The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-09-23
H PACIFIC
Commercial AOOsrtiser.
SATURDAY y. SEPT. %.
From Foraey's Ch.aulels Washington, Jay 10
The Trans-PacIfc Gable Bill.

The Trans-PacIfc Gable Bill.
The interruption given to the passage OF the
Pacific cable bill Senator Dawes motion recall
ing il from the House about ten days ago, after
having PASSED the Senate without . dissenting
vote, is one OF those tricks Of legislation that
are inezcusable, and especially when the grounds
for such action are solely in the interest of a
foreign rival cable company. If the association
of gentlemen asking for this legislation was IN
irresponsible one, if it was composed of men
who meant merely speculation, and were with
out capital, the reason for the obstacles that have
been thrown in its way might DO justified. But
when we find they are some of the largest capital
lists in the country, combined with experience
and enterprise such as is seldom brought together,
we are atonisbed that the Senate allowed the
interference of Mr.. Dawes without a reason
stronger than the one Of serving Cyrus Field.
the paid agent of British capitalists.
Prominent in this Pacific Cable Company is
Celso Caesar Moreno, a gentlemen OF large and
extensive experience in Asiatic affairs, and who
has done more to call the attention of the Ameri-
can people TO the trade of that vast region than
any other man that ever studied the subject.
This was the judgment of Messrs. Sumner,
Seward, and BuTlingame, as well as all of the
leading papers of the country that were attracted
by his wonderful resources in a pamphlet he
wrote in 1869 on American interests in Asia, in
which he did more TO quicken and expand our
ideas Of that great commercial point than any
AAtI bA1ust OFEA OhNhC1 dBpA " AOHNN IN
has spent the greater part of his life travelling
through the countries of the Asiatie continent
and islands, and having & full knowledge OF their
language, customs and resources he Is the best
available authority we can rely upon for the
introduction of American interests among them.
He is full Of the most valuable information, and
manifests the most indolitable anxiety for open
ing up the inexhaustible wealth of that wonder
full country. He has travelled from the Black
Sea to the Yellow Sea. from Ceylon to the coun-
tries beyond the Himalaya Mountains, from
Hong-Kong and Shanghai to the regions In the
interior of China; he has traversed kingdoms and
provinces, visited capitals and seats OF govern
ments, seaports and centers of trade, and has
come to this country with q knowledge of the
Aslatic continent and its populations that de-
serves. and should command, the highest respect
of every American citizen and especially Sena-
tors and members of Congress. This is the class
of man that has been knocking at the door of
Congress for the last seven years with q PROPOSE
ton to utilize the vast trade of Asia in the in
terest of American industry. He simply asks
for the right I" TO encourage and promote tele-
graphic communication between America and
the Asiatic continent. )" Associated with him are
such millionaires as Alvinza Hayward, the cele-
brated miner and capitalist; General John F.
Miller, the president of the Alaska Seal Company;
Leland Stanford, Ex-Governor of California and
the president of the Central Pacific railroad;
Mark Hopkins, treasurer of the Central Pacific
railroad James G. Flood, one of the bonanza
kings William Irwin, the present Governor of
California; o. Ii. Lagrange, superintendent of
the T.. S. Mint; VIM Alvord, vice president
Bank of California John p. jackson, partner of
Senator Jones Andrew Bryant. present Mayor of
San Francisco; and John FELTON,, leading lawyer,
all of California and such men as Henry Fail
ing, banker, and Julius Friedman, leading CAPITA
list, of Portland, Oregon; with VIM. Barnet
Phillips, and Henry ORielly, protector, c~onstruc-
tor and organizer Of the Atlantic, Lake and Mis-
EaIn Tal.urQrh Ranna in tho uaop 12fE
These arc some of the men who stand ready to
promote this project with the knowledge and
enterprise of Captain Moreno for the promotion
of AmeAcan ommerce, and as preliminary
thereto, they propose, with the permission of the
Government, to lay an ocean cable from the west
ern coast of this continent to Asia, so as to re-
lieve merchants and business men in the Pacific
States from the exaction OF the present British
Cable Company, which. over their line, necessi-
tates them to travel %, 900 miles in order to
communicate by cable with Australia, Japan, or
China, whereas with the cable proposed by this
Pacific Company the distance would be reduced
to 1000 miles, thus saving three-fourths of the
distance, cost and time now expended.
The amount of money spent every year by our
Government and people for cables over the
English line to Asia is larger than the interest at
seven per cent, of the capital required to build
the sub-Paci6c line. This, independent of any
other consideration, should have induced Congress
long ago to have given the right to lay an Ameri-
can Pacific cable. But when we consider the
vast fields of wealth that will be open to us,
that 1t will put US in friendly competition for the
foreign trade Of Japanese and Chinese seaports,
which now amounts to the enormous sum Of two
thousand millions, not including the internal
commerce Of these two vast empires, we are at q
loss to understand the American craftsmanship
that stands in the way of an enterprise capable
of guaranteeing such results. The proposition
of the Pacific Cable Company involves no expert
ment, but a work of easy achievement, and what
is strongly in its favor, the company represents
enough combined wealth, if necessary, to build
the entire line.
In view of all these facts, and MANY more,
familiar to every Senator and member of Con-
gress who has given the slightest attention to the
we ask, In all reason, why American
enterprise receives so little encouragement? 1t
is certainly not because of any objection or pre-
judice of the people. but, We fear, because there
is entirely too much Legislative duplicity at
work in the council of the nation-because We
suffer ourselves to become the victims of foreign
ca capitalists instead of their rivals. How long is
this to last? How long are such men as Cyrus
Field TO dictate terms to Congress? Three years
ago he found an easy instrument in Senator Cas-
;erly, of California, to carry out his designs;
this Congress New England supplies his remedy
Senator Dawes but we cannot believe that
the motion he has interposed will amount to
more than a temporary delay, and that
such Senators as Howe of Wisconsin, Mitchell
Ind Kelley of Oregon, Jones of Nevada, Booth
IF California, and other representative men of
Ill sections, led off by the intrepid Sargent, will
suffer their interest to be trihed with any longer,
out that they will demand, in the name of the
whole people, that American enterprise and
capital shall have some show, as far
Is American legislation can help them, in COM
for the hidden treasure of the Orient,
Spring Love Making.
Oh the soft, sweet language of love. as in the
tilly night We hear its gentle murmur.
HDost think snrinp hath come- Henri -;