The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-03
CONGRESSIONAL.
DEBATE ON THE OCEANIC TELEGRAPH
In sKsArE, February ~, 1857.


In sKsArE February "a, 1857
The Senate the consideration of the amendments
of the House of Representatives to he bill S No. 493) to
expsdite teegraphic communication for the uses Of the
government in its foreign intercourse
The PRESIDENT pro tesnpore The first question is
the motion of the senator from Kentucky Mr. THOMPSON
10 postpone the bill and amendments until the 9th OF
March and that question the yeas and have been
ordered #s
Mir. TOOMBS / had nearly finished what had to say
when the hour arrived for posiponing this question
Monday last and shall occupy but very few moments
more of the Senate in opposition 10 this had
endeayored to show, in the first place that this bill
without constitutional authority and in the second place
that the bar gain unequal bargain teween Eng
land and the United Sates that 1t proporoned
to the respective interests which the two governments had
in the telegraph line. Thirdly shall attempt show
that there Is such interest TO the people OF this country
which seems 10 be relied as would authorize US, if
had the power and If the bargain was clear and just and
equal, to undertake TO 60 into this new pyQ2st.
IL is said that this country greatly Interested, and
pecay my own section of the Union in the construction
Of this telegraph. Such seems 70 be the opinion of the
honorable senator from Texas Mr. RUSH, that it is im
portant the cotton trade am not able to it but
II be think the growers of cotton, to which class
myself belongand it is the only business attend to when
look after my own affairs generally now-are perfectly
willing to attend TO their business They want no
aid from the government They have asked il; and
they do not desire it. As class they have from the
beginning of this been studous TO avoid TAX
ing money out of the general fund, to which they have
contributed literally body else for the benefit Of
their special interest any other special interest They
have lived by their own industry, by ting the soil and
appeals to their interests pretexts by which many of
the commercial classes and the obbng classes and the
classes endeavor to obtain which they
have never sought and do not deaire.
am not prepared to say that the effect Of having
with reference to the state of the markets. every morning
rather than every fortnight present. is of any
consequence to that interest," from the peculiar nature of
the product it being an annual one Though it may to
slight degree lessen the opportunities for speculation it is
only very slight degree These telegraph lines do not
run all the country to every mans house. 1t may
multiply the people who go into speculations. Per-
living at the telegraph points, where the be
speedily gven dverge through the country and you
may have hundred crafty specuators where there is
large who by expresses That is my
peence Of the cotton trade The be rapidly
spread from the telegraph stations oil the country,
it be carried by expresses and the vey same difficult
ties will exist in specuatng on produce to as great an eI-
tent as before. ........ .
We told by the honorable from Texas whom
have been sorry to see give his powerful aid to this
me- that the aid granted to steamships Of which
policy he the advocate has been productive OF benefit
and therefore should go into this experiment. have
the least doubt that the establishment of that policy
being fundamentally wrong, has been Of great injury to
the shipping interest OF this country and am satisfied
such the judgment of large class of the prudent honest
engaged in that business. 1t is fact that
twofhs of the entire mporaIions into the city of New
York by steamships, and tbreefs of the valuable
freight carried by them You call it government aid
but the fact is that the government by giving large sums
money the of transportation has been able
to take away from the hone trader and of saves
ses which better sud the general commerce of the
country Or at least the aggBBtRga and cheap
nattar of Importance in these particular com
modities ',1r & fhey have yery greatly hindered the
shipping interest because in consequence OF the govern
ment giving $33,O0O per trip to steamship to go to
England the French and the English finer goods which
pay the best freights, have been monopolzed by the
English and American steamers; and consequently that
valuable portion of the freight has been taken from the
general commercial marine of the United States and
il las compelled very large number of vessels to
with no freight or with bad freight, from England to
this counryy We see the operation of that in the
southern States More than half the ships that go the
southern ports for cctton, rice and lumber in bal
last and that necessarily increases the cost OF our igh
because when they have to dead voyage the
Atlantic without getting freight they must of course
charge more for return freghts. .. ........
If 1t proposed directly that the government should
become carrier, everybody would admit that it was
wrong. EVERYBODY would admit that It was against the
principles of political economy for this government to
carry feighs for nothing Who would sanction direct
proposition that this government should build twenty
steamers to from Boston Savannah to Liverpool
and Havre and take all the valuable eigh,s for nothing
Every would admit that that violation Of the
principles of political economy and would be destrnc-
tive to the great industrial classes Of this republic
The has done that pro tao for every dol
lar she has given to steamers under the raudu
lent petext of carrying mai has had the effect of throw
ing the valuable reghts of this country to steamers
enabling them the Atlantic cheaper than
other people, aud thus monopoze the best freghts from
England 10 the United States On account of the imports
from the Old World being exceedingly small in bulk
according to their value have ten times much tom
mage OF out-freght of neigh The steamships which
my friend suppoes have done the commerce OF the country
such great good have possession of three6hs of all
lhe valuable eghts from Europe, and especially from
France and England They have taken that branch of
trade away from the commercial MARINE and they are able
TO beat them down in competition by the action of the gov
ernment They could do it in any other way, because
At is very well known that the ordinary cost of running
sail-vessel against eteamyesse would be In favor of
the saingvessel one; and the steamers would
not attempt to hour in competition but for the
funds taken from the public treasury That is wrong
system 1t is coming back the old system of government
monopoes the government undertaking to do the bus
ness of the people
One argument has been that il we did not pay large bo
muses. to steamers England would have monopoly of
rylng our leter5. That is great deluson
presented to people in the world 1t has cost about
one dollar for every letter have had transported by for
egn steamships into this country where get ten cents
III we have carried them cheapy they be carried
and we pay dollar and get cents lose ninety
cents on each letter. IL we put that burden England II
10 the most eecua way TO break aer down, to make her
DO an Improbable business IL she carry them cheaper
an we can by advan she have, ought to
get her to do it rather than do carrying for the
same reason that of get produce carried
10 England rather than do it ourselves IL England
carry letters cheaper say the best way of inurng
her to give her the whole of this Improbable business
Seeing this fact first told that those steamers
would be exceedingly beneficial to the navy important to
the government in time of war; believe that everybody
OF one OF the committees of the other House. the testimony
gwen by the officers of the navy that not OF them
could stand the ERE of her brosdside much less that
OF an enemy that 1t utterly impossible to make ships
@ he speed necessary for the competition Of travel the
ocean capable for purposes That has been thorough
demonstrated aud the idea of making your sidc-whee
NAL steamers useful for purposes is confessed failure
A oyer the world because steamers used that
purpose believe by all the nations who have looked
70 the question: as all commercial nations have instead Of
auh. ntnx