The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-29
DAILY

by gentlemen here, do not rely upon il as fact
in my argument.
The keel of the first steamer on the Collins line
was laid in lS49, and their frat steamer left New
York about the beginning OF the year 1850 What
was the condition of things at that time? call
the attention of the Senate to il Tor the purpose OF
showing what has been accomplished since by this
line At that time Great Britain bad the monop
oily Of all the foreign postag to this country. She
had also driven off our sailing packets from the
carrying OF passengers. She had beaten them OIL
in the transportation Of all light articles OF mer-
chandise, aud of specie, and of all transporaions
across the Atlantic which depend upon time, speed,
and certainty. Up to I54O the American sailing
packets had the control ofthese matters They had
beaten the English packets away from even com.
petition in the carrying Of passengers specie. and
light merchandise. England then resortcd TO
ocean steam navigation. Her government ind
ing that her sailing vessels were beaten by the
Yankee vessels, resorted to steam. and by most
liberal policy she built up the Cnnard line; and
such had been the success Of this policy that, on the
day when the keel of the fret steamer of the Col
Inns line was laid, England b.j complete mas
terry of the ocean on all these great Interests.
w hat has taken place since! it must be recol-
ectcd that, in the carrying OF letters and passen-
gers, speed and certainty are everything. by the
establishment Of the Collins line we have beaten
them upon both of these points. BY our line We
carry letters and passengers in less time than the
Cunard line can carry them. BY the accounts OF
the very last arrival of the steamers. we arc in
lu Imed that, although one OF the Cunard line left
Liverpool four days before the Collins line, yet the
mails of the two steamers were delivered simulta-
neously at the post Office here. This is what the
Collins line has accomplished in this great race OF
national steamers.
The carrying of light articles Of freight and OF
apecie has become very important matter IN our
foreign commerce Before the establishment OF the
Collins line it was altogether under the control OF
the Cunard line. We may now control 1t ourselves
il We will but sustain our own people. we beat
England with sailing vessels, and we will beat
her with our steamships, if this Government Will
only protect our commerce with the same liberali
ty with which the English government has pro-
tected hers That ia the great question IN this case
The English government and the English people
are very wse and very liberal, too, with regard to
| the management Of their great interests.
| They do not accomplish many magnificent pro
jects do; but they have keener eye to their
| own interests. We established line OF mail
| steam packets to Havre and Bremen. They bring
freight and passengers from the Continent, by way
of Havre and Bremen. to New York Now, what do
we find the Cunard line doing? Why, in order to
cripple our line, and secure 20 themselves the mo
nopoly Of the carrying trade from the continent,
the propretors of the-Cunard line have, under
stand, established line of small steamers, run
ming from Liverpool 10 Havre, by which they car
ry free Of charge, all goods from that point to Liv-
erpool intended To be conveyed in their steamers to
| the United States. This they have done, and are
now doing The very last packet which arrived
brought tl!is piece Of foreign news.
"BELoiUm The Belgium papersstate that il is
the intention of the Cupard line to establish line
\
connect with The American line
| Is it not evident that England ia endeavorng to
| control the passengers, the freight and the post
age from the continent to the United States; and
that, unless we sustain our line OF steamers, she
will control all these great interest,"?
desire here to call the attention OF the Senate to
the effect produced upon the public mind Of Eng
land by the establishment Of the Collins line.
read from the same authority, (Chambes)
The American steamers that fret piled regu-
larry on the American route were the Washington
| and Hermann, Of about two thousand tons bur
| den. They, however, did not depend entirely on
| the British traffic, but made the port OF Bremen,
at the mouth of the river Weser, in Germany. their
terminus in Europe, calling at Southampton on
| their passage up and down the British Channel.
he line VI vessels that enter into direct compcu
ton with Cunard's, was projected by Mr.. Collins,
of New York, and consisted of five steamers Of
three thousand tons burden, three hundred feet
long, and propelled by engines OF one thousand
horse power. They are named alter the various
oceans VI the world-the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic,
Baltic, and Adriatic They arc longer and more
powerful than any steamer yet built. except the
Great Britain, and their competition 10 not to be
treated lightly. The merits Of the rival lines will
become a national question.
"Ihus WAS commenced that rivalry which has
made gigantic race Coursc OF the Atlantic ocean
racc-coursc SO long that the difference in the
longitude OF its tcrmini makes difference oi nearly
five hours IN the time OF day; aud thus, while the
people at the American end Tising from their
beds those at the European have got through much
and other notables Of the turf. have done great
deeds in their way, but they shrnk into utter in
significance compared with the performances Of a
steamer propelled by steam equal Co that OF
thousand horses, tniiIng three hundred miles each
day, over angry, restless waves, twenty four, and
sometimes forty three icct high, chasing each other
at a distance Of about five hundred feet, and at
speed of more than thirty milrs an hour All the
prizes oi the turf are pstry compared with that for
which III ose steamers are CONFERENCE.-The proud
dis incton of establishing the most speedy and cafe
communication between two great continents and
two mighty nations. Hitherto the superiority has
not been distinctly declared on either side,
can any correct judgment he formed until at least
"a y car has elapsed"
But what Is more important in this case s, TO
show what has been the result OF the establishment
Of the Collins line upon our interests at home. In
the first place, ts effect upon our treasury, OF which
We have heard much. n We We Loot money by
IL? BY the statement furnished by the Post Office
Dcpaumcnt, md laid before the Senate by the Sem
atur from tnlifOrnia, il appears that VIC have not
lost cent; but, the contrary, gained ,675 So
That statement hOws that the revenue derived
by the United Ststes. under the operation of the
treaty, and by the establishment OF the Collins
line ~. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. SS2S,bl5 %
OF which there bad been paid to Collin,
for his service for two ycars........ 10000 %
S55,6 75 SO
Or nearly thirty thousand du!lars per annum into
the hands of the Government, over and above what
they have paid. do not pretend th1t all thispost
age was derived from letters or newspapers carried