New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-16
TIE STEAMSHIP SUBSIDY BILL PASSES
THE SENATE.

Y The principle upon which this E'l ha
) passed the Senate, after having been sub
: jected to thorough investigation, gives u
: renewed hopes that it will pass the Hous
of Representatives without amendment
: The compromise principle which seems t.
7 which has stricken out the names Of tn
proposed corporators and opened the con
tract of building ships and performing
postal service ''tO such citizens as ma.
offer to perform the service on terms mos
advantageous and least expensive to the
government With this feature We are
passably satisfied, but we may imagine
what q shudder must have run through
the lobby when the very vitals OF the bill,
T to them, were thus cruelty extirpated, and
the names of the corporators cast
out altogether. These disinterested
mariners will, no doubt, denounce
such snap act as this. The
American public will, however, profit by
opening lucrative contract to the capt.
tai and enterprise of the whole country,
instead of bestowing largess upon pre-
ferred corporators. Before passing from
the subject We might say that if our own
Legislature would adopt the same valu-
able idea, and strike out the preferred
names in some of the magnificent gift en-
terprises now pending, it might be intin-
itelX better for the public interest. We
should like to see this grim and practical
joke played on some bills We might men
ton. 1t is probable that another disap-
pointment may have befallen the worthy
corporators As the bill read the corp or
ators, with the assent Of the Postmaster
| General, were ''authorized to make such
changes, adding to or leaving out such
American or Mexican ports rs the interest
of the postoffice and the general inter-
course of the two countries may re-
quire." In the hands OF some corporators
this might have proved very dangerous
provision to the interests of New Orleans
and Galveston; for when this bill should
have been carried by the vote and infu-
ence Of New Orleans and the river cities
of the West, it might have passed into the
hands of ship owners of New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore or some other Atlantic
city, and the Interests of the postofice
and the general intercourse of the two
countries might have justified the post
master in leaving out such American
ports as New Otleans and Galveston, and
substituting ''such American" ports as
We have suggested. The careful guardians
of our interests in the Senate have pre-
vented such catastrophe by striking out
the words american or" SO that the
changes may alone be made in the Meyi-
can ports, leaving those of Havana, New
Orleans and Galveston imn,utable during
the contract.
grant the proposed aid should attract the
attention Of the ship builders Of the West.
The vessels are to be First class sea-
going iron steamships" They must have
been wholly constructed within the
United States upon certain specifca-
tons, and subject to inspection and re-
ception by naval constructor Of tie
United States navy. What, then, forbids
Western ship builders from becoming con-
tractors for this service? The yards
which turned out the Robert E. Lee, the
Thompson Dean, the James Howard, the
steam-tow Wood, can build hulls and
engines on any lines or after any models.
The mines of the Iron Mountain, and the
coal mines of Pennsylvania and Alabama,
can supply these materials Of construction +,
and navigation. There is abundant |
water in the Ohio and Mississippi to de-
liver vessel Of not less than fifteen hun
dred tons. Two things seem certain in |,
our future maritime history. l. That
all war and carrying vessels will be built |
of iron and navigated with steam. 2. That |
the material and labor ofsuch shipping can !,
be combined cheaper upon the Western
rivers than upon the Eastern coast. With
these advantages why may not St Louis,
Louisville and Cincinnati import the |
skilled labor, if it were necessary, from !
the East, or from Europe, and combine
it with their own provisions and raw
material at home? The commercial and |
war marine of the United States will |
come out Of our own river if that marine !
continues to exist at all. We shall look |
with much interest to the competition |
that must spring up upon the bidding |
advertised, and hope to see some of our
own citizens and those of the Western |
cities prominent in claiming an oppor-
tunity to construct and operate this fleet |
Of ocean-going iron steamers from our
port to those of Mexico, Yucatan and
Cuba. Should the bill reach the lower
house in time to be passed this session,
we must remind the press Of the West |
to insist upon the vessels destined to
navigate the Gulf of Mexico being built
in Mississippi Valley shipyards.
"A TRICK WITH LESSON IN IT.