The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-22


the memorial Of ho Shelton praying for the action oil
Congress in the AYES island case together with the
deposition and papers be printed with the CORES
in said transmitted by the President TO the
Senate
OCEANIC rEIEeRApu
The Senate proceeded to the consideration OF the bill to
expedite Geographic communication for the Of the gov
ernment in its foreign intercourse which was read
Mr. HUNTER thought the bill required some amend
ment as il left the whole matter at the discretion OF the
President He was in favor of inserting some limitation in
the BILL as he feared the United States might 70 far beyond
what was originally designed unless this Precaut0a
taken.
Mr. coLbAMEn replied that there was this limitation
that this government should afford the company no
more aid than afforded by the British government
Mr. HUNTER then objected that project of this kind
the government II not such kind Of experiment
the government ought embark In. II the government
desired send messages over the line ought to pay for
them lust rs private citizen would, and more.
Mr.. C0LLAMER stated that the company desired to
have of security before they hazaded such m
mense outlay. The British government had offered to guar
anty them five per- cent OH the estimated costamount-
ing to fourteen thousand pounds serlingfor the rans
mission Of their messages and all that wis proposed
that this should put itself upon the same
terms with the British government We are not to adj
anything, but merely togive that the
company shall have five per cent their capital invested
| after the line shall be put in operations ~,
this gevernslt 10 aid that the British govern
ment had already afforded but to what they might afford
| in future-wbich was very indefinite
Mr. SEWARD in order to obvate that objection moved
TO amend the bill by inserting after the words us and
reasonable in the eleventh line the words mot exceeding
seventy thousand dollars per apnhm Until pe bet Profits
Of such person. persons OF association shall be equal to
dividend of six per cent. per annum and then not
ceedng fifty thousand dollars per annum for twenty five
years. He also moved further to amend the bill by add
ing the following provso Provided, further That the
contract to be made by the British government shall
not be different from that alteady proposed w that gpv
eminent ,olhe New York, newfoundland, and London
Mr. RUSK thought the guarantee of seventy thousand
dollars per annum BY this goyernpent fol- aWork OF such
M bss sa WINS Oe as would Sn
lars per He had full confidence In the President
of the United States in matter of this kind and
objection to leaving the subject at his discretion might
turn out that 1t would be necessary to make ece chabgs
in the contracts but he Mad no apprehension that the
British gcvefaMent Would seek to take advantage ofus in
the matter u the amendments Of the senator from New
York adopted he would still vote for the bill but he
preferred voting for it without the amehdsents
Mr.. DOUGLAS hoped the amendments would be adopt
ed In it's present form the bill liable to the objection
of uncertainty the amount of obligation which this
government would incur and that obligation might be
increased to an indefinite extent y would be desirable
| TO have that matter specified In the bill.
Mr.. SEWARD stated that the wife for this Telegraph
already made and the whole enterprise had herstoor
been conducted end hanaged with American capital On
the ih Of July next if this bill shall pass there will be
sells belonging the United States navy the British
government will lend her vessels to lay down this wire
suitable for that work wt DO not make isis contract
the British government will have the priority OF messages
and we shall have to pay fo the use Of The line AFFORD
make this contract we shall stand upon terms of equality
| with that government
The question being taken the amendments Of Mr. Shw-
Mr. HUNTER remarked thai both Of the termini Of this
line were within the British dominions aud he would like
to know what guarantee we should have in time Of wsr
! that we could then have the of the line.
/ Mr., 'SEWARD replied that have been
contemplated by the Psi,sh gosernment-and he hoped
they proceeded ressonabythat there would be
interruption between the amcable relations of the two
countries When this question frat up this idea pre-
ented itself to his mind and he suggested the telegraph
company that it ought to be the subject Of treaty between
the United States and Great Britain lie the Prce
dent of the United States ahd the Secretary sae for the
purpose OF seeing whether the whole could not be
settled by treaty to that object But II found
that that would proract The negotiations after the 4h
of July and this stcou the papers were returned with
any action having been taken Now the question arose.
what should be done This suect2 That the two ter
mini both Within the British dominions truc; and
1t was equally true that there no terminus this CONT
4 nent unless it were within tho british domihone, and we
have donions ON the ott side of the Atlantic There
other route upon which the telegraphic wire could
be laid the This distance of seventeen
hundred miles and it not certainly known that
the fluid could be transmitted to this distance beneath the
oce This scientific experiment. anA the company
were prepared to make it. But whatever arrangements
might be made, would break them up. II VIC ever
should 60 to with Great Britain, which he hoped
would happen should need have both the
mini in possession in order to avail ourselves othe tel
egraph.
But his own notion was that when the Geographic wire
was laid, there would be between Eng
land and the United States The subject of the of the
telegraph in time of war however, would be proper mat
ter for treaty spulaon and that treaty could be made
| subsequently, as well as
Mr. HUNTER said that he should be glad to think that
the millennium at hand as the senator from
New York supposes For his part he would like to
substantial guarantee in the bill by which the United
States shall have the advantages in time of with
the British government 1t seemed to him that the propo-
son for this government contribute largely TO
scheme which would give Great Britain great superiority
in time of war; but 1t in the power of two nations to
make contract which should endure in time of war.
Mr. RUSK replied that we were not making contract
with Great Britain all, but with private company.
How could we make contract with company to guaran-
ty rights to in should go to with Great
Britain
Mr. HUNTER said that the MATER could be deferred
til this treaty was arranged and that was what ought to
| be done.
Mr.. RUSK answered that could cut the wire in two
three hours if should 60 to war but it would be
great Of preventing war If we should have such
| line of communication
Mr. CASS hoped the matter would be provided for by
inserting in the bill prevso that money should be
pended until receive from the British gov
eminent that we should not be cut off in time of
Mr. PUGH said that he had prepared an amendment to
carry the precise designated by the senator from
Michigan He moved amend the bill by adding the fol-
lowing proviso:
Provided That this act shall not take effect until treaty
shall have concluded ratified the govern
Of Great Britain and the United States whereby snch
portions of the British possessions in North America
mand the terminus Of the said Submarine Tele-
graph shall have been subjected to the principle of nenra
signed Washington the 10th of April 1850, and such
other convention supplementary thereto may be ratified