The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-30
MAYOR SWANNAND THE STREET RAIL

to the Council OF yesterday expresses his willing
to submit his action the Travers Railroad
bill, amended by himself, to the direct vote of
the people, leaving them to say whether they will
pay four or hve cents, and appears confident he will
be sustained. He expressly says, however, that he
wishes no expression from the people the three
cent question, he is entirely satisfied in his own
mind (backed by the opinion of the "highest engi-
"neering tatent,) that three cents is too cheap-a-
though what engineering talent, whether high or
low, has to do with simple business calculation of
dollars and cents will be as much mystery to the
public as is the modus operdndi by which the C5un-
c was induced to reject proposition which of
tered to pay ten thousand dollars annually for the
privilege OF running the at three cents per pas
senger, and accept one pay ing bonus to the city,
save small annual license, amounting to less than
one-fourth of ten thousand dollars, and charging
four cents.
Mayor Swami is entirely mistaken in his opinion,
expressed In his first Message the subject, that
those who will habitualy use the Railroad care not
whether the fare is four or five cents.
lie has fortunately no occasion to use that mode
OF conveyance, and consequently has no means of
knowing, from personal observation, the kind of
people who now sustain the omnibus lines.
At least three-fourths of those who now use the
omnibuses, have sought residence in the suburbs
from motives of economy. Their business is in the
heart of the city, and they must either ride or
walk four times day, or six times if thew paw a
visit down town at night-their wives and children
also like an occasional ride-and if Mayor Swami
had taken the trouble to have investigated the mat
although only one or two cents when multiplied by
the number OF times a man has to 90 daily between
his home and his place of business and again null
tplied by the number of his family, and then gain
multiplied by the days of the year, would
amount to sum that would soon make
suburban resident calculate whether he had not
better seek house his business at a higher
rent. Outside of this class of people, none the
omnibuses except women with market baskets or
bundles of slop clothing-or exceedingly gentee
people, VINO caught in a shower without
umbrella, and take to the omnibus the lesser
evil. AS to the propriety of taxing part of the
communicated particularly that part whom
have described-to furn ish magnificent Park and
Avenue around the city, have nothing to say fur
Their than to express my belief that it will be voted
down by as large majority land an honest one,
tOo,) as Mayor Swami received last fall There have
| been three propositions before the Council
l. proposition from parties, whose responsibility
is known and undoubted, to pay the city ten thou
sand dollars annually; to charge three cents per
passenger, and to give the most ample security for
| the faithful performance of their contract.
2. One from parties, of less responsibility, yet,
perhaps, sufficient for the purpose, to pay the city
small annual license, amounting in the aggregate
to one or two thousand dollars; charge four cents
per passenger, and give the same security offered
| by the parties in the first proposition.
g. The proposition of Mayor Swami, raising the
fare to five cents cent of which is to be devoted
| to the purchase of a Park, &C., &c.
| If Mayor Swami is really DESTROYS of having an
expression of public opinion the subject, through
the ballot-box, let him recommend to the Council
to put those three propositions fatfooted, before
the people, and he will find that however correct
he may be on general subjects, he has permit
ted his hobby of Park, to lead him astray on
this.
| Among those who compose the association offer
ing to pay Sl0,O annually, and run the cars al
cents, there is not, so far as the writer is &C
quainte with them, particle of "engineering tai
emit" They are practical, common sense bust
ness men, with sufficient means to purchase any
kind of talent necessary to carry out their con
tract, and not likely to enter into any business ope
ration by which they would lose money, the opin
ions of Mayor Swami and the Council to the con
trary Notwithstanding. "
PRESIDENT JEFFERSON'S GUN BOATS.
The New York Journal of Commerce, by permits
sion of Commodore Kearny, has been furnished will
| copies of a correspondence between Commodore
Stewart and kearny in relation to President Jetfer
| sons gunboats.
| By the Act of Congress- Feb. 2s, 1903, fifteer
gunboats ordered to be built by Act of Marcel
2, 1905, twenty-five boats were ordered; by Act o
April q, 1907, fifty boats were ordered; and b,
Act of December lS 1907, one hundred and eighty
eight boats were ordered, making in all two hun
dred and seventv-eight boats.
