The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-18
TILE sTEAmsuIp CONVENTION.

Tha Bristol Convention which met last year TO
tuaugurate steam line between Virginia anu -"
rope, re-assembied at Metropolitan haii' IN '''e
city, last night. The companies represented "eie
as follows; Norfolk aud Petersburg X. H.; south
Side r. r.; Va Central II. r.; Orange and AieAah'
d,ia R.: Alexandria, Loudon aud Hampshire H.
r.: Manessa Gap r. r.; Northeastern ana no"'"'
Western H. r.: Va. aud Kentucky Il. r.; baltimore
and Ohio r. r.. and York River r. H. Hon BAN
CTS MALLORY, Of Norfolk. opened the convention
with some congratulatory remarks on the Socoe''o'
uon. WIN H. Preston in his mission 10 Europe'in ST.
curing almost unhoped for facilities for direct trade
II. was followed by Mr. PRESTON, who was Ieceir
ed on his appearance with LOUD applhurso ~.
smoke of the great aud long continued olihcHlts IA
the South fixing on any point at which thls oitets
sd ,yas Ia centre and its being at last ternina
ted hy the choice of Chesapeake way Iheh came
the appointment of commissioner 10 Selec' wy
uoints in Europe which offered lnduceniepts' ahu
at which cooperation OF capltal hua s1a, ",
riobt be found. lie went on TO state the uihcu''
80 Ia f,un1 In the execution of his mission
Among them. he stated that he 1ouhd the hiRiIsn
interest identified with New lofk ny means oi tAle
Cuuard line. The American interest IN EhR'ahu'
he found engaged In the Collins line. "hefe was
he TO look At the very moment he was appeal
ing to the interests of England, the Whole country
vas engaged in receiving DIR. Livingstone la nom
or of his having discovered part oil africa where
aside her connection with the slave grown staple
of America On reaching France he found that
there was on the throne one VINO had adoptad tue
sestilnept Of his great ancestor = that he wanted
shiDs commerce and colonies" In the french
LEGISLATURE he had had charter given for IL YES
sells 10 run between Uavre and New YORK, 10
which he was TO grant most liberal subVentloh
Many other schemes for steam lines on an equaily
liberal scale were projected by hlu. me line
from Uayre to New YORK vas not taken up oy ms
a. could hpFa
tition with the English. The speaker represented
his scheme to the bankers at Nantes the orleans
Railroad came forward and asked to be SHOWN tue
advantages Of a line 20 the Chesapeake lie labor
ed day and night 10 make these advantages clear,
ard after the contract had been made he left the
city of Nantes. asking TO unite with the orleans
Railroad by subscribing 10DO.OOo of francs 10 ihe
scheme Heithen went on to describe the resources
Of the Orleans Railroad Company. IL coh'ioiS Tue
Southern portion of France, bringing Nantes
within ten hours travel of Paris. 1t embraces IN
It's range 10,0 00, 900 of the inhabitants, and the
most favored localities Of the empire. It's shares
valued ut 500 francs-now sell AT l,tuV H"ncs'
being nearly 2u0 per cent. above par. Inc Vaine
of the property under its control Is SOOUoo,oOO
francs It's directors are men Of influence In the
Empre-are noble and wealthy Nantes uirectIy
fronts Norfolk, aud is thirty hours nearer us ny
steam than Liver pool. The route between the
tvn has every advantage over that between Liver
pool and the Chesapeake. The port has wharf
800 yards IN length, Of solid stone, aud dock
capable of containing $50 vessels OF lOou tons
measurement. The Orleans railroad runs down 10
this dock. and makes the connection WITH the In
terror perfect. The Orleans Railroad company
say that they are not commencing tins line merely
for the sake of making money, but to direct trace,
which had h1wed into channels ADVERSE u 'hem
as well us NJ.
lie proposed that they should advance hail the
capital aud we the other half. They readily said
they wOnld furnish the l,50O,Ouo francs. with re-
gard to steam navigation, he stated that sall YES
sells were no longer built in the old world. when
he left England, there were 70 steam vessels on the
stocks and no sailing vessels in France the sa".e
tate Of things in ship building existed. Hereto
fore particular regions have furnished sailors, ana
other parts Of the world have consequently been
without their nayies. But this difficulty - done
away, and science. through steam, has placed naF-
CATION in the reach OF every nation. Inc orleans
Railroad company have agreed to enter into the
contract, with everything perfectly equal between
the parties except that they ask sub'entton equal
only to the smallest paid by the l. = goVerntheh IL
10 its European lines of steamers Two OF the
ssels are to be built at Norfolk and 10 bear Tue
American nag, AMI two in france to Dear the
French flag.
He gave a description OF the account gwen oy
him Of the commercial position Ct the chesapeake