New-York tribune., 1880-09-26
THE BRAZILIAN MAIL SERVICE.


CHANGES SAID TO BE CONTEMPLATED
COMPETITION FROM Observation-Disclosures CON
CEgNING THE ATTEMPT TO SUPPLANr THE AMEh-
,cAN LINE OF BRAZILIAN STEAMSHIPS
Commercial circles have lately been interested III
n rumor of important changes about tobe made III
the mail steamer service between this country ana
Brazil. by which American traffic would suher
t,rouoh concessions to be made to "A line of Cana
dion steamers to run between Montreal ana no dc
.Janeiro. stopping at the same ports now Vistcd py
fine American line and at some additohai Ones IL
was stated that the Canadian Goverhmeht ha'
signed contract to pay subsidy Oh 1lo'"oo "
sucb line of steamers and that the BrazIian Gov
ernment had withdrawn the subsidy 10 the Alner'-
can line now running to South American ana "es'
Indian norris A TRIBUNE reporter investigated the
ruuor last week and found that there was
bosis of truth for it, but that there was apparently
M immediate cause for nj arm as far as American
interests were concerned: ~, O. c..a
The members OF the firm OF John ROach ~ nouS
xvcrn ont of town bat it learned from cthcr
sources that Stephen Roach had positively staleu
that the firm had received no Intnatloh Iroin vi.
Rrozilan Government of any Intention on lts parI
70 mike a change in the mail steamship service
This was as far as his positive knowledge eA-
tended. . ~ vi, ood ,vau In
formnd az TO current events IN his country, was
all. TO giye more definite information tnrougn
papers and private letters from no ue Janeiro "
August % Because of q MISUNDERSTANDING WIN
fine owners of the American line ne saiu some I!ns
ish capltalists felt encouraged TO estaDllsn Hra
line and to attempt TO get control Ot the trade pc
tyecn RraziI and the United States The coffee
annually exported To the United STATES II Valueu
at about $0OO.000 Before the American ilne was
Established the carrying trade was largely II not
entirely confined to British vessels. Lainport ~
Holt of Liverpool, were the prncipai operators.
Their vessels took cargoes OF Brltish merchandiise
10 Rio de Janciro. and carried away coffee, whlch
was distributed at Galveston, Ne Orleans Daltl-
more and New-YOrk. From the American buyers
they received bills Of exchange, payaole III Lohuon'
and with them fresh cargocs for Brazil were pur-
chased. .., ..dy enid
Tur TptRIrNE reporters informant, by when Eng
land was able 10 control the trade between oralii
and the United States. Many articles which brazil
now gets directly from the United states at less
cost were formerly bought from the English VINO
exnorted large supplies of American goods, sucn
as manufactured cottons from New-Englana ana
dairy products from the West ana resoIu tneih III
Rra I'll with English labels Brazil has greatly
hcnrtted bv the direct trade with America Nheh
Roach q Sons established their Line OF steamers
this large British trade was injured. Inc briusii
press was filled with misrepTesentatons OF brasii,
designed to dissuade Americans from dealing win m
that country directly Inc l1rltsh WISH 70 ;
former state Of affairs, under the pretenee Oh eoihg
In Canada They say the new line VIII toucn at
Boston but not at New-lork. -
The history of the trouble with the American
line is as follows: In November, 1877, John Roach
a Sons OF New-YOrk, made contract WIN tne
Brazilian Government, according 10 Which thGn he
and Rio de .JaneirO. The contract as cohdlIloncu
unon the approval of the Brazilian Congress- Nhen
the question came up i9r disposal Gi
from the Province of Maranham secured tile auui-
tion OF clause TO the contract requiring INC
steamers to touch ut the port of San LUIS Vle CAPT
tol of the province. The Appropriation was passed.
ond tha owners of the line were informed of the
new requirement. Mr.. Roach declined TO accede 10
it on the ground that the water at tle port ws oo
shallow for the tonnage OF his vessels Govern
ment engineers were ordered 10 make a survey. VI
these some reported tavOrably to Mr. Roach, ana
some said that the steamers could lie OH three OF
funr miles from the port. Recently Colonel
Miner Roberts. an American engineer, now III Tue
Brazilian service. gave an opinion sustaining Nj.
Roach and his opinion had such weight WIN the
Administration that il is willing TO find some way
of settling the matter and preserving the original
contract On August 20 n resolution was intro
cnced into the Brazilian House of Representatives
to cancel the new clause ana ADOPT the oIis!nai
contract At latest advices the resolution had
passed the first reading ana was ungsr discussion,
the Government fayOring 1t. The Liberal party Is
very friendly to America, but the ConserVatlVes'
being of mOnarchcal tendencies, tavor Europe. AS
the Emperor is himself Liberal, however ,r rhe
Conservatives do not make much headwaY. Ihe
Liberal party will improve every opportunity 10
advance commercial relations with the l nlted
states Mr. Macdonald, the Canadian Minister
has I believe promised subsidy, but tnlnk III Is
nothing more than promise The propostiou 10
establish new mail line had been made by Engnsh
cantalists, according TO my last adVices' anu tLe
RraziIan Congress had it under consideration, but
no decided steps had been taken by that body. L
do not believe that the project VIII succeed IL IL
nroves likely to iniure the American line. The
Brazilian Consul General at Montreal, William
BARLEY Bentley who was formerly Vlce.Consul at
San Francisco is an Englishman, and has inter
ested himself in this Canadian movement. he acts
as agent for the English company
Senor Salvador de Mendonca. C0nsul-General OF
! RraziI was visited by The TRIBUNE reporter. He
confirmed the intelligence with regard to the pro-
| ceedings in the Brazilian Congress-.
Canr,5e p Need treasurer of the Delaware
River Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company, Of
which John Roach & Sons are the owners, was
| found at his Ctfice in East Nlntn-st.
said further than that there is no change vet
nor have we been informed officially that any is
| contemplated by the Brazilian Government. The
| movement for a rival line comes from the English ;
thew have thrown every obstacle in our way, but
| an appropriation was granted IN spite OF their
| efforts The Government does not always pay on
tine sonnet mes it gets two or three months IN
| arrears II it should not pay fOI very long tiine
nor show any disposition to ~ we might ourselves
| Withdraw the steamers. We shal have "a mall
| from Rio de Janeiro five or six DAYS, when we
may learn something more definite IN the inatter.