause of the Deficiency bill upon which
the vote was cast, runs as follows:
For additional compensation for increasing
the transportation of the United States mail
between New York and Liverpool in the Col
Inns line of steamers to twenty-six trips per
annum, at such times AZ shall be directed by
the Postmaster General, and in conformity to
his last annual report to Congress, and his
letter of the fifteenth of November last, to the
Secretary of the Navy, commencing said in
crease of service on the first of January, eigh-
teen hundred and fifty-two at the rate of thir-
ty.three thousand dollars per trip, in lieu Of
the present allowance, the sum of two hun
dred and thirty-six thousand five hundred dol
lars Provided, That it shall be in the power
of Congress, at any time after the thirty-frst
day Of December, eighteen hundred and fifty
four to terminate the arrangement for the ad-
ditional allowance herein provided for, upon
giving six months notice.
The New York Evening Post says:
"Thirty-three thousand dollars trip, or
about twice what the British Government al
low the Cunard Company for the same amount
of postal service This vote is a practical re-
cogniton Of two principles, both Of which are
false-frst, that the American Congress is at
liberty to bring the resources Of the General
Government into competition with the indie
pendent commerce Of the country and second,
that the American mechanic cannot build and
run Atlantic steamers half as cheap as their
English rivals. Every Democrat knows the un-
soundness Of the first proposition, and every
ship-builder or navigator in the United States
daily witnesses the absurdlty of the second"
Mr. Breckenridge, Of Kentucky opposed the
appropriation, and summed up his reasons
therefor as follows
"To sum up my reasons for opposing both
the increased bounty to the Collins line, and
the whole system as heretofore pursued by the
Government
"lst Because the contractors have failed TO
fulfil the stipulations of their contracts, and
have not constructed vessels capable Of being
converted at the least possible cost into first
class war steamers
"2d Because there has been no examination
into the affairs of the Collins line by any officer
of the Government; and therefore no proof OF
prudent management and unavoidable loss
I'D Because from the nature OF the sys-
tenn there is great danger that the contracts,
being necessarily 50 large will be awarded to
individuals or companies whose personal or
political influence will shield them from strict
accountability.
"4th Because no partnership between the
Government and individuals resulting from ex-
press contract and formed for the acquisition
of common profits, should be encouraged.
/" 5th Because the system is in the highest
degree pernicious to the commercial enterprise
of the country, by giving an unnatural and
consequently Improbable direction to all CON-
mercal interests.
16th. Because the bounties furnished by the
Government to these steamships enables them
to compete successfully with private individu.
ais, in the transportation OF passengers and
freight, and finally to force all others to aban-
don the routes as is the case between New
York and New Orleans, and Havana and others.
a7th. Because, under the system ~ hereto