The New York herald., 1869-03-30
1uE STEAMSHIP RING.
Ocean Mail Subsidies.

WASHINGTON, MuTCu 20, looJs
The announcement made in the papers yesterday
morning that the Senate Post Ofice Committee Mad
agreed to report the bill introduced by Senator
Fenton to encourage the building OF steamships in
the United States and to provide for the transport
OF the mails TO Europe by steamships built in the
United States has no doubt aroused public atten-
ton to the importance or having this subject properly
ventilated. To enable the merchants OF New YORK,
who are the parties most interested In having the
ocean mall service performed by fast and safe ships,
TO form Just estimate OF this measure, propose
breny to point out Its true bearing and objects.
The .ie OF the bill sets out with the speciOus pre-
text OF encouraging steamship building In the
United Statesn but II ends with the true objects OF
these lobby companies Who have combined their
forces, In hopes Of carrying what they separately
failed to get last session. The real object is dis
closed IN the words 'and to provide for the trans
port OF the malls In steamships built In the United
States" The three bogus companies" combined
in this bill are the North American, which proposes
to run steamers to Antwerp once week; the Sec
ond Is the "inevitable Commercial Navigation Com
pany, and number three Is the american Steam
ship Company" OF Boston.
Now Company No. has the control OF lot OF old,
worthless wooden steamers, such as the Arago. Full
ton. &C. which have been bought up BY capitalist,
whose name does not appear, for an "Old sOng.n II
ton viii prove q good one. the stock can then be
got the market and the mails will 90 Ia these su
perannuated vessels In fifteen TO eighteen days per
Company No. 2 is the bogus concern which the late
Postmaster General refused to nave anything
tatued We very black agemman'' % IN In the fence. nee
The present bill authorizes and "directs'' the
Postmaster General 70 contract with y, I'm con;
fOrmity" with the act which Postmaster General
Randall considered fraud, to carry the mails once
2 week between New York and LivergOol.n and
Of these enteFprsik6 individuals they are reported
70 have sold Quite number Of tickets to poor Ger
during the present season, without having as much
as an old smoke pipe TO show. 1t Ia probable that
sSrssd % in Of the ' aforsssd S a.
lance and influence. to come to their relief
and fulnl their contracts. In no other way
ported transaction are wholly irresponsible The
Post ONCE Committee should require q full and ex.
the amount received therefor 70 be made under bath
and also call for all contracts made by this company
with lobby and other agents to obtain the consent OF
Postmaster General Randal's signature to their
bonds, &c.
Company No. 8 has been formed to purchase the
meeting held al Boston, when Mr.. Cunard Withdrew
theiast OF that c0mpanys steamers from the Boston
line. The steamers served as safety valve to the
tndignatonists. and to relieve number OF the mer-
chants OF the "Hub Of their surplus funds; but tney
proved great failures in speed and have SINCE like
tu6 OlO tuOS OI COmpdUy NO i, D6eu DOuBnt
up for song by Spectators. who now de-
sire TO make market Tor them.
This ts the manner in which the "buding OF steam
ships In the United States is to be encouraged" un
der this act. Section two provides "that all money
received BY the United States from ocean and inland
p0stages on foreign malls carried between the United
States and Europe be and hereby s set apart for the
period OF fifteen years. and s authorized to be ex-
pended as hereinafter provided"
The next section provides for division Of the
sp0ils, pro rata, &c. 1t also, as ruse, stpulates
that the mortgage thus to be made on the European
nifty In Congress shall reduce the rates OF
postage. What chance there would be to carry out
such benencent project as further reduction OF
ocean rates OF postage In face OF the active oppos
ton OF three steamship companies can readily be
conceived BY those who know how such matters are
managed here.
What Ia the use of such body a. the New York
Chamber Of Commerce. II they do not look into these
matters and inform Congress Of all these mischiev
ous schemes to inveigh 1t into ''auth0rizing and
directngn the Postmaster General to do acts so
ifestly Injurious to the public interests3
There Is unquestiOnably desire existing In Con-
gress to do something to encourage the establish
ment Of first class American steam lines on the At
lantic, but up to this time no prominent capitalists
or merchants have come forward with an Oner to
build and navigate the right sort OF ships. The field
IL possession OF lot Of lobby ists less
spectacle but nevertheless mere lobbyists. Some OF
the least respectable OF the class using the
OF good men as backing them, but learn on applca
ton TO several OF these gentlemen that they knew
nothing OF the schemes or the very free male Of
their names. -o,-.9hT s'r:.~yts ~