The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-01-26
Nail EIue TO China.

The FL-wia: ,mtrs-- what rf- American
--a.---E Conceal -4ys ia his Report - Con
gr@ -tlur tle CHINA mail steamers
The Paclfc Mail Steamship C-lIany aT New
York. = which was awarded -le clL-r-e- Tor
the China lIIl service. autI-rUHl - u" act 20
February J.. 1865, hes executed = c9utrac- i--
Jtzt -@-ry.c=. = copy # which i annexed The
high reputation Of rlis company. their x ri@ucs
and Uu-.ltt=t rs.Cr-<. and the zeal and en-
=r-y which tIey have manifested ID ILNlu-
preparations fr the --Tice- az - "a -l-ruut=e
20 rh= --cG-- q tll- -r-- rational enterprise
o extend ana dsg-I A--sr.e-u -lmm=rce. BY
obtaining control q tas v-sr and constantly Ia-
c-l-ir- trade pf Jal-l and China. which tre
a-Tan-a-s u our -a5rAPlIeal POSITION should
enable u O ~
TLi= contract = IT. monthly trips between S-u
F-lrca-cJ and Hong k.r-. touching 81 Tie ports
~ Honolulu iu rE= Sandwich Islands. and Auk1-
hama lkaH4.-va) IN japan. both On -ae outward
and inward passage y q line % rrst-cll~S
american sgl-E5iuZ >i1--wE-=. st-aL-lil> If not
- than 500 tons burden, -5Te-ulllt mes
Ural-nt, and u sufficient number. not les than
fJgr, q perform the stipulated service.
The Grs1f E.yut4c. tie nrSI ot tie D=x steam
-hip= building specially for this --vIce. w.
launched ~ New York IN the 9Th e November
instant. J. nnw receiving her machinery. and 8,
expected . b ready about the 1t Of MAY. lS57.
She viii register over 400 tons. government
measurement y LOO tons more than the mini
mum tonnage named IN the law her extreme
length = $50 .eet. extreme b--ldtE % feet. depth
Of hold 50 feet. ari her drauEht when ord.ulri-
II loaded Will b. p feet. The second steamship.
Of similar SIZE and proportions, = u BE launched
early in December Of tlis YER. and viii b pre-
pared for service dsJut the ii u july. l>6-.
and the machinery for two others q like dimen-
si1Is i IN course Of construction. An inspcc-
ton Cf the hUl-s and machinery Of these ships.
"a wei a. 4 general knowledge Of the prelaTa.-
tiOn= making hv the contractors. has satisfied ne
that every possible exeTtiJn i being u>=d TO
fulfill the requirements Of the law ana contract.
The Company have rendered their sr-t-clasS
steamship COhrGC9 - take the mails from Sln
Francisco On tie Ist Of January. 1867. the day
named IN the law. This ship. which has been
withdrawn from the Panama and >In Francisco
line % prepare her for the service on tie China
route, i u the required tonnage, and vii. 1t
l. believed. fully comply in other respects with
tie terms g! the law and contract, although the
report Of her inspection by Il naval constructor.
under Instructions lately given ~ the Secretary
Of the Navy. has not yet been received.
In the building Of steamships for this line the
contractors encountered a practical difficulty.
arising out OF two conflicting conditions first.
the necessity Of constructing ships that could
make the long voyage OF 7.O67 miles between
san Francisco and Hong Kong. by the route
named III the law, with safety and success, a.
regards the main object for which Congress
authorized the establishment Of the line and
secondly. the practicability OF securing that OBJ
~ IAA4flL AAGAAA- AsHF Ilt - i d. ~ pre-
clude. by their heavy draft. the possibility of
entering the harbor OF Honolulu. which has a
depth Of water, under favorable circumstances.
OF barely q feet. These two conditions, thew
allege. were found TO be inconsistent, and they
therefore assumed the responsibility Of - con
s~tructing the ships as 10 attain the more impor-
tant objects Of the subsidy, while necessarily
placing = practical difficulty in the wav of the
lesser, believing this 10 be the only course open
70 them without disregarding the main ends Of
their contract, as well - the wisest for the public
interests q he promoted Ly the establishment Of
the line. They are, Consequently. building ships
Of much crater cost, by increased size, and pro-
pOrtiOnably more expensive 70 keep in service.
than was necessary 10 meet the minimum require
ments Of the Law
Although the law, and the contract executed
in pursuance thereof. name Honolulu a. an in
port. the fact appears TO be well
established By reliable official information, that
laws which govern the navigation Of the
Pacific Ocean, render II Unwise, If not incOmpat-
with the complete success of the enterprise,
b require the steamships u touch 1T the sand
wich Islands ON their Passages between San Fran
cisco, japan and China. This i c0nclusiyely
shown by the report Of ny predecessor to the
senate Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads,
lated June II. lsCG, in which are embodied
explanations furnished by Rear Admiral Charles
II. Davis. Superintendent Of the United States
Observatory, respecting the proper routes - be
pursued by steam vessels navigating the Pacific
Ocean between san Francisco, hanagawa and
Hong Kong. Admiral Davis, referring u the
.dyantages Of the great circle. Or direct route
China and San Francisco. - clearly
by natural laws, uses the following ex-
llicIt language - Ii is impossible. in establish
NJ a route between two continents for the i'm
lrOyement Of intercourse and trade, TO overlook
II neglect such advantages as these 1t = hardly
90 much 70 say that ii would amount u an
% select the models Of our ships with {
pecial reference 70 speed and to prOpel them :
Trough the water with engines of enormOus :
lOweT, and then u pretermit those aids and
.dvantages which nature offers u u a. her own :
means Of cooperation. At any rate, if We are q
repared % do - We must also be prepared u c
cave this field OF enterprise at no distant day % !
hose who will obey the laws governing the nav |
CATION OF the great seas. These considerations L
regard 70 the eastern voyage appear 70 dis I
OF the whole question. They show thar
ouching at the Sandwich Islands on the return I
China would prOlyng the voyage - many I
unnecessarily that an additional line Of
teamers must soon be established. provided the 7
Intercourse between China and America is 10 d
cquire that importance which Is confidently ex- '
-cted." 9
\ careful consideration Of the subject has sat L
sled me Of the correctness Of the views expressed i
y my predecessor in that report. That the &
teamships Of the main line between san Fran 0
isco, japan and China should not be required c
o touch at the Sandwich Islands does not. in my a
admit Of reasonable doubt but the
Onditions upon which such release should be e
i a question exclusively for the determi- /
alton Of Congress. \ wise and liberal policy l
Jwards a national enterprise Of this magnitude
7ould seem 70 justify the release without i'm n
Osing oner0us conditions, in consideration Of a
he increased expenses incurred in building ships =
y the service Of great size and augmented speed, +
well as Of the important public interests in I
Olyed in the success Of the line. :
RETTE2 LATE THAN NEVER '" o