The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-06-11


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P4eine LiAe, DstSsea sAs OLA aaa lew |
wsvsdss' and Avssssaiix Arssaa the
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The governments OF The civilized world havs
been greatly exercised for number Of years |
In regard to the feasibility Of me union Of both
hsmispheres By telegraph line. Much trea-
sure hes been expended BY ne governments
OF the United States and Great Britain n
efforts TO effect telegraphio COMMUNICATION
between the two countries; and although the |
experiments have thus fer failed In measure.
they do not appear to be abandoned, nor V
1t likely they will ever be.
We have now before M propositions for the
construction Of now line of telsgraphic commu-
nication between the Old and tho New Worlds,
submitted In communication from the Score
tary of State TO the Chairman Of the Senate
Committee on Commerce. and emanating from
Mr.. Perry Med. Collins, an American citizen |
residing in California and for number Of |
years commercial agent Of this government for |
the Amoor river. The character of Mr.. Col |
Inns, a. An enlightened, assiduous and faithful |
representative OF the United States Is endorsed |
by Mr.. Seward.
The project now submitted for the conside-
ration Of Congress ID the construction Of a line
Of telegraph from some point on the Pacific
telegraph line, or the northern extension
thereof, in one OF tho Northwestern States or
| Territories, across the border of the United
States and through British Columbia and Rus
sian America to Cape Prince Of Wales; thence
across Behring's strait to East Cape; and thence
| by an inland route around the Sea Of Okhotsk
| to the mouth Of the Amoor river. The tele-
| graph line thus proposed Is intended, prlma-
| rily, to connect at tho last named place with
| line to be extended from thence TO Ekoutsk,
the capital of Eastern Siberia. At that i'm
portant town a line Of telegraph begins, which
stretches through Tomsk and Omsk, in Western
! Siberia Katherinburg on the Asiatlc European
| frontier, Pirm Kasan, Mimi Novogorod and Mos
COW, to st. Petersburg, the capital OF the Rus
| sian empire.
The line projected by Mr.. Collins, from tho
| Pacific telegraph to Amoor river, with its an
ticipated extension by the Russian government
to Irkoutsk would be the one link now wanted
to supply direct and unbroken telegraph COM
municaton from Cape Race, in Newfoundland.
on the eastern coast Of America, across the
Eastern and Western continents and the Pacific
Ocean to Cape Clear in Ireland, the western
| most projection Of Europe. When submarine
cable shall be successfully laid between Cape
Clear and Cape Race, it will, together with the
link last described, complete telegraphic cir
cult around the earth between the parallels OF
forty-two degrees and sixty five degrees Of north
| latitude. rn~f
After az examination Of the route, Mr.. Seward
submits that its more extent does not constitute
an ins,rmountable nor even serious difR-
Guilty. The physical obstacle, the surface for.
nation Of the regions to be travers1d Is next
examined, and it's found not insur,E ountable
The only political difficulty IN .ns way is the
6aat that It reouires, qon.AstAd s5Alseers tkaas
Great Britain FAD Russia The two last named
: Powers have already, with enlightened ani
! maternal liberality toward the United States
I made all concessions which were demanded
8 Therefore, ifCongress shall grant the applica
g ton Of Mr. Collins for the appropriation of fv,
millions Of dollars in aid Of the enterprise, n,
! political difficulty viii remain; and Mr. Seward
' comes to the conclusion, from survey Of fact
thus far made, that ,sinet9 are no insuperabl,
Obstacles eisnsr physical, political. or social
IN the ws , q the preee;;sa line Of telegram
! Mr. sewaes5 remarks that, although this /.
I called Mr.. Collins enterprise, in another sense
. it is entitled 10 be regarded as an enterprise O.
the government of the Units,s States, iuasmuct
as while engaged In maturing ana, developing
1t he has been acting under the instructions
aid with the appreciation of the Department OF
State, and knowledge of that fact has not
been withheld from Congress.
What Dir, Collins asks Of Congress is, the
grant OF right Of way across the public
lands, with the right to take therefrom mate
rlals necessary for constructing The line the
use Of q national vessel suitably Offered and
equipped, to make surveys and soundings along
the north Pacific coast beyond the limits of the
United States aud to aid in prosecuting the
work and, finally, stipulated compensation
for the government use OF the line when IL
shall be constructed. Mr.. Seward thinks this
demand Is neither unreasonable nor unjust.
On Thursday last Mr. Chandler, from the
Committee on Commerce, presented bal in
the Senate to promote the object above re-
ferred to, and granting to Mr.. Collins and
associates the right Of way over any unocou.
pied lands in the United States, with. one
quarter section Of land for every fifteen miles
Of telegraph.
Here we have another splendid project, alike
commendable for It's grandeur and its prospect
i've ciyilxipg influences, emanatng from an
American citizen, and already endorsed by two
Of the most powerful governments in Europe.
VIII the United States falter in supporting the
great enterprise We trust not, and earnestly
invite the early aud profound attention Of Con.