The national Republican., 1869-02-09

mrs. OoltaS receives every wednesday,
fron 10 p. IN.
Mas. PosrNAsrER aEsRRAL RAspALL will
receive her friends on Wednesday OF each
week, from to Up. m, At the residence, cor
nsr Of Twelfth and X streets
Mas. SroRRrARY MoOuLLocH receives on
Wednesday, Of each week at the residence,
No. sos II street. from n to 4, and on Friday
from 10 II p. m. Cards to be issued for the
evening receptions.
Mas. sscRrTApv BRowsIso receives on
Wednesday Of each week at her residence, No.
$50 street, from II m. to4p.m.
Mas. SRoRrrARY ScBoYtELp will receive
her friends each Wednesday from IL N. ip.
m, A her residence, on II street, between
Seventeenth and Eighteenth.
OCEAN NAIL STEAMERS TO EU.
Three propositions are before Congress,
each asking special legislation for certain
corporations. The arst Is a resolution re-
viving and enlarging the act approved July
81, 1868, now expired by Its own limitation,
which authorized the Postmaster General to
contract with the Commercial Navigation
Company" Of New York, to carry all the
mails to Europe for hfteen years for the
ocean and inland postages. The Postmaster
General refused to make this contract, being
advised by the Attorney General that IL
would conflict with our postal treaties, which
require that malls shall not be detained, but
shall be dispatched by the first suitable
steamship which will take them. The rcso-
luton referred to will compel the Postmaster
General to make the contract. The act OF
July 81, 1868, has very peculiar provision
In reference to bonds, which are to be issued
by the company, to such an amount that the
interest shall not exceed s25o,00o in gold.
They are to be secured upon no property, not
even upon the steamships to be built with
their proceeds. They are to be registered at
the Post Office Department, and certified by
tho chief clerk thereof, but with no liability
Of the Department to pay them beyond the
extent Of the mail money to become due to
the company, which will be nothing II II
falls to perform Its contracts. Itis apparent
that the object Is to give currency to thu
bonds by an empty show Of security, ant
that moral obligation Of the Gov ernmen
10 pay them will be claimed, and will form
the basis Of very troublesome applications t
Congress hereafter.
tbs a great objection to this scheme tina
1t converts the future mail earnings Of tn
company into present capital wherewith
construct Its ships, and leaves them withoV
that important resource to maintain th
running Of thcm. For anything which a.
pears, the company has no capital excel
what IL thus obtains by mortgaglng its f
ture earnings.
The second proposition Is contained l
Senate bill No. so7, directing a contract wit
the "National Stsdmship Company" upo
similar principles rs the above proposed col
tract with the New York company. II
bonds proposed are greater in amount, az
tho privilege Is asked, not merely Of impor
ing duty free the raw materials used
building their ships, but even all their "ni
sAsasy." 1t is understood that this secoI
proposition meets with no favor, and Is su
stantially abandoned.
The third proposition is contained In Sc
ate bill No. $50, which directs the Postma
ter General to contract with the ".Nsp Yoi
and Aatpsrp Nal Steamship Company"
corporation organized in New York, in 1876
for the transportation for ten years OF Il
mails from New York to Antwerp, landir
the English mail at Southampton, and sen
ing the French mail to Havre by subsidiai
steemer at its own expense, one departure
be made every two weeks for the 6rst yea
and weekly departure after the first yea
Tho compensation is to be the ocean al
United States inland postage on the lettt
carried in It's steamships, which are to
built and registered in the United Stat
The right Is reserved to the Government
reduce the postage, and the company its
asks that the postage to Belgium and Pr,
sia may be reduced to ten conts, as provid
in the postal treaties.
The btu exempts from duty raw materii
used In the construction Of the steamship
but the company have proposed to withdrl
this feature Of 1t, to take the fate Of a gene
MEASURE on that subject. The company
hiblt proofs Of their Organization, and Il
ten per cent. OF their capital has been pt
in. They also give list of the four Anne
can-built steamships with which they Q
ready to begin the service in ninety da!
and the name OF an eminent steamst
builder and owner in New York, who
ready to guaranty their contracts. 7
company also exhibit contract which tn
have obtained from the Belgian Goyernme
to transport the malls from Belgium to &
United States In American steamships q
under the American flag. They now ask
similar contract here to carry the mails FRI
New York to Antwerp, only asking for 81
mails as are ready on the days when tn
steamships depart, and always leaving
writers the privilege Of directing that tn
letters shall be sent by other lines. W
these malls, and with only the compensate
Of the postages, the company say that Il
can and will malntaiR a line Of AmerC
steamships; but that, If this privilege Is
MED to them, they must run their line wi
foreign steamships, which can be purchns
at nearly half the cost.
Our objection TO this bill In favor of /
New York and Antwerp Company Is our @
position to any special legislation on &
babJtNe wv ~ nv hNG Tue necessity
making any legislative contracts with eaI
ship companies. We want daily malls
Europe, and, II possible, in Amerlcl
steamers. The general law of 1858, auth,
izing the Postmaster General to make &C
tracts for two years for the transport of t
mails for the postages, was correct In prln
pie. 1t certainly should be extended so
to authorize contracts for longer peril
say ten years, as no company can afford
build ships for 30 short service as /
years. But let the authority OF the P'
Once Department be made general, with
monopolies. SO, too, II there Is to be c
cmption from duty Of the raw materials us
In building steamships, let that privilege
q offered to all steamships built In the L nit
.1 atstes, which will give security that Ii
Will take the mails for the postages, as p
.yided In bill recently submitted to the s.
ate by Mr.. Conkling, Of New York.
We ARE AuTHoRrzBD TO announce that