Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-30

st. LOUIS Times, May 2SGh: The following
Is a correct copy OF letter that has been sent
to the committee on commerce of the United
States senate, in relation the bill now before
that body:
ST. LOUIS May %, 1873.
To the Committee on Commerce of the United
States Senate, Washington, D. c.:
GENTLEMEN - The undersigned would
| respectfully represent that he is a steamboat
man of nearly fifty years experience IN the
different executive departments of steam
boating, and that he is well acquainted with
the causes that induced congress in 1888 to
pass the liability clause, and knows that,
instead of being weakened, these causes have
become intensified. At that time, 1888, own
ers navigated their own vessels, and they
took part personally in the hazard they ran.
Now there are but few owners that know
anything of steamboatmg but the fnan-
cial portion, and having merged all owner
ship into companies that are controlled on
shore, they are anxious to get clear OF all
responsibility Before the rebellion steam
boatmen owned their boats, and had no OBJ
lection to the responsibility, but when the
speculation growing out of the war made it
profitable men who cared for neither side
went into steamboatlng and became rich by
the misfortunes of the country, and have now
combined to get clear of all responsibility.
They have tired and do try to control the in
spectors and have men put In Office that will
pander to their wishes, and it is only neces-
sary to examine the names of those that
recommend the changes of incumbents with
out preferring charges. In 1866 steamboat
owners of this class called a convention in
ST. Louis of those interested in steanlboating
in the west to try and get unanimous action
in recommending the repeal Of the liability
clause (section 4493 of the revised statutes).
This was opposed by large majority of the
practical steamboatmen unless the conven-
ton would also incorporate some amend
ments that would secure the public against
the wild recklessness of 1886 and 1887 1.-THE
reckless loss of the Sultana, by which over
twenty-five hundred human beings were des-
troyed by the culpable recklessness of this
class of owners was too fresh IN our mlnds).
This the owners refused to do, and nothing
came of it. The next effort was made In Lou
isville, and after protracted debate, In which
the practical portion OF the convention ut
terly refused to sanction any repeal that did
not protect the public, they (the steamboat
mem carried their point, and had several of
the amendments inserted that we had the
honor to present to your honorable body in
1875, and again in 1876, and copy of which
is incIosed with this. AS stated, the Louis
vile convention accepted our amendments
as part of the proceedings, and a committee
was appointed to engross the proceedings In
the form of a bill to be presented to congress
(several of the committee are or have been
in Washington recently endeavoring to lobby
their bill through. This engrossing commit
tee deliberately falslfed the record by strik-
ing out the portion of the proceedings that
would have justified the repeal of the liabili-
ty clause. The steamboatmen protested
against such swindling, but no attention was
paid to them, and the editor of a certain pa
per, who made himself very busy at Louis
vile, and was well posted in the proceedings,
lent himself and paper TO the swindle, and
even after the wrong had been pointed out to
him by Mr.. A. R. Harris no attention was
paid 10 ii, but vituperatlon was heaped on
every senator or congressman that
dared to oppose the swindle. Such,
gentlemen, is a brief history of the
steamboat bill that has passed the
house and Is now before you, and the steam
boatmen respectfully ask that you take into
consideration the amendments got up by the
practical steamboatmen of the west and
which we believe, if passed, would fully JUS
tify the repeal of the liability clause, but
without which the repeal of that clause will
bring back all the wild recklessness that the
passage of that law was designed to correct.
That this is the wish of the practical steam
boatmen of the west, 1t is only necessary to
refer to the petitions that have been forward
ed to your honorable body in 1875, and also
to the votes of thanks passed by the steam
boatmen of st. Lous and New Orleans to
Hon. Roscoe Conkling, your chairman, for