The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-17
The DAILY DISPATCH
STEAM LINE TO AWKWARD.
House Of Delegates, Monday, Dse. st6, 1852

mouse 9 Ds!egotes, Monday, Dee. 9Th, 1854
ne Oil Tor the establishment of steam line to
nHsHsrp, coming up as the order of the day and
mr CEane declining to occupy the floor in conse-
quence OF lndIspostion, Mr. Butler rose and ad.
dressed the House as f1lows:
hr Speaker-As / designed submitting for the
consideration of the House. a few remark on this
OIL! before vote should be taken on it. will avail
n'yse1 CT the courtesy extended to ne BIZ nv col.
ieasle, (Mr Crane) and make those remarks at this
tins. ~
Being left free, sir, by the citizens of Richmond
70 exercise my wn judgment to the vote shall
oe called upon 10 give this bill, will now VIXEN
ehH proper time comes give the vote it was nv in
ientCn from the first to give unlessit had been the
pleasure oil my constituents to instruct me to castit
10 dlnefent way. But before recording the vote
"nlcn leel 1t my duty to give, it is proper-per
maps 1t Is expected of me, that should state some
CT the reasons which will influence me 10 vote
against this bill establishing a line Of steamers be
tween the ports OF Virginia and the city OF Ant
werp.
Perni: me, however, in advance of what SHALL
sag, to assure my friend the delegate from Norfolk
CITY, ana my friends, the representatives from Nor
ioik county and the town of Portsmouth, that in
my opposition TO this line of staamshios to Ant
werp, am ac;uated by no spirit of rivairy-by no
feeling OF jealousy towards the city of Norfolk or
the town OF Portsmouth. For, if | know nv own
hesrt, know full well, that if my vote would make
Norfolk city the great commercial emporium not
only Of Virginia, but of The southern States of this
coneder acy, the feelings of that heart would prompt
me most cheerfully and cordial to give that vote
Sir am cor deni need not - have made to these
gentlemen this disclaimer OF improper motives for
know them to be gentlemen possessing minds too
Aoera! to entertain tor one nCment such unknd,
such ungenerous thoughts. But mems motives are
sometimes misunderstood, and | make it tor the
purpose OF removing such thoughts from the minds
OF others, II any such are really euteTtained
Mr. Speaker, representing herein part, city with
the largest commercial constituency of any other in
the Stste, myself merchant, and for the past ff
teen years e my life engeged in q foreign import
trade-thus giving the best possible evidence of my
sincere desire 20 build up direct trade for Virgin.
lain shOt, practising fr that length of time what
gentlemen are now go yehemertly preaching to US
no one, presume, under these circum stances
will, for a single oment, think that am in Infer
e1t- far less can any one say that am inimica to
any practical measure which has for its obi ct and
is a!custed In my jud sment TO increaie direct
trade with foreign countries.
No one more anXiC usiy desires 10 see our State
independent OF her sitter States in her export and
import trade with other countries, thsn | do. No
one wOsli rejoice than to see the reoule of
Virginia dong for themselves what they are paw.
ing, and dearly paying others to do for them; ana
yet, entertaining these teelings-cherishing these
wishes and these DESIRES cannot shut my ewes to
what fear will be the end OF this scheI me- and
contribute, by my vote to the pass g. Of bill
which, II passed. firmly believe will result in a
heavy loss to the commonwealth without any cor
responding benefit to the tereigu commerce If the
State.
eHppOSlhS iOI Inc InOLnelt, mat one OF these
steamers is completed and ready to receivea cargo
would ask gentlemen in all sincerity, for desire
to know, what kind of produce would they expect
to obtain on freight IN the ports of Virginia that
would pay the heavy expenses of steamers voy-
age trem Hampton Roads to Europe. We are told
hhds. Of tobacco, bales of cotton barrels of flour
and grain But constructed, as all ocean steamers
must necessarily be, TO carry large tonnage of
coal, far fuel 10 propel the vessel, independent of
the space required for machinery and if, is CON.
