New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-12-30
rae COLLINS STEAMSHIP LIME, ETC.


the withdrawal once made will continue permanent,
owing to the activity and perseverance of influential
parties interested in preventing its renewal leads to
the conviction that this country about to be deprived
Of its steamship prestige upon the ocean, which
our whole people have justly and patroticaly exulted
Indeed the event may be set down almost inevita
bic; for Mr.. E. X. Collins, the agent of the COM
pany in behalf of associates and self, has already
nemoriazed Congress to pass law to terminate
their contract with the government.
The memorial gives history of the ocean steam
ship service going as far back ls4 refers to the
mail contract with the Bremen line which proved
failure speaks of the refusal Of the British Govern
ment to enter into postal treaty with the United
States, until after the contract was made with your
memoriasts y that under circumstances like these,
'tyour meoralists were called upon by the govern
ment to make proposals for carrying the mails be-
tween New York ana Liverpool : that in view of an
agreement entered into the administration directed
the construction OF five new war steamers, thus, in
fact, considering the intended vessels of your memo
ralists as naval ships, and your memorialsts CON
structed them mainly with that view = that the ships
at that time employed the Cunard line were about
twelve hundred tons burden each that before the
memorialists actually commenced building their ships,
thousand horse power, the Bremen line commenced
running, with loud vauntngs which SO alarmed the
Cuaard company that they proceeded to build four
new steamers of two thousand tons each and that the
Cunard line has ever since proved superior to the
Bremen line.
We now, considering it no more than justice, quote
the conclusion Of the memorial which is dated Wash
ington, 18th instant:
cF tlo stain
haEaseE q Amejiean "Gsa se1ns 70 put sop 10 '
facts your ,nenloas compelled build larger ships
an they had at first couempaed They bulk ships Of
increased zc cs1std adona cost Of cos;ruc,o AID nearly
When ' gsr As so e T" r5 as p average
time Of ths fps Of ne qu91rd line to bGsG Tas e4"A to SIX
ths rips he syerae time Of esyfn day. and hses
aud ,hes nag se' sas,aed weaa nave asaact1 IN. s 70
known misiorune which have compelled your nelorals,s
tosmp!oy ship not % hui by tle,n.eyss
be fact ny ihy Soa m mot s y FAX ss
they peoned Congress for additional pay when was granted
~ IL h 5nsEs Il S.fs s o p"
now within few weeks 10 be withdrawn There ars no other
in the time which the ships Of your memorSis have
s ke as up ceSc H ' VITA S % is
Sustained is nov by INCREASED suPnCT
the raxs 70 surrender 10 ENGLAND HI" gE;"t na9na Gsesn
Supremacy be surrendered i shall he
by Cher hands and ty pSy your honorable body tat in"s
the government You viii pass their contract
z he r 50 he y ay @ an as may
bound your luelnoriaiists will ever pray.
We are well aware that the policy of extending gov
ernmenta subsidies to ocean steamship lines has many
respectable honest and able opponents and that the
arguments they bring forward to sustain their side Of
the question are entitled to general consideration.
But, whether those arguments are entirely sound or
whether the policy they inculcate is wisely grounded,
we do not now propose to discuss, Notwithstanding
we favor legislation calculated to advance American
enterprise, whether the the land at all
times and under all circumstances.
Bat, there is another point which ought to be seri
osly considered That point this Are we prepared
after having won it fairly to surrender the supremacy
of ocean steam navigation to rivals in commerce
and trade and quiescenty yield the dominion Of the sea
back again to those whom we have vanquishcd and can
vanquish to the end Of time? Are we prepared for
this, we say again. If we are, We may as well make
up minds first last to the notifying alternative
Of seeing the whole steamship carrying trade Of the
country in the hands of English, French, German,
Spanish and other foreign companies, at very early
period for appears to be yielded on all hands that
without governmental aid of some sort Or other our
steamship companies cannot live.
ALI other commercial countries find it largely to
their interest to patronZe their steamship lines lib
orally The Cunard line receives large bonuses from
government and the British treasury pays the
/" Royal Mail Company" nearly Sc 900 900 per annum;
and the bargain is evidently deemed good one as a
ten years contract was renewed not long since with
the same company. And what is true in regard to
the policy of England, in this respect is true in re-
gard to the policy Of France Spain, Belgium, Sar-
dinia Brazil and other countries all of which foster
and encourage their steamship enterprises to the ex
tent of their commerce and pecuniary ability-ll Of
them in more generous proportion than has yet been
vouchsafed by wealthy United States, the pethoric
treasury Of which is overlooking with unemployed
millions, even while carrying out measure that will
inevitably drive the finest ships in the world from the
seryice Some may think this good policy, but we
look upon it as the very reverse.
If foreign lines were not thus bounteously en-
Outraged by their governments, there would be no
necessity devoviug the United States to 90 out of
tine usual path to foster individual or associated
American enterprise If the field was fair one the e
would be no need for outside assistance. Wcs would
be willing, on these terms, to let our steamship COM
panies stand or fall on their own merits. But the
field not fair one and it is folly to hope that TN
aided American lines can hold out against foreign
companies, when backed by millions Of dollars paid
them annually by liberal and appreciativc home gov
ernments, which sums enable them to laugh at com
petition besides attording them advantages ola most
extraordinary and lucrative character.
After all, the subject resolves itself into this Not
whether the policy is good one Or g bad one, but
whether it is not better to keep up and promote the
growth OF our own steamship lines, and thus retain
our proud supremacy upon the ocean, by att1rGing
them such q moderate annual extra compensation for
carrying the mails as will enable them to compete
with masnifcenty endowed foreign lines, than TO- by
refusing any aid whatever utterly stop these gigantic
enterprises, and hand our passengers, mails com
merce and everything else of the kind, over to the
tender merces of exclusively foreign ard consequently
nimical steamship regjmes7
TEXAS REPUBLICAS.--Our old friend Mr. f. W,
Loughcry editor and proprietor of this sterling Jour
nal, which is published in Marshall Harrison county,
Texas, called upon Us the other evening looking as
" fine as silk and as hearty as his legion of we'll.
wlShers could desire Mr. L. will remain in the city
several days and attend to matters connected with
the welfare OF his paper, which, if properly attended
to, he thinks will rebound to the prosperity of our
merchants. In this we agree with him fuly and
cordially recommend his widely circulated sheet to the
patronage Of our mercantile community 1t circuates
extensively Throughout a large and rapidly improving
country, and is IN all respects desirable medium for
city advertising.
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