The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-06
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the act OF Congress approved the third of March, s47
VIC was authorized to contract for the construe
to he aaohpa oi iour hrscla ssagoing steamships,
~ Do a,,a0ueu 10 the navy Of the United States Ii
was by the second section the duty of the Serctarv
OF the Navy 10 accept the part of the Of
.le uhi.ed states the proposals OF f. X. Collins and his
associates Tor the transportation of the United States mail
between New York and Liverpool The steamships to be
employed were to be constructed to render them cou
y~oe at The least possible cost into steamships Of
e hst class by the fourth section of the was
likewise made the duty of the Secretary of the Navy To
contract with A. g. Soo for the transportation of the mail
from New York to New Orleans twice mon tn and bsck
touching at Charleston, il practicable savannah and
HAVANA and from Havana TO Chagrea and back twice
month The fifth section authorized him to enter into
month The sixth section made il the duty Of the Seersts
y OF the Navy TO provide in the contracts authorized by
control over said steamships and any time have the right
TO take them for the exclusive service OF the
States due provision being made in the for the
mode OF ascertaning the proper compensation the
tractors therefor On the first of March, ls47 the ccrea
~ OF the Navy entered into contract with X Collins
and his associates The contract contains all the spua
oas required by the act of Congress the service to be
performed was twice each month for eight months Of the
year. and month during the other four months The
sum to be paid three hundred and eghyve thousand
dollars or nineteen thousand two hundred and fifty dollars
trip and the contract continue in force for
years from the date Of the of the service
A. @. Soo contracted with by the Secretary of the
Navy the Goth of April ls47, perform the service
mentioned in the fourth section The service be
twice month the TO be paid two hundred and ninety
ten years from the of the service This
tract likewise contains all the stpuatons required by the
act Of Congress and was assigned by G. soo to George
Law, Marshall q. Roberts and B. r. McIvan the third
of September IS4 The contract to transport the mail
from Panama to Oregon entered into with Arnold Har
rs the 10th of November l847 The service be
II month the price to be paid hundred and
ninetnne thousand dollars and the contract
nue for ten years from the first Of October l848 All the
stpuaons required by the act of Congress are contained
in this contract also which assigned the 10th Of
November Is47, to William H. AspinwaL. On the 18th Of
March, 1851 the Secretary OF the Navy and Postmaster
General in pursuance OF law passed the Sd of March,
1851 entered into additional contract with the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company acting by William H. Aspinwal,
by which the service from Panama to California and Ore
gon increased to twice month"; at increased price
of hundred and ortynne thousand two hundred and
fifty dollars making the whole of the service three
hundred and fortyeght thousand two hundred and fifty
dollars.
The object Of Congress in the passage Of this act
to have been to build up naval steam marine which
might temporarily be employed for commercial purposes
In order to enable private individuals build and equip
these steamships in the mode pointed out by Congress-
sums of money were advanced to them and 10 sustain
them until wanted for government purposes large sums OF
money paid them for conveying the mails. If in
the progress of time it is discovered that these steamships
are not suited for naval purposes or that the large sums
paid their for mail transportation have crested
monopoly checking the energy and enterprise Of others O.
our citizens Congress- in my opinion IL called upon to
their contracts it do conafstenty with
pliged faith BY the terms Of the act and Of the con-
tracts entered into between the Navy Department and
these companies in pursuance of the act it will be that
ships and thus terminate the connexon between the
panies and the government When they have been paid
for their vessels the sums fixed by the appraisers mutually
chosen everything has been done which the faith OF the
ton requires.
1t is Of of great importance to the commercial
and other interests of the country that the mails should
continue be carried but these contracts be
considered with reference to the transportation of the
mails the prices paid too high, and IL continued all
neced with the government must High however,
a. the present prices if the competition the New
York and California line be driven of by the aid of funds
derived from the general government forets
the prices that will have be paid after the expraon OF
the present contract II the present contractors do not
wish the government to purchase their steamships and
thus to end the contracts il will be for them agree to
reduction OF the present prces Government will then pay
fair remuneration for all the service which it receives,
and Pacific coasts win not have become monopoly. In
the bids received under advertisement issued obtain
information required by the third section OF the act Of Sd
March, 1852 the Nicaragua Company proposed carry
semi-monthy mail between New York and California for
sum not exceeding three hundred thousand dollars or
ak hundred thousand dollars for weekly service which is
pay which ought be demanded The present scmimonthy
service including the sum Of Sl13727 03 paid for the
sthmns transportation, will cost this year the snm of
S753T7 O3. By the act OF July a. 1882 the number of
trips tho Collins line increased to twentysix and
the price raised from nineteen thousand two hundred and
fy to thirtythree thousand dollars trip making the
thousand dollars. The section thus increasing the com
psnsation contains proyiso rescrsng the power to Com
TO efm nate thl9 allowance
ter the thirtyrst Of December, 1854, upon giving six
months notice. h.t
While shall always take great pleasure tesfying to
the ithuness with which these contractors have perform
ed the service and in saying that the ships built under the
reflect great credit upon American skill and enter
prise cannot resist coming the conclusion that the
paid high and that the notice should be
given Considering the size and of these steamships
and the speed with which the mail ia carried the
fixed in the contract may have been too low but however
that may be- the present much high and such
ought not TO be paid For the mail service between
Liverpool and the United States the English
pay the Cunard line the of hundred and seventy
three thousand three hundred and forty pounds which,
computing the pound sterling at five dollars will make the
OF eight hundred and sixy-siY thousand hun
dred dollars For this they have weekly service the
steamships which constitute the line running alter
nately between Liverpool and New York. and Liverpool
and Boston, and receiving sixteen thousand six hundred
and eghtysix dollars trip IL If true there B difference
the tonnage Of the Collins and Cunard Iines and that
the American make their voyages in shorter
time but the difference in the tonnage and speed of the
two lines does not in my Judgment afford any valid
why there should be marked disparity in the
prices paid by the two governments
The steamships Humboldt and Franklin, Of the New
York and Havre line have both been wrecked during the
year. The former WAS lost in thc month OF December
1853 and the latter in July 1854 in consequences Of which
the service that line has been irregular Temporary
rangcmens have been made to supply the places OF the lost
steamers until suitable steamships be bnt to replace
them the line and such vessels In of
construction Both on this and the Bremen line Of
the monthly trips has been omitted These irregularities
materially detract from the efficiency OF mail service
across the Atlantic
In September last, the United States Nail Steamship
Company having withdrawn their direct steamers between
New Orleans and AspnwaIl, the mails between New Or
and the Pacific have since been conveyed according
the original contract by the way Of Havana On the
Pacific line the company permitted to omit Monterey