Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-12-19
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Mr. Collins's Memorial Below, the reader
will find the memorisl Ct 4. X. Collins, re.
ferred to day or two since in the Stars col
rmns 1t was presented to the Senate yester.
day by Mr.. Stuart Its prayer strikes US Al
being both reasonable and just-one for VII ict
every opponent Of the system of close con
tracts for ocean mail steamer service me y
consistently vote. We trust that no mdre
such contracts may be made by this Cove b..
ment. While we have consistently opposkd
the formation of ali such contracts. we hate
never been an advocate for aught that might
be a practical breach Of the faith Of the Coy
eminent in legislation concerning them after
they were made. While public option ID:
fairly settled down against the principle 81
such contracts, nothing can justify the Coy
eminent in throwing, by its legislation. a
heavy loes on those who have benefited the
country commerce so extensively as the en-
terprising proprietors Of the Collins line Ger.
tainly have done. '----
MEMORIAL.
TIE tie Honorable ths Senate and House Of RepS
ysssntasirss Of the United Sta:ss, IN Cossrest
ASSEMBLED:
tors for the carrying Of the mails Of the Uni.
ted States between the ports Of New York and
Liverpool, and they ask for relief
In the year lS45 Congress passed law for
the transatlantic mail steam service with
the tro fold object Of mail and aHxitiaJy ma rad
STEAMERS In IS48 the Postmaster Genera
made a contract with the Bremen line, and
about the came time the Naval Committees in
Congress reported bills for the construction Of
te,t new war steamers. After the contract
was made with the Bremen line, i. was feai ed
that they would be unsble to CON pete with the
British steamers, and failing to do 81, the
British Goyernpent charged the same Oceun
postage upon TIE mail matter, whether car
ried by the Bremen or the Cansrd line The
BremeR liDe was a failure, and the British
Government took advantage of that fact, and
refused To make postal treaty, and w uld
not, and did not nNIiI after TIE contract araS
z1ads nth yOUr HemorfairSts. Under th csc
circumstances your memOrialists we're caiIed
upon by the Government TO make proposals.
for carrying the mails between New York and
Liverpool; and in view of an agreement by
your menOrialists to build the desired SHIPS
the administration caused the reported b,ih
upon that matter To be altered, and to prOvid
for IT, construction Of only Zee, instead Of
Een, new war steamers thus, In fact consider
ing the intended vessels ofyour mem 0rialists a:
naval ships, and your memorialists constructed
chem MANLY eoIth that UisHc.
At the time your memOriaiists made their
proposals for carrying the mails as indicated
the ships employed In the Cunard line we've
about ttreEre hundred tons each, and theJ
received the same PAY sctIch your msD'oTIal
tStS Or1gin1Iy reeeiUed for The serrice. Blu
before your memOrislists actually commenced
the construction Of their ships, which were
intended to be of two thousand tons each, anC
of one thousand horse power, the Bremen line
had commenced To Iun with the lOudest vaurt
lngs. Their boasts alarmed the Cunard Com
pany, who at once built four new steamers o
two thousand tons each; and, notwiths standing
it is expressly stipulated IL the contract Of til.
Bremen lire that they shall beat the OunarC
line in point Of time, they not only have failed
TO establish their boosted superiority, bu
have uniformly fallen far behind the Englisi
line. ..-
The performance Of the Bremen line left
stain upon the character Of American ocear
steamers To put a stop to the boasts CT Eng
land, which were LOAD In view Of this state o
facts, your Inemorislists were compelled t
build larger sdips than they bad at first con
templsted. They bull. ships Of near thre,
thousand tons each, with two Thousand hors,
power. This increased size caused addthOd4
cost Of cOHgfrUetfoH, and nearly dOubLed III
srysnSe of kseying and rnHnIn4S the SAfp'
When your memorislists made their pro
posals the average tine Of the trips Of the
Cunard line to Boston was equal TO si1tssh
days TO New York, but your memOrialists have
performed their trips in the average time O
slecen days and Eve eighths and if they h al
been sustained would have reduced the time
70 eleven days. This, of course, eXeepts the
present year, the well known misfortunes o.
which have compelled your memOrialists Il
employ ships not built by themselves. hitel
running their ships for a year your memorial.
lists found II ~ be q fact that they could not
under their contract pay, Keep up tho speed
Of their ships without great pecuniary loss
and they peutiolea Congress for additiOna
pay, which was granted IN 1852, aud 1lsr.iz
eos1psnsated for Ne ig.rs4ssd cost incurred
by TIE high rate Of speed Of your me mortal.
lists Gtips; but is now within few week u
be withdrawn. There are No other American
ocean stsalpsrs tcAteh can psyforD. tho sam,
service tn RTE sGpse tune which the chips u
your memori.iists have made; but the origi
nal cootraet pSy sill not enable your memo
rialists 10 keep VI 3 successful competitor
with the Sritish line, sustained a. It is now by
tRcrsaJed OcpsTHme1Lt sLppEyf
Your memofSalists, however feel unwii!ins
TO be themselves t5s parties 10 SUyrs,iasr I;
England this great szQtlsHaI ocean sHprsbide,
which they have gained. They desire that !
the supremacy in ocean s,es-ssrs must be sur
rendered, it SHALL be by Ofhsr Eg1l4iS, and toe!
pray your honorable body that, rn0snGh a,
they sDIIGTEsG ga mas 6AtsrYrLss Gf tie sGIioI
fGftOn NJ tie GOUSTRgrsnf, you will pass Law
70 terminate their contract, and to dispose o
their ships, 50 that your nemorialists may b,
renewed from the undertaking without SUI
ioss and a. IN duty bound your memOsiaasl
VIII eyer pray EDWARD h COLLINS,
..v &c.. D.. Tor associates aud self.
WAsHISGrOS, Dee. Is, 1856.
Ar.tEtheridse On the Fugitive slav,