Commodore kearny, then a midshipman, wa
| employed on board gunboats in New York HarbOr
"engaged in the performance of kind of polio
duty under the non-intercourse and embargo acts
in bringing to- and searching vessels of his owl
countrymen, while shutting the door of commerce
in the face of England"
He says: | we'll remember the rebukes this sor
of service brought upon the gunboat navy, an
those engaged in it, and the epthets used in deri
siOn were in no wise choice that assailed, personal
ly, us in those days. | always thought that | ha
more than my share of that kind of duty impose
upon me, and that had not fair chance for di:
tinction in the earlier years of my naval life.
My object in writing at this time, is to elicit fror
YOU statement of your knowledge of the purpos
of Mr. jefferson in building those boats as di.
closed to you at that time, by the President himself
and in order to be certain that did not msunder
stand you, will endeavor to recall subject @
conversation we had some eight or nine ears ag
at the National Hotel, in this city.
On the occasion to which | aude, was com
planning Of what considered the unjust treatmen
that | had encountered, in being kept so long o
duty in those gunboats, at once irksome to me, an
distastctul to the people, and officers and men o
board said boats; and was condemning the Who'll
gunbOat system from stem to stern as insufficient
: and almost useless as coast guard, or oifensv
operations against an enemy, and was lamentin
what conceived to have been total waste of th
best years of my life in the Navy.
Now, my dear Commodore, it was on that occf
sion you told me the gunboats were not intended a
a coast guard, nor for the usual purposes of navi
warfare, but really intended for descent on tn
island of Cuba with view to its occupation O
annexation to the United States and at the sam
time you recalled to my mind fact, that Their
were then some hundred and sixty eighty CUR
from Maine to Georgia, apparently as a coast
guard, and that they were so stationed really wit
view to deceive foreign powers as to the purpos
for which they were intended; that thev wer
gradually brought to our Southern coast, unit
there several fotillas in those waters prepara
tory to the intended attack upon Cuba, so that bu
for the Transporting of some event, possibly the ar
proach of hostilities with England, growing out
the orders in council and impressment of our ow
seamen upon the high seas, and the 'Chesapeak
affair." the scheme of Mr. Jefferson for the acqus
ton of Cuba would have been carried out, an
Cuba have been ours.
In concluding this long communication to on
whose heart ever warm to the honor and interest
OF country he has so long, so ably and so success
fully served, no apology is necessary. but sui
nit it, asking permission to make public such fact
as you may think of any Importance Ito history j
your reply.
) am, very respectfully,
3 your obedient servant,
, (Signed) l.. KEARSY.
BoRDENrowN, N. j., March Sd. 1859.
= CAPT. LAWRENCE KEARNY, L. S. N.-Dear SIR
have just received your telegraph of YESTERDAY
preceded by one from Mr.. Crabbe and Capt Eng
: on the same subject l have not received you
letter of Friday last but presume it is on its wa,
You probably allude to a letter you wrote me date
Feb. 22d ult., making inquiry in relation to Pres
i dent Jefferson and his gungoats. To this letter
q could not Immediately reply from disability of
right arm from boil | am now able to use
u again, and answer you, my old and sterling frien,
D as to our ''little navy" thus: What YOU saw yo
@ heard me relate that subject is correct and II
history of the thing is this: In our attack on Tr
n oil in 1904, under Commodore Prebe, we had ii
d use of six gunboats loaned to our service bv til
King of the two Sicilies, their construction hoy
> ever, being designed only for the defence of Nap
d Bay, and the Islands therein; they were clums
s inactive vessels, bad to SAIL bad to row. and bad
, our small vessels to tow in a high wind, and roug
, sea, but when once got under their batteries f
action they proved most efficient and powerful au
It iiaries, against permanent works of oppostio,
and being small themselves object to fire at
I At the point blank range of "a FOUNDER, the
s were hard to hit; at little shorter or longer di
r lance, all firing at them became random firing
, Now for the attack of ships under a breeze in bo
! tomless places, or where ship could get ancho
:. age and springs on her cables, they were almo
4 useless; but where ship became fixed object
= Gains or grounding, they were then most etiiciel
! for cutting them to pieces, and compelling su
G render.
Commodore Prebe wrote strongly to the Go,
eminent of the United States to send him a doze
e of them, of such construction as would enab
s them to navigate the Atlantic and the Medite
ranean Sea in safety, and capable of bein
moved with facility, with wind or oars tn
S was done and the first twelve were col
e structed and sent out. One only was lost out
q that number, and they would have proved a