The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-20
The Submarine Telegraph.

The Submarine Telegraph.
The Niagara sails to-day, and we give, apropos
of her departure to commence the great work Of
laying the transatlantic cable, a full account of
the submarine telegraphs now in operation and of
the plan on which the present one is to be laid
This account is prepared and condensed by one
Of our most competent reporters and will no
doubt be read with general interest.
II will moi only prepare the public mind to I'M
derstand any accounts that we may receive here
after of the progress of this great work. but it
will enable them to form an accurate estimate Of
what they have lost by the narrow minded refusal
of Mr.. Toucey, the Secretary of the Navy, to per-
NIT our reporters to accompany the expedition.
Had our very moderate request been granted
had We been permitted to send in the Niagara at
our own cost and charge in every respect, per-
son as we'll qualified to report this interesting oc-
casion as the author of the summary given else
where, the public might have relied upon it they
would have had so thorough and complete an &C
count of the laying of the cable that even ocular
inspection Of the affair would have added little to
their knowledge. They would have been told
the truth, and the whole truth, without fear, ia
vor or affection; the experience acquired at a
cost Of several hundred thousand dollars by this
great expedition would have been given to
them for nothing All this Mr.. Toucey has
prevented.
When Mr.. Brett, the great English submarine
telegraphist, returned to London from the Medi-
terranean after an unsuccessful attempt to lay a
cable from Sardinia to Africa, he was forced to
give a lecture directly to al immense audience,
among whom were the Queens eldest son, and
his father. The knowledge possessed in refer
ence to the laying Of submarine cables is 20
scaniy, and the importance OF difusing it 10
great that Mr. Brett had not been twenty -four
hours in London when he gave this lecture. This
shows the anxiety Of the British public to ac-
quire information on this great subject. When
we try to supply the like information tn the pub
Inc of the United States, Mr.. Toucey steps in and
says is is A" not convenient"
We question whether in future years it will be
believed that the reason why there is no good &C
count extant of the laying of the first transatlan
tic telegraph cable is that Me-. Toucey, the then
Secretary of the Navy, found ont an obsolete old
rule which forbade ships Of war to carry passcn-
gers and applied 1t to the exclusion of reporters
People will not credit such piece of egrcgious
folly.
For, IL will at once be said, allowing oil due
respect TO the rule in question II In evidently one
Of thoee rules which admit Of exception. II il to
BE- violated in tho case of the Minnesota, which
is about to convey Mr. William b. Reed to China,
a. q passenger II il in fact habitually violated
in the case of Ministers Plenpoicntiary. II
may be said that they 20 abroad in the
service Of the government; but in whose service
do reporters go. In that Of the people, whose
servant the government ia Again, vessels Of the
national navy, foreign stations, are constantly
in the habit Of carrying passengers from one port
to another. when the captain desires IL; this ex.
ception to the rule has never led to remark
And in this very case before rs, the Niagara
which leaves this day, carries out not only some
gentlemen connected with the telegraph company
but Ekewise two Russian officers, visitors, who
are passengers by special PERMISSION OF Mr..
Toucey. How can q rule be invoked against us
at such severe cost TO the public, when IL Is
thus openly made to give way by turns 10 the
convenience OF foreign ministers, or the fancy of
naval captains, or the desire Of snail politicians
to curry favor with foreign noblemenS
But the rule cannot under any circumstances
be held to apply TO the present voyage of the
Niagara She is, pro hac ricc, on this occasion,
employed in civil service, and ought TO be
governed BY the same rules as any mcrcbantmsn
She differs in standing in no essential particular
except that the company gets her for nothing
from the James Adger which was employed BY
the same company 70 Log down the linc to
! Newfoundland 10 attempt to enforce the
rules Of the service on board the Niagara,
while she IL really chartered by a civil
company for o civil service, IL rs ridiculous
as il would be- for the captains of the California
mail steamers to enforce the same rules on board
of them because they--the csptaius-happcn 90
belong 10 the United States Navy.
In one word The rule was there Dut IL was
inapplicable in this instance and Il was al wpys
waived q, the discretion Of the Secretary, aod
sometimes Of the captain. Under these circum-
stances IL was optional TO Mr.. Touccy 10 relax II
in favor Of oVr reporters 30 as 70 oblige the pub
I lie, and disseminate useful knogledae, II he
choee. A statesman and large minded man
would not have hcsitatCd a moment ia throwing
the rule 10 tho winds petty, peddung Con-
necticu. politician would perhaps have thought
more Of his dignity aad Of biz rules" tbAu OF
che public interest NJ. Toucey did 20. and we
\ afcor,h oily kuog whore In rlaoe him