New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-01
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL CONVEN-
TION
From Our Special Correspondent.

From Our Special Correspondent
PORTLAND, Me, July 80, 1868.
The International Commercial Convention, which
is to be held in this city on Tuesday OF next week.
promises to be q gathering of unusual importance
We have Just been looking over some of the replies
sent to the Committee of Invitation. ana we ma III
all united sentiment favorable to increasing inc
means of intercourse and trade across the continent
The Western States seem TO be Thoroughly awe 10
its importance and will be well represented EStLS
town from Whitehall to Portland on the route Oh the
proposed Portland and Rutland kallIoad VIII DO io-
presented Our Provincial neighbOrs will be presently
their representative men, tho Quebec Board OF Trace
promising full delegation The cities OF OsWego,
Troy Buffalo, and Chicago VIII DE repreSe;CJu oU ny
some of their abest men IN the colnercltalN anu
mercantile world. The Produce Exchange OF NV H
York city will send full delegation. Inc non.
William III. Seward Secretary OF stare III IIteRiN
TO the invitation of the Committee, writes; Inc
paper is SO attractive that 1t seduced NE
for a moment into the belief that 1t would De pos
sible for me 10 accept the invitation when you nave
so kindly extended to me. Upon further Teflection
however, find that it would be Impossible ior me
TO avail myself of 50 great an indulgence AlnonH
the distinguished gentlemen who have slgnne9 lhel
Intention of being present, are: Caleb Cushing OF
Mass Erastus Brooks and Sam. i. Ruggles OF New,
York Gov Page of Vermont and Gov Hartman anu
Ex-Gov Smyth of New-llampshire, Coy. ChalnDeel
lain of this State will be temporary Chairman OI tho
Convention. and delivera speech of welcome
The Convention will be not dissmilar to the one
held some three wears ago at Detroit ana the meas
ures to be discussed will he of about the same char
octer although the subject of reciprocity DE
tween the United States and tho New Donlnl mon
will not perhaps, occupy so much attention as queS,
tions of general internal communication Dy ran ana
canal r,
The measures that are proposed to be discussed
embrace large field. Briefly, action IL TO be taken
for the purpose of securing line OF railway across
the continent at its widest part from the Atahtc '
the Pacific seas connecting Halifax, Portland, Rut
land Buffalo, Detroit. Chicago and San Francisco
in an unbrOken line and the completion OF dlrec'
line from the st. Lawrence waters to Pugets SOunu
the adjustment on liberal terms of the regulations O
trade on the Continent of North America, and sucl
arrangement of lines of ocean steamers, sainhg ~
fixed hours daily from each side OF the Atlanu'
Ocean, and between China ana San FRANCISCO ~
shall secure lines of communication by THIS rOut'
between Europe and Asia, as regular and as conVeh
lent as those existing between city ana Guy Oh
the same continent the completion or the lines o.
railway now built IN progress or proposed betweeI
the eastern shore of the Atlantic anu the haroor VI
San Francisco. il,
from Halifax to San Francisco, Is perhaps, the mOs
important diverting 1t is believed, transatlantic
travel from navigation to railway traPSt' lh'
distance between these two points IS 3SS miles, ah'
| II is estimated that the number of through passen
gers yearly from Portland TO Halifax, would not ID
less than $4,000 The POrtanders are greatly inter
ested in this matter, and more especially because ne
citizens desire that their city shall become the Quite
of our Western granaries. For some months pas
| they have been endeavOTing to concentrate pnOn
attention upon their unrivaled harhor as the ceal
| est point for the expectation of Western produce
and the advantages OF direct line OF railway acioS
the continent.
At one time il was feared that certain antIgOnsm
would arise between two rival railroad interests
the Portland and Ogdensburgh project and the FAR
land and Rutland project IL appears that for a POI
tion of the distance, from Portland TO the OsSlpe
Valley so miles or more two charters exist TO thes
companies But the friends of both enterprises hay
agreed that that portion of the distance from PoTt
land TO the valley of the OssPee, shall be common
both routes leaving but 81 miles of new line ~ b
provided, to complete the chain from Portland I
Rutland and all the West. The friends of the Oe
densburgh scheme believe that the completion OF
line from Portland TO the navlgable waters OF ~
| ST Lawrence at Ogdensburgh in connection with tn
proposed Niagara Ship Canal, will insure an Quite
| for Western produce of great commercial value
| Large subscriptions have already been secured e
the company by municipal corporations and indlVd
uals in Northern New Hampshire and Vermont
while the CITY of Portland has authorized a subscrp
| tion of $4,000 to its stock, The friends o
| the Rutland project believe that by extending
line due west from Portland TO Whitehall, an!
from thence 10 Rome on the line OF the Newly or
Central Railroad the distance from Chicago to Hall
fax can be reduced to about 600 miles over favora
bic grades easily cOndensing the time between Chi
cagO and Liverpool to twelve days, and reducing III
transit between San Francisco and London 70 seven
teen DAYS. by way of Halifax and Liverpool.
| We have thus cursOTiy touched upon the lmpoI
tant measures that will come up for discussion D.
the Convention, and which the progress OF the az
| seems TO demand 1t has been ntimated that BOs
ton jealousy of Portland will prevent an ATTENDING
from the hub of the universe. The Convention WI
| wind up by a round of festivities, such as publ
ball and a sail down the harbor. with its concom
liant clam-bake, for which bivalyular entertain
ment the Portianders are becoming famous.