The daily union., 1852-02-10

and OF their boilers and machinery such places within
port OF entry delivery the Judge OF the district may
deem proPer and the inspectors appointed shall have all
and be subject all the liabilities imposed in.
,5sc.9fs n spPSaed under and in virtue Of the act Of
security oil The lives Of board of vessels pro-
81 81 sy and S"a s s ss 20 aa
gress' Provided That person shall be appointed in
sPeolor as aforesaid who is Interested IN the manufacture
OF sieanengines, steamboilers, or other machinery be-
longing 10 steam vessels"
approve entirely of the object of the bill introduced
by the senator from Arkansas MIR BoRLAHD j and from
what know o the navigation oil the streams In many
portions OF his State, am aware that there is great
INJURY sustained in consequence OF not having Inspectors
there know also that the people OF my own State, in
the western end OF II, living two three hundred
miles from Louisville, labor under the difficulties
which are felt BY the people Of Arkansas in not having
inspectors OF steamboats, Paducah and other places
My amendment provides that the Judges OF the district
courts, within whose Judicial districts there may be ports
OF entry or delivery may at such places not less than
hfy miles distant from port OF entry delivery appoint
inspectors OF steamboats,, who shall be entitled to all the
powers and rights shall perform the duties and shall come
under all the rules and responsibilities imposed by any
acts OF Congress have conferred with my friend from
Arkansas, and believe he is willing TO allow this
venience TO be extended to my Stale. see objection
therefore, TO the passage OF the bill with the amendment
hope, therefore, that the amendment will be adopted
and that we shall pass the bill.
/ The amendment was agreed to.
/ No further amendment being moved. the bill was re-
ported to the Senate, and the amendment made in commit
| tee was concurred in
The question then recurred upon ordering the bill 10 be
engrossed for third reading
Senate at former session. stated some reasons why
thought ought not TO pass and must confess that those
reasons still operate with me- 1t is very desirable TO
have responsible inspections OF steamboat boilers; and
Congress has attempted to accomplish this object by au
hozing the dslrd judges to appoint inspectors; but the
law has operated badly and there has been great COM
plant that certificates are given without sufficient exami-
nalon there having been frequent explosions where the
certificates have been given II seems to me that the
better way to guard against these explosions would be to
make the inspections still rigid rather than 10 make
them easier As il is now, inspections are made at GER
tam great points, al points OF entyLoulsvlle ST. Louis,
and at New Oreansbut if ysu extend il to other points
upon the smaller rivers, II may very well happen that
man who cannot get certificate from the a6ler exam,
ners al these large places, will run into small place and
get certificate.
Besides, can see no necessity for it, because, although
the boats may in these small streams they are gener-
ally built and efed at these other important ports they go
there certain OCCASIONS and they then Obtain the
certificates AS think this bill will weaken the security
which the original law was intended to give, and as !
am not impressed with any necessity why this bill should
pass unless there is very stringent reason Tor IT.
think il would lessen the value of these inspections, and
| hope the bill will not pass
| do not any reason why the boats in Arkansas
should not obtain certificates in Louisville or other
ports, where they built rehtted really see no
great necessity for the bill, and hope twill not pass
any opposition 10 the bill. did not expect to be obliged
% speak H. and shall soy but very few words
The seaalor from Louisiana is, think, altogether mis-
security, or TO change the law at all that subject II
requires the same qualifications the part OF inspectors
that are now required by the general law L refers 10
the general law and simply extends the benefits oil that
law over region oil the country where they do not now
extend The general law, the gentleman knows very
WELL gives the power the district Judges OF the United
States 10 appoint Inspectors within collection districts.
Where district Judge is Judge in collection district OF
the United States there be has the power TO appoint in
specors But judges, whose districts do not embrace
collection districts do not have the power 10 make such
appointments This bill is simply TO confer upon the
district judge in Arkansas which is not collection dis
tric the same power which Judges have in other States
that collection districts These the provisions OF
the bill reported by the Committee on Commerce, as
originally introduced ii, or rather as the Committee on
Commerce reported II upon my motion. The amendment
of the senator from Kentucky simply extends the power
10 the district Judge in Kentucky little further than
now exists ndenables hun to appoint inspectors at other
points named for this pspose, which not ports OF en-
try, provided they are not within certain distance IRON
ports oil entry
The honorable senator from Louisiana says that he
necessity for this BILL because certificates OF
inspection can be had at other points. II is true that
they be had at ether points, but they are distant
points, and therein consists the difficulty for subjects
those navigating our rivers 10 great Inconvenience and
expense boat is seriously injured, for example, upon
the kIkansas White river and its engine is out OF re-
pair II is Obliged 10 go TO distance in order TO be re-
paired, because the owner desires TO repair al some
point where he can get inspection III he could get IN
specon at home, should then have convenlences Tor
repairing our boats al home We cannot establish such
places OF repairing them, because no owner OF boat
will repair at distance from the point OF inspection
and under the present law, he is obliged TO go long
distance for inspection That is the case with steam.
ferry boats. ferry boat which is simply used TO ply
backward and forward the river, is obliged to
60 some $500 or 1000 miles in order TO be inspected
This serious inconvenience, and is felt by all the
States situated in the West.
The says that he does not actual inconve-
nenca suffering occasioned by H. will tell him that
il he were in my State he would know that serious in
jury would result from it, The consequences IS that our
rivers filled entirely with boats which are not worthy
of inspeconwhich could get il IL inspectors
appointed They have been used in other places and
then into rivers and violate the law but we
cannot reach them. We want the means OF enforcing
the law upon them. III have our inspections where
they trade shall 10 have the lives OF passengers
endangered by the violation OF the law. repeat that
this not TO alter the law at all, but simply 10 give us
the benefit OF the law in States which do not now en-
Joy it, ,,.nn,uoon ,,-,., :.
my friend from louisiana, Mr. Dowss | wish TO
show him that there actually existing dhcues thal
ought TO be remedled. There very large steamboat
mandatory carried on Paducah There are also prep
aations made for repairing boats to very great ex'
tent Suppose that boat ~ built al Paducah,l az
must travel 10 Louisville, three hundred miles up
the river, TO be inspeceda boat II may be- that ls de-
signed for trade up the Tennessee river, and other
trade. You then put that boat to the expense OF trip
some three hundred miles up the river, and three hun
dred miles down the river, for no other purpose than to
procure inspection.
Now lei put another case-the case OF the State OF
nv friend who has Just addressed the Senaeand let us
Hook 10 the Arkansas river. Here is small boat plying
from Little Rock to the Mississippi river which does
not go below the mouth OF the Arkansas river, but runs
from point TO point The law, IL now exists, requires
inspection every ak months, ! think. When the SIX
months expire for the inspection OF that Arkansas boat,
she has 20 New Orleans, TO ST. Louis, or to Lou