ten plated in this case further large appropr alton
of space is to he reserved for the accommodation of
hrst class and steersge passengers, 1t follows
matter ct course that but little room will be left for
such oulky articles OF freight as have just enume.
rated, and the little that could be taken must be at
proportioaately nigh rates of freight or at least
| twice the rates charged by sail snips, otherwise
| th ese steamers would sink money en- every voyage
Now, sir, doyou think do gentlemen advocating
this bill think, that the shippers of these the prlnc
pal articles IF the export trade of Virginia. would
pay any such extra freights, simply to have their
produce taken across the Atlantic in some 15 or 20
days shorter time than it is at pTesent carried la sail
| ships, If Mr. Thompson thinks SO, he would bs
speedily undeceived by enquiry of the tobacco and
-four exporters OF our cityof the tobacco and cot
ton expoi ters of the city OF Petersburg end of tx
cotton and grain exporters Of the city of Norfolk
Sir, they will pay no such extra Fl freghts-nether
willhey ship by steamer at any difference ofireghts
| that would remunerate for steam carriage
The same may be said Of the import freights-
| they cannos-they would not pay Why sir, one
sured me the other day, that one of these steam
ers, if built and placed the line, could at one
trip or at most two trips homeward, bring all the
| French, German and Belgian goods in his line ne.
| cessary to supply the Virginia trade for whole
| twelve months. Then what earthly chance is there
| for paying freight from that quarter.
l, is only the large cities Ct New York and Phila-
| delphia, where heavy importatlons OF hne and
costly goods are mad3-goods which occupy but
little space in hulk, that can afford to pay such
| freights as will remunerate steam carriage. The
city of Philadelphia, one OF the too accepted by
me, with upwards OF AGO OC0 inhabitants and her
| immense commerce, has only two steamships ply.
ing between that port and Europe, and these Were
put the line within the past two years. And the
city OF Boston, the commercial emporium OF the
little State of Ma sschusetts, and OF the il-
| stances cited by the gentleman from Elizabeth
city, (mr. Srsar) as an example of the rapid strides
| made to commercial supremacy by the f'orthern
cities over those of the South the city of Boston,
| al this day, has no ocean steamships OF her own
| running to Europe. The British mail steamships,
the Cunafd steamers formerly ran regular trips TO
| that city, bat since the establishment of Collins
| line of steamers from New York, the Cunard
| steamers have been running aternae trips to Bos
| ton and the other trip to New iosk They could
not be supported to run their regular trips to Bos
ton after Collins line started from the city CT
| New YORK.
| And let me say to my friend, the gentleman
| from Elizabeth city, that he labors under mis-
take if he supposes that Boston is indebted 10 this
|
il its commerce n population since 1887. Sir, it was
the opening OF her various railway lines running in
| all direction through the State OF Massachusetts,
and into the nsighboring States; but above all, 10
| no one single improvement is Boston more indebt-
e1 for its present commercial prosperity than to
the Great Western Railway, running from that city
T. the city cf Albany and thus lnteEeeptlEs and dl
v.rting from It's usual course the great Lake com.
rnerce thst formerly sought foreign markc.
| throu sh the city OF New York only
The city OF Baltimore smother instance cited by
| the gentleman flom Elizabeth el y, win 2u0,4o5
inhabitants and with perhaps five tiuos the wealth
aud import trade / this city, and perhaps rice
taa wealh and i'm pant trade of Inc three principal
cities Of this Stae-BsltimOre, up 70 this day, mas
| made NJ more towards establishing an OCEAN
s eafaship Line from that port 10 any part OF Eu.
rye out relies entirely her fleet OF fast selling
shias, to distribute abroad the commodities OF her
merchants and returning, to coue tfois hIed Win
! the productions and manufactures OF other c5ua'
GI;e; aud, sir let me add here, these ste 'ae very
clasa and description Of vessels that We need u Il