Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-06-29
President Florida Telegraph Company.
Memorial Of the Florida Telegraph
Company.

company.
To the Senate and House of Representatives. Of the
United States an Congress assembled.
The memorial of the Florida Telegraph Com
paDy respectfully represents
That your memOrIalists are corporation
created by the laws of the State of Florida, anu
authorized to construct, land, maintain, and
operate telegraphic lines or cables upon and
over the territory and shores of that State.
That they are now prepared to construct, Law,
and operate lines and cables between Florida
and the West India Islands, but find that the
the exclusive privilege, adverse TO the State o.
Florida, to land cables upon its shores, under
an act of Congress approved May 3, 1866; and
that said company threatens TO restrain your
memOrialists from the exercise of the privilege
conferred upon them by the State of Florida.
by invoking the aid of the United States Courts.
Your memorialists therefore pray that they
may be relieved from the pressure OF the mo-
nopoly thus set up against them and they as
sign the following reasons for their petition:
FIRST. The Government OF the United States
initiated the policy OF abolshing all monOpolies
in the Transmission of intelligence by telegraphs
to other countries, and have invited the cO-ope-
ration of all civilized governments in this en-
hghtened practice. The French Emperor in
acknowledgment of the wisdom and Justice OF
the policy, and the request of the United States
government, has abrogated the monopoly grant
ed by him to the French Telegraph Company;
and other nations have readily acquiesced an
this suggestion Of the United States.
The monopoly given TO General Smith and
his associates was granted to the right OF
the United States to "ater repeal'' it at pleas
ure at a time prior to the conception OF the pol
icy which now prevails, and obviously in con-
temptation of the possibility of such a change
a. has occurred, or of such an abuse OF the
privilege granted as might make il desirable TO
exercise the power thus reserved. Ii there
were no reason founded upon the abuse of the
monopoly by its holders, yet the government OF
the United States ought not to uphold priv
ilege in the face of the world thus in viola
ton of its avowed policy, when the grant itself
authorizes the government to divest il OF Is
Odous features whenever il NAV see tit.
Secondly. The holders OF the monopoly thus
granted have grossly abused the privilege CON
terred upon them; and if there were no control
ling public reasons for the exercise by Congres-
OF the reserved power to alter or repeal the
monopoly, yet they have justified, by their con
duct, any messuTssr Hss5h TfHl fPHFacfced upon
pondence between the New York, Newfound-
land and London Telegraph Company and the
Cuba Company, exhibits the fact that the Cuba
Company is charging for all messages of ten
words received from Europe for Cuba two dol
lars and half an gold more than it charges for
similar messages sent from New York, and that
it refuses to discontinue this oppressive dis
elimination, although the most urgent efforts
have been made to induce II to do so. This dis-
elimination, protected as il is by a monopoly
upheld by the United States Government, can
which have promptly responded to our call Tor
freedom and reciprocity in telegraphing.
The usual charge Of four dollars in gold from,
Lake city, in Florida, to Cuba for a message %
ten words, in which the address, date and sig
nature are counted as message, is in plain viola
tion of the provisions of the statute, which
limits the charge to three dollars and half for
message OF ten words; because undoubtc Nv
Congress meant legal currency when il fixed the
money rate, and meant ten words exclusive oi
date, address, and signature when il used tlI,
term "message," as that was the CUSTOMARY
meaning of the word message. The pretence o.
the Cuba Company that their charge is not ex-
cessive through their cable, but only over thei.
land line in Florida does not justify them; sine.
they owned both, and no one can approach thel
cable except through their land line. The
might fix the charge at one cent by the cable,
and three dollars and ninety nine cents by the
land line, without in any degree altering their
profits.
Thirdly. The object should be to afford cheap
communication between us and neighboring
peoples. Commerce is promoted by it, and ma
tional influence strengthened. A monopoly de-
feats this object. relieve us from 1T and your
memOriaiists will undertake to send messages to
Cuba for one-haf of the lowest price now
charged by the Cuba company, and without dis
elimination against Europeans; and in so doing
they would draw closer tO this country the SYM
pathies and interests of those to whom they
would thus offer such increased facilities Of in
tercOurSe.
ted to fair participation in any benefits to be
granted by Congress for the promotion of inter-
national communications by means Of subma-
rine telegraphs, and are ready to guarantee a
faithful compliance with any fair terms imposed
by Congress as condition of such benefits"
ISAAC X. ROBERTS,
iesiueht loiua Telegraph COMPANY,
A Bill authorizing the extension of teIegraphic
communications between the United States.
the Spanish and British possessions, Mexico
and Central America.
whereas the Florida Telegraph Company an
incorporated company chartered by the Stat,
OF Florida, their associates, successors AM
assigns, design to establish lines of submarins
telegraphie communications between the United
States OF America and the above mentioned
foreign possessions: Now, therefore,
Be IL enacted by the Senate and House or Eepys
senfdtires Of the United States of America IN Con
gress assembled, That the said Florida Telegram
Company, incorporated under the laws Of the
State OF Florida, their SUCCESSORS and assigns,
shall have the privilege to lay, construct, land
maintain, and operate telegraphic or magnetic
lines or cables in and over the waters reefs
islands, shores, and lands over which th,
United States have jurisdiction, from the Shore
OF the State of Florida, in the said Unite
states, to the Spanish and British possessions
Mexico, and Central America.
Sec. = And be ii further enacted, That all othe,
acts and parts Of acts inconsistent with this act
hereby repealed.
TIE ANTr-G Cnryv-v T~