The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-17
HOUSE or REpREsENTATivEs.
The House met At Ia o'clock, m,


COURTS
Mr BENTON asked the unanimous consent Of the House
20 enable hn 10 call up The Senate bill providing for bold
ing an additional term Of the circuit court OF the United
States 70 the district of Missouri and for holding special
terms o. The district and circuit in the northern dis
trio OF Ohio No objection being made the bill was taken
into consideration and passed
REsoLTfIoS ADOPTED
The SPEAKER announced that the 6rst business in
order was the consideration Of the resolution submitted
yesterday by Mr. CUTTING 10 close all debate ON the mail
steamer bill in two hours after the shall again
/ resume It's consideration
Mr. HAVEN said that the chairman OF the Committee az
Ways and Means Mr.. HousToS unable TO be in his
place Of sickness and he understood that 1t
the desire of that gentleman that Mr. BREeKIyaIpeR
should take his place and make the closing argument
the bill and he would inquire OF the Chair IL could be
done regularly and In order
The -SPEAKER. II oaiy be done y, unanimous
Mr. BRECKENRIDGE said that he had no desire TO par
cpate in the general debate bu he bad been requested
by the chairman OF the Committee of Ways and Means
close the debate the bill he should like short time in
which to do so
Cries Of Agreed agreed agreed
Mr.. S0LLERS. object
Mr.. HAVEN. move to amend the resolution then by
limiting the time Of discussion to one hour.
Messrs BRECKENRIDGE and ORR hoped that the
amendment would be voted down
The question being then taken on the amendment by
telers, 1t was agreed to-ayes 10 noes so.
Mr.. ORR moved 10 reconsider that vote
Mr.. WENTW ORTIZ, of Massachusetts, moved to lay the
motion to reconsider the table and the question being
taken by yeas and nays the motion agreed to-ysas
l0T nays 55
The resolution as amended was then agreed to.
Mr.. EDGERToN moved that the House go into commit
tee on the private calendar,
Mr. JONES, of Tennessee, said il evident gentle
that it would take the remaining portion of the session
10 dispose Of the general appropriation bills
The motion disagreed to-
Mr.. PERKINS, OF Louisiana, from the Committee on
Commerce asked leave to make report for the purpose Of
reference Leave was not granted.
mAIL-srEAaER sERvIoK.
On notion the House then resolved itself into the Com
mee of the Whole the state of the Union Mr. EDGER
in the chair and they proceeded to the consideration
of the bill making appropriations for the transportation OF
the United States mails from various ports by
es and otherwise during the sca year ending the 3oth OF
June, 1856 The question pending the amendment
of Mr. OLDs to appropriate S85soo0 to f. X Collins and
his associates for transporting the mails from New York
to Liverpool provided that f. X. Collins and his
cates shall construct another steamship and have ready
for service in two years after the passage OF this If
filling to do so by negligence transport the mails between
the abovenamed places fortnight free of charge
from the expiration Of the two years until said steamships
shall be completed.
Mr. KERR who entitled to the floor, said that be
commenced life about the time of our late with the
English and since that time he had regarded with
feelings of anxiety the growth of marine and the in
and prosperity of navy, of immense import
the welfare of this country by way of achieving
national triumphs for in time of peace and aordng
protection in time of 1t had always
been his fortune sustain the Collins line OF steamers
That line had achieved for this country immense renown
and just they beginning to receive poor
ward for their abors and patriotic DEVOTION it proposed
take from them the contract which the has
hitherto given them and put il into the hands of
else whose skill is unknown. whose efforts have been
tried and who in all probability before the termination Of
their contract will ask of Congress additional compensa
ton for their services equal to the whchs
paid to f. r. Collins and his associates He believed that
the Cunard line received in proportion to the services
theg render than the American line which
neglect The amount which is allowed TO Collins
for transporting the United States mails from New York
Liverpool had been sanctioned both by whig and demo-
crat tir mi ira md wa n
He considered the proposition before the House
question q contest between John Bull and Brother
Jonathan for the supremacy of the and he had
much of the spirit fathers the result of that
contest in favor of England by American legislation He
closed by saying for good or for evil whether sus-
tained or not by this House by the people, de-
cded unwaveng advocate of American enterprise and
American industry against all competition but especially
against the competition of our ancient enemy whose policy
has been to oppress and cripple and whose skill
has enabled them TO prosecute their warning policy with
than any other nation
Mr. BRECKENRIDGE remarked, in the language used
BY the gentleman from Missouri Mr. BENTON days
SINCE that he proposed to substitute figures OF arth
metc for the figures of rhetoric which had been avshy
expended this subject He thought he should be able TO
con friend from North Carolina that the bill pro-
posed violation of pledges Of national aith and satisfy
him that he has not given the subject that investigation
which IL deserved his hands Collins entered into
with this government in ls47, his terms, to
carry the United States mails from New York to Liverpool
twenty times annually for $4,000 per trip, in vessels
pable of being converted at small cost into steam
ers of the first class This exist years
la 1852 he Congress and said he must have addi
tonai pay for his services and after long struggle Com
gress allowed them S330 per trip and the number Of
trips increased from twenty to twentysx annually lie
fully satisfied that E. n Collins receiving double
for his services that Mr. Cunard receiving for his He
wanted American enterprise and industry fully
tained but he unwilling by his vote to pay TO T. r.
Collins anybody else, double bounty. Was there
need Of paying any bounty at all to enable the steam
ne of this country to compete with the steam marines Of
other countries2
The idea widely circulated that these steamers
adapted 10 purposes unmiugated hum
bug He had before him the report OF Com G. Perry
this subject and he says that the mail be
vered for temporary purposes but the
of converting them 10 purposes would be much
larger than had been represented and then they would not
equal expressly fitted for service
We ought avail ourselves OF the right under existing st
ulatons withdraw any bounty may have conferred
under this system and when the contract expires allow
go take those fetters off from the
and advertise that win let the transportation of
mails the the lowest bidder precisely as
do for the transportation of our domestic mails Every
thing that had heretofore been done by way OF giving ad
ditiona compensation had been done upon loose and
founded statements The receipts of the income and
pendtures OF Collins and his associates had been
fully examined Mr.. H. then Investigated this matter In
detail producing the figures 70 show shat r. n Collins
instead of losing his contract had been represented
had realized the enormous OF 81 ,s0l,000. lie OPP
posed to the whole system of giving government patron
ape 10 mail steamers.
Mr. CHANDLER said that he bad statement of what
had been done and according that statement the loss Of
that company up TO the present time 1894, 500
Mr.. BRECKINRfDGE- When the gentleman produces
his statement viii look al IL.
Mr.. LYON advocated the amendment he was glad that
the chairman OF the Committee the Post Office and