The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-11


/ Extension to enable the court to dispose of all
!, the claims which have been presented. l
recommend the legislation which may be
dcemeded proper 10 enable the court to com.
/, plete the work before it.
!, CLAIMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
recommend that some suitable provision
be made by the creation Of a special cnurt, or
by comforting the necessary jurisdiction up.
OH some appropriate tribunal for the cOnsid.
Grafton and determination Of the claims of
aliens against the government of the United
States, which have arisen within some reason.
able limitation of time, or witch may here
after arise, excluding all claims caused by
Il treaty provisions or otherwise. Ii has been
found impossible to give proper consdera,
ton to these claims by the executive depart
ment OF the government Such tribunal
would affor. an ample opportunity to aliens
other than British subjects to present their
claims en- account Of acts committed against
their persons or property during the rebel
lion, as also to those subjects OF Great Brit
ain whose claims, having arisen subsequent
to the 9th day of April, 1865, could not be
presented to the late commission organized
pursuant to the provisions OF the treaty OF
; Washington.
THE TELEGRAPH.
The electric telegraph has bee 0me an es-
sentlal and indispensable agent in the trans
mission of business and social messages. Its
operation on land and within the limits OF
particular states is necessarily under the con
troll of the jurisdiction within which ii one
rates. The lines on the high seas, however,
; are not subject TO the particular control TT
!, any one government. In 1869 Il concession
: was granted by the French government to a
company which proposed to lays cable from
the shores of France 10 the United States
AT that time there was ielegraphic cOnnec.
ton between the United States and the CONT
nent of Europe through the possessions OF
Great Britain at either end of the line, under
the control of an association which had, al
large outlay Of capital and at great risk, de
monst-ated the practicability of maintaining
such means OF communication. The cost OF
the correspondence by this agency was no,
too large at the time for the proper remunera
ton of so hazardous and 50 costly an enter
; prise. 1t was, however, a heavy charge upon
a means Of communication which the pro-
gress in the social and commercial intercourse
of the world found to be necessity, and the
obtaining of this French concession showed
hat other capital than that already invested
was ready to enter into competition, with as
, surance Of adequate return for their outlay
!, Impressed with the conviction that the inter
ests not only of the people of the Uuited
States, but OF the world at large, demanded
, or would demand, the multiplication of such
means OF communication between separated
continents, was DESTROYS that the proposed
/, connection should be made, but certain pro-
visions of this concession were deemed by
me to be Objectionable particularly one
which gave for a long term of years the eX
elusive right of telegraphlc communication
by submarine cable between the shores OF
France and the United States. | could moi
concede that any power should claim the
right to land cable on the shores of the
United States, and at the same time deny tC
= the United States or TO Its citizens an equal
right to land cable on its shores. The right
to control the conditions for the laying of a
cable within the jurisdiction and the waters
OF the United States, to connect our shores
3 with those of any foreign state, pertains eX
clusively to the governments of the United
States, under such limitations and conditions
as congress may impose. In the absence Of
: Legislation by congress, | was unwilling or
the one hand TO yield TO foreign state the
: right to say that its grantees might land or
; our shores, while it denied similar right tC
our people 10 land on its shore; and, on the
, other hand, / was reluctant To deny to the
great interests of the world and Of civlliza
ton the facilities of such communication as
was proposed. therefore withheld any re
sstence to the landing of any cable, on con
= dition that the offensive monopoly feature OF
the concession be abandoned, and that the
right OF any cable which may be established
by authority of the government to land upon
French territory and to connect with French
land lines and enjoy all the necessary facili
ties or privileges incident to the use thereof
upon as favorable terms as any other com
pany, be conceded
rs the result thereof, the company in cues
tod renounced the exclusive privilege, and
the representative Of France was Informed
that, understanding this REIMBURSEMENT to bC
I construed as granting the entire reciprocity
and equal facilities which had been demand
ed, the opposition to the landing Of the cable
was withdrawn. The cable under this French
CONCESSION was landed in the mCnth of July
, 1869 and has been an efficient and valuable
: agent of communication between this coun
try and the continent Ii soon passed under
the control however, of those who had the
, management Of the cable connecting Grea
, Britain with this continent and thus, what
! ever benefit to the public might have cnsuet
from competition between the two lines, wa!
lost. They had the greater facilities of al
add tiona line, and the additional security il
the case of accident 10 one OF them, but thes'
I increased facilities and this additional secu
{, rity together with the control OF the comDln
n ed capital Of the two companies, gave als'
/ greater power to prevent the future cOnstruc
e ton of other lines, and to limit The contrO
5 of telegraph communication bctwe the two
f continents to those lines already raid. With
/ in few moDths past a cable has been laid
r known AS the United States Direct Cab
J. Company, connecting the United States di
}, rectly with Great Britain. AS soon as thi
b cable was reported to be in working orde
# the rates of the then existing CONSOLIDATED
company were greatly reduced. Soon, how
A ever, a break was announced in the new ca
g BILE, and Immediately the rates of the othe
Il line, which had been reduced, were agail
V raised. This cable being now repaired, tn
l. rates appear not to be reduced by either lin
e from those formerly charged by the othe
= company.
o There is reason to believe that larg
(. amounts of capital, both At home and abroad
Y are ready to seek profitable investments Il
r the advancement of this useful anu most ci7
, ;l;,ir,r roaanS of intercourse and corr SDOnU