The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-03

mini of this telegraph line belong to foreign nation2 Il
not England in the daily OF teegraphic commun
cations that pass entirely through foreign countries Doe
she md herself indred by that2 Do not the lines which
cross the Mediterranean find their ermni countries
foreign to British power and entirely freed from British
dominaton2 And yet the British merchants and the Brit
sh government daily hourly use those teegaphc lines
and no sum of money would induce them to sacrifice
the advantages which experience has shown to be attend
ant upon the use Of that means of Communication
Now Mr. President what is all this controversy about
simple proposition to promise company that we will
employ them for ten years il they viii carry
sages IL they do not carry our messages, they get
money they do not carry messages they lose every
dollar they may expend in their experimental efforts to
establish this communication If they do carry our mes
sages we pay them for that and for nothing else And
gentlemen raise grave question of constitutional power
in relation to our right to pay company for carrying tel
egraphic dispatches for and represent 1t in breath
as an attempt on the part of this government organize
corporations and in another attempt the part of
the Senate TO give assistance in advance wild
struck schemes as some gentlemen term them Ths scheme
may be wild; it may be the offspring of moon-struck
fancy In the consideration and judgment OF members
In that of others it is the wedeVeloped welconsdered
result not only of scientific research but OF actual pract-
cal experiment myself thoroughly believe in its
But whether successful not is not the question.
The queston-the sole questonis this these say to
you if we carry your messages, will you pay us for
them n And propose that the answer be- "We will"
| Mr. TOOMBS The argument of the senator from Lou
isiana is ingenious and deusve the bill ITSELF which is
attempted to be palmed the Senate The says
very face of the b which provides suppose that SEN
aor or body else who read it knows that are
to pay whether they carry message not If have
no messages for them to carry we pay $4,000 year
| MIR. BENJAMIN. The senator will excuse me. | did
not say that we were not to pay the $4,000 year at all
events but said that these parties were to carry
messages for that sum. We agree to pay them $4,000
year tos all the messages we choose to send
Mr. TOOMBS That shows the Importance of ingenuity
OF statement in which the senator very greatly exces The
whole question turns on that point He analogzes it to
the case OF messages sent in this country Do pay
teegraphc company in this country except for the
sages wo send say the effect of this bill s not to pay
for the messages may send, but to pay $4,000
year whether we ever send message not That is its
plain, DISTINCT unequivocal language and meaning.
We are told by the senator from Louisiana that do
notaid in constructing this telegraph of the treasury
of the United States He rdicules the consttu ar
gument by an ingenious statement of facts l say pay
seven per cent interest upon the estimated amount of build
ing this telegraph and Great Britain pays per
more Is that aid2 Cannot railroad be constructed
from here to the Pacific telegraph be
established between any two courhouses in the United
States upon the same terms by guaranyng fourteen per
cent. on the Outlay2
If these people are competent to construct the telegraph
here is naked proposition If you will put your money
in, we will pay you fourteen per cent for twenty
years. To say that that is not aiding the company
my mind to be strange confusion of ideas 1t is direct
aidsuch aid would build railroad in any part of the
United States, and build telegraph anywhere l. ia d.
rect substantial aid to erect this telegraph. 1t
double the ordinary rate of interest These people have
monopoly from Newfoundland for fifty years for all ele-
graphic communications England has made contract
with this company guaranng them four per cent the
estimated cost and come here and guarantee per
cent on the real cost say will pay the
as England. We are to do the England; and vet
we not aiding the lnol What more do the supporters
or Pacific S9pfnR Pressing Yufa. which
Der OF years They have not dared to ask much as this
but they say Guaranty us for carrying the mails GER
tam sum OF money, and we will construct the road"
have no doubt you will make road to San Francisco as
soon as the difficulties be removed or one-ha of the
advantages held out for this telegraph be given
The senator from Louisiana says wp DO nothing but pay
II,-
by the public money TO construct the line We save the
whole concern for at least years and perhaps tweny
hive years. from the possibility of los5 if the wire be
laid down. railroad can be built by the government
from here to New Orleans the terms and one to
Lake Superior and airline be made to Boston
Does not every here know when that senator says
this not to aid Them that it is such aid would pro-
dqes raEoads and tegaphs throughout the whole hab
table globe2 ~.
However it may be covered with words they have got
this monopoly for fifty years We do not know upon what
terms we ARE going to contract with them have not
protected ourselves but have said executive gov
enment may go and make contract upon the same
terms the company made with England That does not
affect the monopoly. England may have an interest in
making it monopoly However successful this line may
be- ahe may put provision n her contract that there shall
be no other telegraph across the ocean, and if successful
the effect would be to put the whole in possession OF
this company for fifty years. and bind ourselves to pay
for telegraphic messages to nobody else but them,
The object is first to get interest the Investment and
next to make this governmeRt monopoly the
high seas England has by her poets been called "the mis-
"Her home is on the mountain wave"
She is going to assert jurisdiction here to tie together
her own countries by this wire and maintain her ascend
ency by the aid of the United States her great commercial
rival will make such bargain with her We can get
the use of the ine if it be desirable without any such bar
gain There is no sort of difficulty, settlements
now Located in getting communication with the CONT
nen OF Europe with absolute certainty in other directions
In the progress of events Russia is extending her conquess
to the East There is difficulty in crossing at Behring's
straits Enough submarine cables have been laid down
to show that that practicable Suppose we want one in
that direction through Behring's straits and through the
Pacific ocean, to this country it is not half impractical
bic as was the idea five years ago that this scheme would
get one vote. 1t is the natural of trade from those
countries.
Weare bound by this contract not to build another SUBJ
marine telegraph; but when England has monopoly of
intelligence at both ends, it when England
pleases, and only when she pleases.
Mr.. BAYARD. Is there anything in the bill which stp-
ulates that the government shall employ the services of
any other teegraphic company2
Mr.. T0OMBS. No. sir The difficulty is, that the terms
maintaining the proprety of the amendment of my friend
from Virginia. that il is the duty of Congress to know what
the obligation is before vote it.
Mr.. BAYARD. Does not the bill give it
Mr. TO0MBS II says that we shall have the same con-
tract that England has.
Mr.. BAYARD. That is before us.
Mr.. TOOMBS. No. sir. Where2 a=...a
Mr.. BAYARD. / have read it, There is no stipulation
that may not employ half dozen companies for tee-
graphic communications They may be direct to New
York. the mode the senator indicates and there is
no stipulation that we are not to use them.
Mr. TOOMBS The only stipulation is that the contract
shall be on terms of equality with England say there
is reciprocity with England because England may be
interested in making this monopoly and know New
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