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


Mr. COLLAMER will state briefly what the difficulty
is in that respect The bill expressly provides that the
President shall be limited TO the terms which the British
government make II is not without Limitation That linn
iaton in the bill The proposition of the Lords Comms
soners of the British Treasury to pay certain per cent
the cost of the work. amounting TO f4000 The grant
is limited not TO exceed five per cent OF the expense
Of laying the telegraph down and that per centage is
calculated to amount to fl4000 II is stipulated by the
Commissioners of the Treasury that IL the British govern
ment send the fine in any one year which
at the price charged TO the community, would exceed
000 they to make allowance for the excess There is
difficulty in limiting the bill TO $4,000 or $4,000 with
any other condition II may be that the price OF car
rying the messages Of the government at the rates charged
to the community at large will exceed hs sum OF $4,000
year. The bill Is drawn up in such manner as to limit
the President He not to exceed the price stipulated in
the contract made by the British government and
to have all the rights which that government may possess
Gentlemen apprehend will the difficulty of inserting
an express stipulation that the paid to this company
shall exceed $7o00o unless the messages at the COM
price charged to the community should exceed that
sum- and also the other conditions stated in the terms OF
the Commissioners of the British Treasury That is already
done sufficiently by the general terms of the bill think
il stands limited without an amendment engraftng the
specific items themselves do not think the bill is liable
the danger of unlimited expenditure the gentleman
from Virginia supposes
Mr.. HUNTER If understand the bill, the President
may contribute anything in the way of aid To make this
submarine line of telegraph which the British
may 1t will then be in the power Of the governments 10
lay it down themselves There is limitation upon the
President in regd to that 1t is left to the President of
the United States and the British government if they
choose to 90 to all the of carrying on this work
That is power conferred by the BILL il understand it II
is to contribute such aid the President thinks proper
without limitation. My own opinion is that while can
pay the company after they lay down the work. for the use
of the line in order to transmit communications to and fro
which may be indispensable to the government ought
not to embark in the actual enterprise ITSELF that is in
the construction of the line. think it ought to be done
by private company. Let the governments pay if they
choose for the OF the line in order to such
muncaton may be indispensable between the two
tinens or the means OF communication; but am unwi
ling to unite this government to the private company
which is to lay down the telegraph line
Mr.. COLLAMER. do not understand that any thing is
be contributed by either government the company
The whole matter nothing more nor less than this the
desire to have some sort Of security before thew
make their great outlay order that they may have some
return for the capital invested.
Mr.. HUNTER. The senator will allow me to read
clause from the bill tits;
oT., tbo s.or.,.rv of s,., =; a., a;o.o,;o, 81 na
the direction Of the President nav contract with any
tent person. or persons or association for the aid Uni
ted States in laying down sub marine CABLE" &c.
Mr. CoIIAMER Rut 10 Tho sena,or vii, reoa Tho
whole bill and look at the limitations which II contains
and hon yafar 70 Tho ;unsad Nv th R;t;sb
he will coo that The prasdant na Sc,a
S he Treasure are confined 70 tbnse cond;t;nu Gs =
their pronoson in writing which has been reaS shaving
what the Rrtish oovernnept arc 40 do Thsn talI th
cnmnanv e you eay - mill coet ,on ea.o 400 "a ~
government will nav Won our ner cant Sr ~ ion nu ,;
r. The work von ao for no amonnta 10 that n We viii
nav n bnt we do not agree IN advance anvtbn or ;ua
any asssance bnt This assurance that II the tganb an
srates when von Law II do,vn von sbaI, f @ ant
~, tba coat - 80
Mr. BENJAMIN The bill binds us 70 give sncb aid 40
the Rr;t;sb government ba va ALREADY onrssa 70 ; hn
If The Tritish government sbonid cIanas ts Man and n
race in hn;id;ng the line aitoaebnr sya % ahpnd h c
eesea ~ ;o;n thsr ,ndar t,,a tsrn,s ~ .h HI, W ~
M cs0fIAMER The hi, Was i hasad @ ant;ra,, man
the nronoson which came from The Iordo nnn; ;sl"n
ers of tbe Brsh Treasurv n gsniiame ara ;ii;nm -
agree TO what The Britisb oovsrnment has sorea -
have mo objection IN mitino the b;l in that mennsr
M RISK The pronosition which has bear reaS =; tho
Senate wac laid beare The Con,m;ttee on INC post
and Post Roads as coming from tho Rrob oovarnnant
and presume "a matter of conrse Il ia the errangamen
really made None Of the dangers that are annre6ended
are likely to occnr In INV ;udgmant nr,nna;,;on nee
submitted b the company asking for the aid of the British
ana an answer was received from that govern
ment agreeing to furnish the aid of ships in laying down
the wire and to pay exceeding fl4O0O for the
use use OF tne WORK Wnen completed IN other words they
cen. upon what tney sa1 would De the capital required
certain stpuatons as to having the se of the
and in those stpuatons they provide that hey shall have
line except the government of the United States This
leaves opening and doubtless intended to do So to
permit the government of the United States contribute
equally with the British government in aiding the line
and then having an equal use of 1t.
In the first place. think there no danger of the con-
tract being changed by the British especially
when has been based proposition made by the par
es and accepted by the British They would
be likely to change without consulting the goyer
ment Of the United States because they desire that
the Of the United States should be put on pre-
two governments exactly on the same footng and it
places the whole in regard to this contract our
part In the hands of the President 1t is experiment
and very important experiment The amount which 1t