New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-17
Nesp9lprls DAILY 1ibm,ls
A TRANS-PACIFIC TELEGRAPH.
PROPOSITION FOR A SURVEY OF LAND
AND SEA ROUTES.

AM SEA fsDO LEO.
The following petition from Mr.. Perry McDonough
Collins. was presented 10 the Senate by Mr.. Latham,
and referred 10 the Committee on Military Arars
To e Honorable The Senate aud Hore u RpresaGi.se' IN
COagJtU dfseDO$d.
Your netitioner Perry MD. Collins, citizen Of
the Uniied States and resldrnt OF TIE State OF Cal
ifornia. womb most especially Represent onto your
honorable bottles, TIA for ssyeral years he mas
been constantly engaged in carrying out various
p ans for the Gev elopnient OF ana inTtbersh1e OF
American commerce in the interior OF Aof'h Eastern
Asia Ly way OF the Amo0r River
Tnat he actually undertook, IN 800 ana %, ana
comuleted a voya never before accomplished by an
American, viz: from ST. Peters urg, the capital oil
Russia III Europe, to kantschaIka. the eastern OUT
posts OF Russia in Asia eniely across both the CON
ineuis OF Europe and Asia III ORDER TO ASCERTAIN II
any and what mode OF COMMUNICATION coulo oe ~
from the shores Of the Pacific Ocean, arproaohaoie
BY our merchant ships and Steamers With the interior
of North Eastern Atl aud the Rus ian pOssessions In
Asia, including Siberia. ~,
Following np this idea, if communication could be
had what would be the Inducements TO American
commerce in TIE opening Of said communication ny
tie consent of the Russian Government
The result of his voyage III Asiitlc Russia and ne
Tartsr DomiLions OF Chna, together with the
specal expedition up the AMOR River ana country,
from the sources OF said river TO the Paohc ocean,
will bo fDand communicated 10 the House Of Repre-.
esnta ives by tie Hon. Lewis Cas-, Secretary OF
Safe on the 9th day 81 April, 1875, In accordance
with resolution o.. tie Bou,e calling for niorna-
ton relative to the exploration MP the AMOR River
(H0use ~ q PreseHtat,rss, E@tcnt,re D'c. No. ",
18th Congress, Isl SessOH). 10 which refe enee Is
most respectfully made, aud that said document DC
considered 10 pat Of tiis memorial.
For further information, my subsequent reports
aud other evidences " the BILL 'elslnS and growing
trade nud commerce between the Unlted states aud
Asia,ic Ru sis Via the Amoor River, may be found
o. - t ralt Of a
NAV be found evidences OF the euire practlcabll'y
Of steam navigation the AmO0r-in tact, Of sub
sistug steam navigation By vessels Constructed III
the Uuited States.
Daring my voyage through TIE interior Of Russia
both ia Europe aud Asa. became iupre.sed wish
The feasibility a1d pracicabilty of the construction
Of telegraph Overland to the shores Of the Paelhc
Ocean.
This led ms 10 look across 10 tie opposite chores Of
my own country, and 10 inquire II by any Iossoll.
~ a com eclion could not be made by an overland
kas.s lice of Telegraph between Europe in the West
aud Aweric. in tue ta.t
Led pq from acie i observation to the practice
~ OF tie plan 60 far as had passed over the conn
try myself, and from Information obtained from
knrsian officers who had wished much oi The r.
mi log portion Of the proposed route, came to the
concluslon that 20 unite Europe and America by
telegraph, the Russian overland route was likely 10
prove emineutly practicable.
Acting upon convictions maiurely settled, nave
proceeded to tase such preliminary steps as was
able and which seemed likely TO bring the question
befoe tie public, as we'll as to the attention OF Gov
ernmens in the vast benefits to be derived
from tie development Incidental TO Geographic COM
muuicatioo rs we'll he the more Immediate develop
nen OF vast country through which this Overland,
wired, enercing agent should be Constructed.
ia view # lie development OF American commerce
in North eastern Asia and the idea OF overland tele
gran ic communication between Europe AID Amer
lea I yi.ied Russia twice since my irst voyage 10
he Amoor and have presented to fae Imperial DOR
,rsmeht ne plan # the Rus,9.AmtricaH Oreriaqd
T,isgJ0pt from MJscOw u 81. Inns.
Tho Russian Government hss responded In part 10
the ln proposed anu authorized your petitioner TO
survey and explore sneh portions OF tue proposed
rout. - he bet ween the mouth OF the AMOR liveF
In Asia and the confines OF Russian Territory in
America.
The North Pacific Ocean presents q vast field for
our commercial expansion ana though to some parts
of II our flag il 10 stranger, yet muc Of Il Is
c,mparslively httle known aud but partially sur
yeyed or sounded.
Iii. ocean resort yearly lsrse number Of our
ships in search OF whales while the opening oil
japan and the Amoor 10 our commerce has added
quite "A number of merchant vcrsels.
Tie AlentiAn IL inds, which, IA u were, afford
stelriog stones from America 10 kantehaika, are
hat iAe prolou CATION OF sister cham OF lslan r me
Ku,iles. that reach from Japan to Kamichatka.
Thee wo chains OF islands, as " were shut out the
more Northern waters Of toe Pacific from The great
ocean sell. aioriiug innuncrable bays, gulfs seas
and harbOrs, where our adventurous s.anen may
pursae tie great monsters Of the deep, and cap "a
Them for the use OF civilized man, and the demands
o; commerce.
The Island Of Sak-ba-lin, Tsrakay, which lies
10 the north OF the Japanese group, shuts IN from the
Pacific the northern portion OF the japanese Sea,
and the coast Of Mautchooa Including the mouth ~
the Amoor River. This lie the oDly outlet TO he
ocean Of that system OF rivers which drain the very
hest portion of northeastern Asia, and opeus high
WAY into the interior Of Tartarv and Asiaic Russia.
Uakodaii ii, which lies on the line Of navi giion for
our y,ss.ls penetrating the CbaisA Sea, on waiting
the Amoor is only nom two TO three days sall for
steamers from De Castries, or the mouth OF the
AMOR.
Hakodsdi Il likely 10 become the Honolulu Of the
North Pacific for our wla ling fleet. Tbs, with the
impetns 10 North Pacific commerce by the opening Of
japan and the AMOR, more and more decreases Inc
interest we have as great maritime nation IN tie
development and investigation OF North Pacihe
WATERS Hakodad l. also iayorably situated IN view
o. steam communication between Sau francisco aud
China where steamers, touching on Their return
voyage will communicate with those III The Amoor
trade
inns with our subslstng and growing commerce
in tie Moth Pacific japan, the An cor and China,
AMI with Russian AEierics, It results that we cannot
be too well advised BY actual survey OF tlat position
Of the great ocean. -,
Yonr petitioner would therefore respectfully ask,
in view of all the circumstances of the case,
whether Congress would not authorize survey ana
EXPLORATION to be made OF the coasts, seas, isanos
and habors IA, well as rccOnnoiss auce on land, Of
the North Pa,ifc under the graft accorded TO your
petitioner ly tie Ru-sian Government, 20 far ~ may
be necessary in view Of and for the purpose Of ascer
tanning the practeablity OF constructing telegraph
to unite Europe with America overland via the
Amoor River.
The ohiec, Of the survey will DO TO ascertain a
practicable roadway as il were, for the route of the
proposed telegraph, starting from Russian America
and prog essing toward the Amoor.
There should DO h,nd AS well n sea survey, the
expedion TO be fitted ou' at San Francisco, and pro-
o..L ,hannn tnncL inr AL Skn The cnnll of Rnr.iIn