Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-04-20
New Steamboat Law.

 City for a copy of the proposed supplementary steamboat law, as reported by Mir. Washburue to the House of Representatives
 The first four sections bring ferry boats, tug boats, towing boats, freight boats, and some kinds of canal boats, under the jurisdiction of the supervising inspectors. aud subject them to certain extent to the provisions of the act of 1852. This is we'll
 The fifth section relaxes the provisions Of the act of 1852, in relation to the carrying of surpentine and other dangerous articles The expediency of this is doubtful
 The ninth section enioius the use of tin plugs and prohibits the use of fusiJle alloys. We have no objection to the use of tin plugs. if they will save people from ,being scalded to death. But we protest most earnestly agai,st that part of the section which prohibits the use of fusible alloys. With Captain Haldermau we believe that that part of the act of 1852 which e!joins the use Of fus;Lie alloys, would, if properly enforced, be found to bs one of the most useful provisions of the law.
 The twelfth section requires evers thing that floats, whether raft or boat above the burden of 20 tons, to carry signal lights This is we'll
 The thirteenth section requires all ocear., lake, and bay going steamers to have their huls divided into water-tight compartments This is an improvement that we have long wished to see adopted.
 The fourteenth section requires ocean goiug steamers, 10 carry certain number of life boats.
 The fifteenth section provides that there shall be local boards of inspectors at Galeua, linois; Paduoah, Kentucky; Apaachicola Florida, and Oregon City, Oregon. Galena is not on the Mississippi but in nook, some Is miles from tke great river. IL strikes us that Dunle;h, Dubuque, or almost any town on the Upper Mississippi should be preferred to Galena; and so think the steamboat officers with whom we have conversed on the subject.
 So, also, we think that Memphis should be preferred to Paducah Boats require visitation in the middle as well as the commencement and termination of their voyages Nearly all the boat. that ply between New Orleans and St. Louis, and New Orleans aud Louisville, touch at Memphis, while but comparatively few stop at Paducah- With a local board at Memphis, the pilots and engineers on the Ar kansas, the White river, and the St. Francis would not have the great inconyeniece they now encounter in getting their licences.
 Their are yarinus other provisions in the bill, of which it is not necessary to take notice. But on the perusal of it we have been forclbly struck with two things.
 The frst is that though very many sections increase the the powers of the Supervising h. spectors, no one of them adds to their responsi- bilities One section does, indeed, require them to make an annual report to the Secretary of the Treasury bat this they graciouSl y condesceud to do already. The Secretary may be convinc- ed from their reports or by information from other sources that they or the local inspectors are neglecsing some parts of the law, svs- te,uatically evading others, and openly violating others, and yet he has no power to apply a re- medy. The Supervising board of Inspectors. as at present constituted, is an anomaly in Amer ican policy. All other boards are responsible to the head of some department.
 The second is, that, though xe, on our river waters, lose more lives by fire on steamboa ts than from any other cause. this supplementary bill provides 10 new guards against the b-eaking out of fires or their rapid spreading. The "prTllef--ho,oerer of the second section of the act of 1852, leaves everything to the discretion of the inspectors, and where the authors of this new bill find it, there they leave it.
 Two other steamboat bills have been report ed, one by MT. Seward. senator from New York, and one by Mir. Benjamin, senator from Louisiana. Of these we have not seen comics