The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-24

Newfoundland and the coast Ireland and for the Of
such sub communication chen sstabshsd By the gOv
srnnasni Of the United State', @e'
Mr. BENJAMIN. The meaning Of that is the use by the
Mr. CRITTENDEN 1t is the use OF such submarine
when established by the of the
United States"
Mr. BENJAMIN A difference of punctuation would
make the plain TO the senator.
Mr.. CRlTTENDEN. That may be; but the previous
language OF the bill is or the aid Of the United States
laying down submarine cable" and for the use when
laid down
Mr. BENJAMIN. am very happy to have been inter
ruped by the senator from Kentucky But the bill as
amended refers specially to the contract made ~ tne
British government with this company The aid Q. 'na
government in laying down the telegraphic wire anu Wy
aid of this government in laying down the Geographic
wrethe only aid proposed by either Is that eaeh
ment will ayoraby consider application rom tne COM
pany for the use of some national yessei 70 SsS' e
laying down the wire-that is all That the unit Oh
this aid Of the government in doing this work. Tor that III
asks pay 1t gatuous assistance rendered 10
these persons The Of money Is nmea s 70
established and the government not to pay cent until
it established possible that the language OF this
bill might be accurate and 1t perhaps ought to be
amended SO as TO meet the Interpretation suggested by the
honorable senator from Kentucky sand for the use OF
such submarine communication by the government OF the
United States after il shall have been established would
perhaps be better form of language; but the meaning OF
the sentence, take it, is just as stated before.
Now there be no objection the constitutional ground,
and if the advantages of this teegraphic wire as war
measure been much exaggerated as am inclined
TO think they have been, what earthly objection can be
made to this appropriation Observe Mr. President that
this is position Great Britain holds the two termini
of this line She holds it, and appropriate it exclu-
syey whenever she pease the of her own govern
ment and her citizens She has appropriated TO 1T
certain amount of aid and if were as important an ee-
ment in time of peace gentlemen make 1t out TO
be- and am inclined to think it is 1t would be perfectly
within of that to
tn nnhnn
possessions and give equal advantages with itself and
its citizens the miserable pttance of E350Ooo sterling
to be paid to private company many OF whom are them
selves American citizens So far from pursuing this
gardy and unwise policy the British government having
the whole in its hands has said with great lib
eray, with credabe good feeling towards this country
"WdHS take advantage of this exclusive control we
will give money freely to aid this private company in this
great enterprise and will 60 further we will recog-
mise tie recent testimonial OF good feeling tnat mas Dee
sent by brethren the Atlantic and we will
repay that testimonial of good feeling sent to us by ten
der to them of that which infinitely valuable inf
nitey important than what they have done for Grea
Britain Ours sir was graceful act Of generosity hers
is great sacrifice OF national advantages which she excn
svey possesses and which she tenders to US in the spr
of amityin spirit which will be preventative of thai
peace which all profess much to cherish but which
am much afraid, all do but too little to preserve
Now sir without this bargain, what will be the result
This line will be laid and after it shall have been laid by
the terms of the with the government of Great
Britain that government has the precedence With all iii
dispatches 1t the telegraph as it pleases and how
it, or If we hereafter make bargain with the company
after the line DONE think you that controlled as they
viii be by British influence and by British interests that
company WILL after they have succeeded IN this enterprise
agree carry the messages of this people and government
for than they oe when they anxious for our
aid which then they will be independent Never sir shall
we have opportunity of making use Of this commun
cation the advantageous terms as now If we give
equal aid with Great Britain we acquire equal control
our government has eqna rights onr citizens have equal
power this communication for the common interests
of whole country Shall give up all this when We
can secure ii for small pttance upon some palry ea
ousy of the which Great Britain may make OF this
communication ut future time in some possible con-
tngency of war? .,.. r... .
Mr. President let us not always la thinking of war; let
us be using to preserve peace The amount that
would be expended by this government in six menths
with Great Britain would far exceed everything that
shall have pay for the of this Geographic line foI
the entire years of the contract and do you
not believe that this fundamentally will be sufficiently
ecent bind together the peace the commerce. and thu
interests of the two countries SO as even to defer war oi
six months twelve months If one should ever become
inevitable beyond the period at which 1t would other
wise occur2 II it does that it will in six, or eight oil
nine months repay the expenditures OF twenty-five years
during all which time we she have had our government
dispatches conveyed gratis and or people entitled TO the
of the line during peace as the citizens of Great
Britain. .. .a ...
The advantages which the English public the English
nerce aud the English government will have over ours
reject this proPoson WAS very ws h SAID
this great bargaining and commercial country British sub
eets will have the advantage of days recent in
formation than the citizens of the UEited States 1t is
in Great Britans power to effect this end II is now in
her power TO monopoze this communication II We held
it. should we not be disposed 10 monopolize 1t From
what have heard in the Senate his subject my judg
msnt is that should be- many of US wlnd be- in ia
Ver of monopozing it and yet, without price wfpg
condition, upon footing of perfect equality, Great Brit
ain says this government Come forward join US in
giving the same aid to this great enterprise that
selves ready give and your government and your
people may take advantage of it, though the two
shores each side of the Atlantic at the sole point
earth where those two shores be and united to-
gether by Geographic communication" That is rendered to
MS Internationally; and gentlemen say they will teke
hereafter might refuse in time of all these benefits
which she is offering to us in time OF peace must con-
ess Mr. President that this argument appears to to be
very strange She hold all She offers fair share
everything while peace shall last We all profess to be
DESTROYS peace We all suppose peace viii be enduring
not forever do not believe in the arrival of the Uop
AN age; but all profess to believe that peace will be
enduring and shall cut off government and our
people from the of this communication for perhaps
generations come upon the fear the preex of the
fear that day Great Britain may use II in time
war Once again, sir say if she wants it for she
will put there at her own expense 1t is not three hun
dred thousand pounds four hundred thousand pounds
that will arrest her. IT. the contrary, this be useful
commerce--usefu in eminent degree-useul for the
preservation of peace-then confess feel some pride
that my country should aid in establishing IT,
confess | feel glow Of something like pride that
belong to the great human family when these tr
umphs OF science by, which mind is brought into in
slant communication with mind across the intervening
oceans, which, TO unenlighened oreathers seemed
placed there by Providence eternal barrier COM
municaton between and man. Now sir we sneak