The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-11-24
From the Ne0 York Shipping List Nor 2Ol
NECESSITY OF INCREASED STEAM COM

During the last session of Congress bill was in
roduced into Congress having for its object increas
ed steam communication with foreign countries. 1t
was not definitely acted upon, but from what then
TRANSFERRED, are led to believe that it will in all
probability receive the sanction of both houses dur
ing the incoming session. The route to Para CITY
of some twelve thousand inhabitants near the mouth
of the Amazon, and consequently the natural port of
large part of the South American continent is one
of the most important named in the BILL and the fact
that we now have steam communication with
South America shows how negligent we have been
to true interests in this respect. We are within
ten days sail by steam to the city of PARA the most
prosperous and growing portion of Northern Brazil
which commands the entire trade of the Amazon Val
ley-probably the largest and richest valley of the
world that is now traversed for three thousand miles
inland by river steamers and which affords more
river navigation than the whole the United States
"a valley that contains more square miles than
the whole of Europe, and will at some day. no
doubt, have quite as large population-with no
connection except by sailing vessels, while Europe
has less than eight regular lines to Rio de Jane
rio, and thence connects with the principal Brazil
ian ports north and south of that. Great Britain
has two lines, France two, Portugal one, Genoa
one, Hamburg one, and Belgium one. Thus, instead
of sending his letters direct from this country to
Brazil, from two to four thousand miles, the Amer
lean merchant has other alternative than to des-
patch them some eight or ten thousand miles
through rival commercial nation, crossing the
Atlantic twice before they reach their destination
trust to irregular and uncertain sailing vessels
So it happens, that instead of drawing near the ma
tions that but half the distance from US as from
England, we have absolutely removed them till that
country is one half nearer than we are
Instead of taking advantage of the tide and winds
which nature has given in our favor, we have
looked our own interests. The consequence is that
British, French, German and Greek merchants have
driven American trade from Rio and some other
Brazilian ports, and employ their shipping to
send to this country articles of prime necessity,
while that trade should be giving business to our
own countrymen. They freight their ships in Eu-
rope with flour, provisions, and manufactured arti-
Giles, which could be better supplied from this coupl
try, and we in return are importing from Brazi
many millions dollars value in coffee hides, rubber
&C., for which we paying the cash. Our trade
with Brazil in 1856 S24 900 000 and the balance
against the United States was Sl4 900. 600
In the same way we cut off from all the
South American countries, both on the East and
West shore, by the superior enterprise of the Bri-
fish government in projecting and sustaining steam
communication. This is a waste of advantages for
which there is no excuse, and a reproach to the
American name. These are considerations which
should awaken from lethargy into which we
have sunk, and urge us to put forth all our eper
gies to recover what is lost. This should be the
case not only relates to South America but to
other parts of the world, some of which are not
provided for in the bill now before Congress We
suffer just the same the coasts of Africa Bri-
fish steamers there have thrown a monopoly of the
trade into British hands, So we need c0mmunica-
ton with the Mediterranean sea, which we are not
likely to obtain at present.