The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-21

ish government already alive TO the Importance Of
TINS road and was building along the southern line
OF her possessions.
Mr. FOSTER moved 20 amend the bin by inserting a
clause that all the iron necessary construct said rail
road and which may compose the track OF the same
shaii DC oil American manufacture. MIR H. took
sion TO comment upon the large amount OF foreign iron
which had been imported for the construction existing
railroads. most Of which not yet paid for and this
circumstance rendered dependent on foreign markets
and liable TO repeated and disastrous commercial revu
sons Our true policy should be TO develop re-
sources, give employment TO labor, and thus
promote the interests of this country The English man
uiacturers were actuated by desire TO break down and
ruin our iron manufacturers and in order to accomplish
THIS object they would furnish the market for time be-
low the cost of production Having attained the end
proposed and succeeded in driving the American manu-
acturer out of the market the price at rises to the
consumer and 1t does not stop at the cost of production
and reasonable profit but il rises TO pay the Eng
llsh manufacturer the expense he has incurred in running
the American manufacturer with int and something
by way of damages and above. Then having CON
troll OF the market, the foreign manufacturers fix the
prices at whatever rates they please In order TO avoid
this, he argued that should by all legitimate modes
encourage home productions and protect manu-
facturers
Mr. GWIN said that the bill proposed by him al
ready provided that ' il American manufactured railroad
iron Of equal qualities shall he offered TO the contract
ing party which, including all items of of manuac-
ture SALE aud delivery shall not exceed the like Of
such iron obtained from foreign countries the American
contracting party" He thought this afforded much
protection to home manufactures could reasonably be
asked for.
Mr. FOSTER thought that would be no protection, for
the American iron was of better quality than that inn
ported and of ii could not be obtained low
Mr. SEWARD desired to know whether iron could not
be made in this country poor enough aud cheap enough
for railroad purposes
Mr. SIMMONS argued that to build railroads of poor
iron to put in jeopardy the lives of the passengers
who travel over them. Where machine shops
plenty and repairs could readily be made il not of
so much consequence to the very best quality of
iron but Cor road through desert far away from
civilization true economy required the of the best
materials that could be obtained He Ind been Informed
that the railroad iron sent here the poorest quality
that made in Wales aud that the better quail ties of
iron laid down in England.
Mr. CIINGMAN desired to ask the senator from New
York whether ere were not very poor rails of
American manufacture on the New York and Erie rail
road
Nj. SEWARD had no knowledge of that fact.
Mr. CLINGhAN had understood that such was the
case aud he alluded to it for the purpose of showing
that in the United States bad iron could be made well
us good Ho thought as it was proposed to advance
money out of the national treasury in aid of this work
the best way would be to release the contractors from
the payment of duties the iron which they might i'm
port 1t had been calculated that three hundred thou
sand tons Of iron would be required for the construction
of this road the duty that, a. ten dollars per ton
would amount to the of three millions of dollars
Was it wise to impose tax of that amount upon these
persons, and then pay them heavy of money and
give them lands He had long been of the opinion that
If there any article which it important to
make free of duty it railroad iron NinetenthB of
the cost Of making iron in the labor employed We
can compete with the foreign manufacturers
less cut down the price of labor and that nobody is
in favor of doing Then the question is shall we avail
ourselves of these cheap rails and benefit the country
through the increased facilities of getting produce
to market shall we refuse TO do it He wished to
allow the constructors the road get their iron where
get frpeQ of
tax.
Mr.. SEWARD suggested that the English manufac-
turer made very poor iron because he only got very poor
pay for it, in the stocks and promises to pay of rail
road companies. ..a
Mr., BIGIE !; although he had been suffering during
the day from headache, felt it incumbent upon
him to make few remarks in reply to what had been
said. There diversity of opinion among railroad
upon this question all agree that American rail
road iron is very much superior to foreign. The Penn
sylvana railroad is built almost exclusively of American
iron and experience has SHOWN that it wastes at the
rate OF but little more than per cent while foreign
iron wastes to extent of per cent. and in
instances much more than that striking case
could not be found than by comparing the Pennsyvan
railroad with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to the
relative durability of the two roads He believed it
mattered little what the of this bill might be. The
railroad would be constructed of American iron, it
ought to be- because the capitalists who engage in this
work will go about it like business They will
slider the interests of the enterprise, and when they do
that, the quality Of the iron becomes much matter
for consideration the price If American iron win
last three four times long the foreign business
will expect that ii be obtained at the price
Mr. INVERSION opposed the amendment with much |
conendng that the effect of it would be to
pay gratuity to American manufacturers who could fix
whatever prices they pleased the iron for the road
He did not believe there was such difference between
he American and tho foreign iron as had been repre-
epted. He had been informed by Mr. Chambers, of
Philadelphia gentleman interested in railroad matters
hat while American iron would last thirteen years. Eng
ish iron would only last ten eleven years That
vi the difference between them.
The question being taken, the amendment agreed |
%, follows:
GEMessrs Allen Bgcr Brodorck, Chandler, Clark Coamer
ttcuden Dixon Fesseudcn Foot Foster Hale
ono Now Jersey Toonbs rumbn Wade WILSON, Wrghta5
Mesars lAl $, Bright Clay Chngman, Davis pnrkec,
rsigssee Jones' Mallory sason Polk Reid Rice Sebastian
stuart, and Ward-23 ,#
Mr.. WILSON moved to strike out in the first section
he Words the most eligible route reference being had
feasibility shortncss and economy, and insert In lieu
hereof 'the shortest practicable route between the
'arallels Of latitude thrty-fve and forty two
Mr.. SEWARD remarked that this was a very import I
mt amendment and it could not be disposed of this
ling and, on his motion,
The Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
The SPEAKER laid before the House a communication |
rom the Secretary of the Treasury transmitting accounts
the disbursements for the Indians for the year ending
une 3d. 1858 which laid the table and ordered
b be printed.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.