The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-04-01

Remarks Of Mr.. Foot of Vermont
In Senate Feb. rs, 1857, on the o
ccanic Telegraph bill.
| Mr.. President, voted for this bill as
il passed the Senate. shall vote now
in favor of concurrence in the House
amendments. Both Houses, upon full
consideration, have agreed upon tho
leading features, and thus have sienified
their approval of the purposes of the bill.
The House amendments are simple, well
understood by the whole Senate, Of CON.
paratively little Importance, and require
DO examination 10 committee. They do
not impair or essentially modify the
main provisions and objects of tho bill.
The friends ofths measure can have no
hesitaDcy in agreeing to these amend.
mcnts at once, without delaying, and
thereby endangeriDg the passage of the
bill. The amendment Of the honorable
Senator from Virginia [Mr. HuSrEnl
is an adversary proposition. tending, if
not designed, to delay, and so far forth
TO defeat the bill-a legitimate and par.
liamentary course, to be sure, as coming
from hostile quarter. Such motion
will. of course, embody the vote Of the
opposition to the bill, but will not be
likely to command vote from those who
desire its passage.
/ shall vote in favor Of concurrence,
because have no objection to the House
amendments, and am in favor of the o5.
jects Of the bill, aud desire its immedi.
ate passage in order to secure those oh.
jects. regard tie measure which this
bill is intended to aid as the great and
crowning enterprise of this age of pro-
gress in the application Of art and science
to the practical purposes of life. have
an abiding confidence in the complete
success of the proposed undertaking.
This confidence is founded chiefly upon
the results of experiments already made,
and upon the opinions of scientific and
practical men. Submarine telegraph
lines have been laid down iu several in.
stances. and in every case they have
been attended with complete success to
the extent they have been tried
But Mr.. President, let me enquire for
moment what is the proposition upon
which We are called TO act-the propo-
sition contained in the bill before US
Why, sir, to express il in brief, II is
nothing more nor less than whether we
will aid in an effort which, if successful,
is 10 place US as q Government and
people in direct and immediate telegraph.
ic communication with the whole civilized
world, for the comparatively trifing con.
sidcration of Fifty to seventy thousand
dollars a year? The experiment, if
unsuccessful, costs Us nothing but the
use of one, or at most of two, vessels for
few mouths, which would otherwise be
unemployed, in assisting to lay down tho
wire. The whole loss, 10 case Of failure,
falls upon the company.
In the event of the success of the en-.
terprise-and success is hardly deemed
doubtful-its beuefits to our country,
and to tho whole country, and to every
paterial interest Of the country, com.
mercial: political, and social, must, 10.
deed, bc invaluable. No man may now
undertake to measure them. 1t places
us in daily communication with the cap
ital and he commercial marts of evory
State in Europe, and with portions Of
Asia and Africa. 1t places us in daily
communication with our own diplomatic
representatives at foreign courts-at
London, and Paris aud Madrid and vi.
enDa and ST. Peiersburgh and Coustan.
tinople and elsewhere. The leading Q.
vents which trauspired on she eastern
continent on yesterday are made known
to the American people to-day. Tho
debates IN Parliament; a revolution
in France the fate of battle; the fall
Of a city or an empire the change Of q
dynasty all the great aud stirring events
OF the DAY, as well as the daily prices
current, are brought forthwith to the
knowledge Of our own Government and
people. It Is for those who say that all
this is nothing, to oppose this measure.
II IS for those who may regard all this
as of 10 account, to laugh at it as a wild
aud impracticable and visionary scheme.
1t is for'those who may count all this as
OF no value, to denounce it as an extrav.
aeant aud unwarrantabls waste Of the
public money. But, sir, have faith to
believe 1t will stand the test of the SO.
verest ordeal, and outlivs all assaults Of
whatever character, and from whatever
quarter that it will command the undi.
yided assent of the American people as
great economical measure-as a meas.
ure ofimmense practical value to the
country-as a measure eminently pro.
motive ofinterDational peace, union, ane
harmony-as one Of the proudest tri.
umphs which genius and art have ever
schieved-as, in short, the sublmest
consummation Of the age in which We
live.
Just so widely differen, are my views
aud my su,icipatiOps from those of hon
Orable Senators who feel themselves con.
strained to oppose the passage of this
bill. A very few months, however, will
test the results of tho experiment, aud
test the wiser policy and the deeper dis.
ccrnment of those who resist or Of those
who favor the measure. When it shall
have been once brought into successful
triumphant operation as its friends an.
ticipale, it will yindieate itself-it will
silence all clamor, all ridicule, and all
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