New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-06
GREET EXPECTATIONS.

Last Winter, while the country was anxiously
watching and waiting for Congress to enact
vigorous legislation for the relief of taxpayers
and the reduction of the expenditures OF the
National Government, a crowd Of harpleS
besieged the Capitol with bulky bills to subsi-
die lines of steamers to be run to all parts Of
the globe. From the backwoods OF Michigan,
from the vast interior plains of Texas, from
the arid peaks of Nevada, cloud of schemes
arose and settled in the Hobbies of Washington
all more or less impractcable, except for the
purpose of putting money into the pockets of
those who succeeded in stealing through Con-
gress with them. Possibly some of these
propositions were honest and well-deserving /;
but the great part were shameless attempts to
secure some portion of the public funds for
the endowment of steamship lines which never
had and never would have much more tangible
existence than railway to the moon. There
were endeavors to separate some of the least
Objectionable from the rest but the worst re-
fused to part company with those which had
some small pretense to deCency, and so all
persisted together in one common undistinguish-
able ruin. 1t was well that they did.
Nobody need suppose that these wild raids
upon the Treasury, because once defeated, are
at an end This coming Winter will see them
reinforced and as vigorous and determined as
ever. Eternal importantly is the price of sub
sides. The expectations from Long Session
are great. Already from Australasia we have
warning of an attack from that quarter.
Among the brood of subsidy bills which was
hustled into the general smash was one to
give an annual stipend to an American line of
IT,
already literally subsidized by the New
Zealand Government. That line despite tear
full protestatiOns and representations of
subsidy seekers is running comfortably
with the aid of honest profits and the
cash of the Australasian colony. En-
boldened by the partial success of this,
another precious scheme has been preached by
an Observation-Disclosures Company, which, ac-
cOrding to the colonial press cOntemplates
making the following separate hauls Vic
toria, 10000; New South Wales, f25 900;
Queensland, 10000 British Government,
$4,000; South Australia, $4,000; Tasmania
$4,000; United States and Hawaii, $4,000
And if this $3.50, 0OO or $4,000, is raised from
the different Governments thus marked for
spoil, the Australians think they can sustain
the line OF crazy English steamers which they
have just established to run in competition
with the American line already in operation
between Auckland Port Chalmers, Honolulu,
and San Francisco. We should say they
could
Whatever has become of the other magnifi-
cent and bottOmless schemes for ocean steam
ers which afflicted Congress last Winter, we
wot not. But here is budding expectation
which may as well be early nipped. We have no
money to spend in subsidies for British colo
MES or hare-brained combinations which have
no other purpose than paying the expenses of
ships which, if they ever exist at all, are not
called into being by the needs of commerce.
The rout of the subsidy seekers last Congress
is. we hope, the earnest of what is to overtake
the supporters of all such schemes until the
United States Government has money TO
squander on enterprises having no other ex-
cuse for existence.