The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-09-02
SATURDAY MORNING. sEprEMsER :, las..
A GREAT PROJECT--INTERESTING
FACTS

GREAT PROJECT-INTERES
FACTS.
On the 18th of July last, Mr. Cummings of
New York introduced, in the House Of Rep
resentstives, blu authorizing the Postmas.
ter General to enter into = contract with
Christian Hansen, Of Brooklyn, New York,
for the transportation of the United States
mails from Brooklyn, New York, in steamers
Of not less than two thousand tons, to the con-
tinent of Europe, via Plymouth, in England
Antwerp, in Belgium; Rotterdam, in Holland;
Bremerhaven, in Bremen; Gluckstadf, on the
Elbs, near Hamburg, in Holstein; and, in
steamers of not Tess than four hundred tons,
from Gluckstadt, via Gottenburg, in Sweden,
to Christiana, in Norway, on the North Sea,
and the Categat, and from Kiel, on the Bal
tic, via Calmar, in Sweden, to st. Petersburgh
in Russia.
In his speech supporting this proposition,
Mr.. Cummings stated some facts which can
not be without interest to the friends of direct
trade in the South. The ports between which
and our own country it is proposed to estab-
lish direct, uninterrupted conveyance of
government mails, freight and passengers,
are jjustiy pronounced by Mr.. Cummings the
commercial keys of more than ten different
nations, thus securing to this country, free of
French and British commission and customs
charges, in exchange for our own surplus, the
immense and varied products of those coun-
tIies, and increasing the number and charac-
ter of the immigration by increasing the
health and speed, and reducing the cost and
time of the passage over, which now occu-
pies six or eight weeks that by steam could
be accomplished in fifteen or sixteen days.
Mr.. Cummings shows that, by the present
route, by England to the continent, 1,265,5so
letters were carried in the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1853. The average cost of postage
to and from the continent is about ten cents
each letter, amounting to $780, 35. Under
Mr.. Cummings bill, the rate would be ten
cents each, and the aggregate saving s259,674
per annttm.
To show how the revenue of the country
would be increased by this direct steam COM
munication, Mr.. Cummings refers to England,
which, in 1S47, had only semi monthly mail
to Malta, Alexandra, and the East Indies
and now she has on the route thirty steamers,
averaging over 1900 tons each, by these
means increasing her commerce with the LIE
want annually 5O,OOO,OO0f, and with Turkey
and Egypt hundreds of times over. Mr.. Cum
mings quotes from late British parliamen-
tary document, from which it appears that in
1e52the British government paid on contracts
for the transportation of the foreign mails by
steamers fs42,39 while the receipts from
trsnsmarine postage were only f479, 900, thus
exhibiting an annual deficiency of nearly two
millions of dollars per annum. England is
perfectly willing to bear this deficiency for
the might and wealth which result from her
liberal encouragement of foreign commercial
intercourse. The number of English mer-
camille sea-going steamers registered in the
different ports in 1852, was 1897, with tom
mage of 176, 600 tons, whilst the United States,
in regard to steam mail facilities and inter-
course with foreign nations are below the
smallest commercial nation in Europe. In
comparison of Great Britain and the United
States in regard to exports to foreign nations,
Mr.. Cummings shows that the former exports
moro than three times as much in value as
the United States.
These arguments are equally in favor of a
direct line between the South and the ports
mentioned in Mr.. Cummings bill, and we
hope the representatives OF the South will
not let the matter sleep at the next session of
Congress. The North has already received
aid to the Collins line, and if the govern
ment is any thing but partial, one.sided
tyranny, it will distribute its favors equally
to both sections, and give its aid to the South
in establishing line of foreign steamers.
The following extract from Mr. Cummings
speech applies with double force in favor of
direct Southern trade, policy which he has
the magnanimity to declare, sis not sectional
but in every sense nationar':
The cotton, tobacco, rice turpentine rosiu. wheat,
-four, corn beet, pork, &c. &c. which we dailv ex
port come from all parts OF the country and inter
est all parts equally In any measure tepdina ~
multiply the facilities for rapid and certain 1steam
and especially direct intercourse with those Nortb
ern nations Ii is high time that we sold and dal;
cred our products ourselves, instead of aIlowino
British intermediate brokers to put their own prices
upon them and take to themselves the profits nj
freight and enhanced prices to consumers which
Justly belong to US, but which English enternr;se
fostered by liberal Government now divers ~
swell the untold bullion In the United Kinedor, "
The several onventions held at the South of late
years have had in view among the most imnortan,
topics for consideration, this very plan Of d;rrc
foreign commercial intercourse, ia order IN con-,
ruand for their staples their proper price wi,hon
dictation from London, and unincumbereJ hn
freight and commission charges OF London mr. 7 ~
erpOol brokers and shipownersi and this, as policy
Is not sectional, but in every sense national '''
THE INDIANs.-lti is stated that the Indians
of this country are reduced to about 400. 600
The present Commissioner of Indian Affairs
COL Monypenny, is of opinion that the only
plan by which the Indians can be saved from
dire calamities, if not entire determination i
to colonize them in suitable locations limit a
in extent and distant as possible from tho
white settlements and to teach and aid a..
to cultivate the soil and raise stock. Tbero
is not much chance of civilizinp Indian. ~
long as they can get at ''fire water" a thing
that turns white men into savages.
RAPID GROWTH OF BRooKLYS-Tbere; IS
no city in the United States which has ON,
akw nnaAk he, "a N SH>h