The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-04-30
CONGRESSIONAL.
srEEoH oE nov. ma. SEWARD.
on NEW YORK,

ending June 30 1852
1 Mr. SEWARD said
What will Congress do--what has Congress done--for
the Collins steamers These questions which meet
every viser returning from the capital his arrival at
counters. change in Liverpool and London. and in
The courts OF Paris and 81, Petersburg There is
enough Tor all this curiosity and interest among the mer
chants and statesmen OF the two continents.
Mr. President. under contract with the United States
made on the 10th OF April. 1919. between T. Collins.
James Brown, and Stewart Brown. merchants of New
York, and the United States those persons prosecute,
between the ports OF New York and Liverpool forty voy
ages across the ocean, or twenty outward and inward
passengers on their account, and also public mails
OF the United States, and receive from the
treasury, as compensation for that service three hundred
and eighty hive thousand dollars year, which is equva
lent TO somewhat more than 900 for each outward
and return passage The Committee Finance propose
an amendment to the annual deficiency bill the effect Of
which Is 10 increase the number OF mails and voy wages
from twenty 10 wentysix, and the compensation from
$4,000 to $33, 900 Tor each voyage.
| OUGHT THIS MEASURE TO ADoPTEDl
assume, Tor the present. that the existing enterprise
to be peseveringly sustained In that view the ques
| ton aris-s--
Whsr the proposed increase of mail service Is
/ When this line established the British Cunafd
steamers, consisting OF seven vessels. making SENT
monthly voyages and carrying semmonihly mails be-
and monthly mails during the four other months and
thus they had monopoly of steam ocean postage be-
tween the two countries We authorized the Collins line
TO carry just the number OF mails. alternating with
the Cunard steamers; and broke up the monopoly,
and divided the posiages OF the equally with Great
Britain So far all right and we'll But recently the
Cunard steameis have continued their semi monthly mails
throughout the whole year, while limited TO the
eight temperate months; and the equality of postage
revenues has been suhver,ed, and the early British mo
nopoy has been partially restored. BY the proposed in
crease OF mails we shall exactly alternate again and on
every day that American European mail steam
sci leaves New York one OF the other line will leave the
opposite port and so the monopoly will again be broken
and the complete equality OF postage revenues will be re-
| established We must do just this, or rehnqlsh in
important degree the great postal object CT the enterprise
The Postmaster General and the Secretary OF the Navy
and the Senates Committees on the Post Office, on Naval
Affairs, and Finance agree that The service must be
thus increased, If il is to be al all continued. The in
crease, then, not merely expeden but even necessary
| and indispensable.
Assuming now that the service is to be increased the
is The increase Of compensation from $40 900 $4,000
per voyage just and reasonable
IL Is Just and reasonable, if necessary II is clear that
some increase is necessary the proletors decline TO
| them Tor $4,000 avoyage. We cannot obge the con-
tractor to make them for that compensation. even
beyond the contract No one else offers to make them
on those terms or, indeed, on any terms. We must,
therefore, apply TO Mr. Collins and his associates TO
large the contract But opening the contract for enlarge
ment opens il for revision They to enlarge, but
they equally appeal remodel it and they show,
reasons that while The average cost OF each voyage
IS $63,2l6 81
The average receipts are only 4s.2s6 IS
Anu mat lhey incur an average loss oil los2S "
And aggregate loss annually of s3ss STA 40
They further show iha, capital OF three millions in
has paid no dividends and been reduced by
table losses 10 htle more than two and halt mil
lions; that their stock is sold in Wall at fty cents
on doari and that. if they would, yet they can
not despatch another ship mail after the 18th OF May
next Something must be allowed, il for profits, at
least for renova,on and the actual loss each voy
age being in round numbers $1,000, il is quite certain
that OF less than $40 900 necessary TO
| steamers
All questions OF the fairness OF this showing are pre-
cuded by the oe OF the contractors 10 renquish the
tepfse TO the United States 10 any assignee Indicated
by them alter the contract shall have been remodelled,
and by the neglect OF any other party 10 propose for
new contract, even on the terms thus recommended.
So the increase OF compensation solicited is lust and
reasonable, and is moreover, like the increase of the
mail service, necessary and indispensable.
Now, sir. we have arrived at the very question OF the
whole question. We must do just what is thus pro.
posed, or rrlnquish the contract altogether.
The honorable chairman OF the Committee Finance.
MI Hus1rR,l dissenting from his associates, advises
unguished senatofno now for the FIRST time, for
eject expressed-I must have his PARDON neverhe
less, for preierng the authority OF his associates Ex
IRENE caution is apt 10 be the fruit OF the patient and pa
tuoc lsbors OF his office. An appropriation bill seldom
has passed this house without calling forth from him,
his predecessors eloquent yet groundess alatms OF
| exhausted treasury, and OF impending taxation, If not
| bankruptcy.
| While we cannot without wounding the national sen.
sibles and mpairing the national character abandon
Il
among the worst of the statesman and that vacla-
ton IN The conduct OF public affairs is fruitful OF national
demorazaton, and indicative OF certain national decline
Persistence, when prac cable invgoaies national eDe
ges, dscourages foreign rivalry and prevents foreign In
suit and aggression. Compare Frahee-enllgh Wig
orous, and energetic, but unstable watsr-wiih Eng
land cautious, constant, and perseverng with
Russa, unlrppassIoned and cold her climate, yet with
her eyes unswervingy aud forever fixed on Samboul,
and you have an apt illustration OF my moral Neverthe
les, these general observations are nconeusye, and
gfspPe, therefore, eheefuy, with this great question
II thus enterprise must be abandoned 1t must be ior
Of two reasons, namely, either becsuse-
L. IL ,oas srro~sousy nceiped because, q, has been
rendered unnecessary unse, iuproeose, By subsequent
trents and eueumsiances.
L. Has "a erronsossiy ped To determine this
question, need iu nigh emlnenee OF tme
from which we can look back along The past and pierce,
as Tar as allowed 10 human vision, through the clouds
aud darkness that rest upon the iuigrc. Come then,
senators, and suppose that you stand with me 10 the
By as the 22d OF March, 1775s A mighty debate has
5pen going on here in tins august legislature OF the
British empire lnsurrecon against commercial Testrlc
ton has broken IN the distant American colonies,
sedtious assembly in Philadelphia has organized II. and
a bfave patent unimpassioned, and not unued soldier
OF Yugba, lies, with hastily gathered and irregular
levies the heights OF Dorchester waiting the coming
out OF the British army from Boston The question
whether Great Britain shall strike concede and
citrate has Just been debated and decided. Concession
has been denied silence, brief but intense, is broken
by the often fierce and violent but measured and
solemn, uiterance OF Burke "My counsel has been
rejected. You have determined 10 trample upon and
life, added TO England much she had acquired By
progressive increase OF Improvement, brought BY
varieties OF civIlzlng conquesis and cvilizing settle
rents 10 series OF seventeen hundred years vision