The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-23
NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, NAY %, 1888.

in them all But ifthe profits of the Atlantic Company
sbal equal even less than oneha of the estimate Of
its projectors then thirteen dollars out of forty eight
OF the government appropriations, both Of Great
Britain and the United States will accrue to a citi-
zen OF New York. who Is believed to be financially
the protector Of the whole scheme and is notorously
the lie and soul of each and all of the three eompa'
MES which compose it.
Your memorialists are not disposed to complain
Of anything their government may be inclined to do
in promoting or rewarding this great enterprise all
that they desire and ask is, that the parties thus
strengthened and enriched shall not be permitted to
exercise the power thus acquired for the oppression
and destruction Of the companies which they repre-
sent; and the foregoing detail of facts has been
given merely TO show the extent Of that power and
The Act of Congress above alluded to contains the
following proviso, VIII
Provided further That the United States and tho siti
zeps thereof shs enjoy the use Of said Submarine
municaton for all time on the terms aud nddou
which shall be stipulated in favor Of the government,
Great Britain, and the subjects thereof, recogozsg
equality OF rights among the citizens of tho UNted
of the said sui marine communication and the
lines Telegraph which may at any time connect with che
same n It's terminus ON the coast Of Newfoundland, aud
in the United States any contract be entered into
~ euch person. persons or association with that govern
ment
Your memorialists arr. already admonished that
the equality Of rights seemingly provided for in
this provso s so far as their companies are concern
ed, wholly illusory.
No line other than that of the Newfoundland Com
pany can connect with the submarine cable, on &C
No line but that Of the American Company can
connect with the Newfoundland line. because both
virtually belong to and are managed by the same
men.
Members of the American Company have already
denied the right Of any other telegraph lines to in
sist on q reciprocal connection with the submarine
cable through the Newfoundland and their own lines
for the purpose Of sending and receiving intercon
tinental messages, claiming that privilege as por
ton OF their own property And by this exclusive
connection as well as by the legislation Of the State
OF Maine, the managers Of the scheme virtually ex
tend their Newfoundland monopoly through the
British Provinces and into the United States for
though messages going to Europe may be delivered
to them at any Of their stations in the United States
all messages from Europe to any Of their stations
stations Of parties In alliance with them will be sent
to their own lines the practical effect Of which will
soon be to make the lines of the American Company
in the United States the exclusive channels of Euro
pean telegraphic correspondence.
But II the equality of rights mentioned in the
proviso, includes right Of telegraph lines in the
United States to a reciprocal connection with the
submarine cable through connecting lines for bust
ness both ways, it is right depending contract
to which the American and Newfoundland Com
panies are not proposed to be parties and of course
it will impose upon them no obligation. And the
Atlantic Company is in no shape bound to secure
access to its own terminus and If 1t WERE could be
held responsible, as the matter stands only by
the withdrawal of the future bounty of the govern
ment.
Your memorialists neither ask nor desire the inter
position Of Congress to protect them against compe
ton in the United States. They neither ask de-
sire the withdrawal of the aid of the government
from the Atlantic Telegraph Company or its refusal
to any other company which may be organized to
span the ocean with line Of telegraph. All they
ask Is to be protected against combinations for the
purpose Of expressing or destroying them between
parties operating in the United States and out Of
the United States and to be put on an equal footing
with all others in their connection with foreign lines
entering the United States by sea or land.
This protection your memOralists ad yised il is
the province Of Congress to afford them by virtue of
their constitutional power to regulate trade and in
tercourse with foreign nations And they appeal
the more confidently for this prote ,ton, account
of the aid granted by Congress to the combination
against them increasing their power to Cypress.
Your memorialists therefore pray for the passage
Of general law, which shall prevent combinations
between citizens or companies in the United States,
and monoposts companies out of the United
States, for the purpose Of expressing telegraph
companies and monopozing the business of tele-
graphing in the United States, and shall enable all
telegraph lnSH1R the United States to form con-
nections with AIT telegraph lines approaching their
borders on terms Of perfect equality.
Your memorialists are the more emboldened TO
present this prayer from the consideration that the
monopoly Of telegraphc intercourse between, if not
throughout the Old aud New Worlds, now sought to
be established may be applied with fearful effect to
the commercial and POLITICAL as well as telegraphic
interests Of the United States unless regulated by
law. AMOS KENDALL,
SAMUEL G. BISHOP,
ZENUs BARNUM.
Committee of the Magnetic Telegraph Company.
FRANCIS o. j. Smith,
III. M. SCHTEFFEIIN,
Company.
MARCH 10, 1858.