Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-26
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
staaminr hatuse, yau vi

SohnS VssWoou Now Iork ara Liver
peel.-We publish below an extract from
private letter from the somewhat eccentric.
though deservedly distinguished Commodore,
G. Vanderbilt. OF Ner York city, the history
OF whose remarkable connection with ocean
and river steam navigation is probably known
to most of our rea1ers. In this paper, the
Commodore very justly asssils the habit Of
the Government in making special contracts
We are against the principle on which they
are, one and all, based, ssd ever will be.
When the system on which the existing steam.
Or contracts Of this character were sought to
be initiated was brought forward, we opposed
II to the best of our ability, leaving no Eff ,rt
o. ours, to prevent its adoption, untried; end
while we opposed it chiefly on the very
grounds which the Commodore, In this ls,ter.
reiterstss, we also judged that the chance.
were ten to one that the parties to be favor ed
BY such legislation would, none of them, faith.
FULLY discharge their obligations under the
contracts they asked There are, however
facts involved IN the history of the contract
made with Mr.. Collins which takes that out of
to cur recollectiJn, Cave johnson advertised
for mo0tbs for proposals for this service The
only bid he received was from Mr. Forbes, of
Boston, to carry the mails twenty voyages per
annum for $50O,O00 This Nj johnson de
cline1 accepting, rs it did not specify any
particular speed, size, or character Of steam
ships IN which the service was to be perform
ed Sc Mr. j. Solicited Mr.. Collins to make
aPropesal to enable him to carry out the
law Ibis locks as though the special favor
In this particular Case vas granted by ColIius,
rather than by the Government. Mr.. Post.
master General Campbell subsss uently ad-
Esr'ised Tor proposals for carrying these mails
under an order Of Congress, and found no one
else willing and able Gin 1853 to supply the
place of the Collins steamer, at anu rat. of
eonPensattoH vhatsUer.
Experience has shown that the only vessel.
Quilt under ocean mail steamer contract.
which came flor mail and war purposes) un 70
the letter and split of the agreemen, ara
those OF the Collins line, which are Justly the
pride OF the navig atom interest of the United
States, and absolutely the wonder of the
world on account Of their achievements on tn g
ocean. However much we dislike even the
principle on which the Collins contract is
based, We cannot refuse to do the contractor
naked justics-to admit, that he has not only
LETT undone nothing that he agreed to do. but
that 10 has won for his country q prestige in
ocean steam navigation. to achieve which
england has in vain spent more than one Hmm
'ied "iiiions OF dollars in the last twsnty.6ye
yeH'' Is The published details of the bisto,v
oi nef EFFORTS to improve in steam yess.ls nav.
lssnhS Inc high seas bear annie r,s,;,,o,r
he has si'o' through that prestiss. been III.
means OF increasing, to IN almost ;no,s,;h,o
extent, the amount of European c.n;,.I =
vested in this country in commerce. a.
ufaetures in the arts, and in OPENING - 49,.
rich virgin soil of the West, the markets Of ~.
world. This is the opinion Q! many of N.
best informed merchants and political eeono.
mists with whom we have conversed on the
SUBJECT; and the great superiority of his ships
over those Of the Cunard line has enabled our
uoVernment to force from Britain an eouitn bic
oceanic postal treaty, under which We receive
an annual aggregate of hostages almost suff
sisns 10 cover the whole amount paid to the
hHs In question for transporting the mails,
every dollar Of WHICH, b, the by, would 20