The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-02-25
Ead's Shin Railwax

/ SENATE commerce Committee-Propo
sition Made to the Government by the
Great Engineer-He Expecs Opposi.
ton in Congress, but Support from the
Farmers of the Country.
Special to the ST. Louis Republican.
COMMITTEE HEARING.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-Capt
Eads was heard to-day b the sub
committee of the senate commerce
committee through his counsel, A.
G c ochran, regarding his ship-rail
way protest. The sub committee
consists of Senators Vest, Congor,
Ransom, Miller of New York and
Jones of Nevada. Mr.. E. was
present and the COMMITTEES listened
to the statements in favor of the
| pending ship rail way bill for nearly
two hours. The hearing will be
continued to- morrow morning. Mr..
Eads expresses the utmost conf
dence in the passage of the bill, and
says that those who take an interest
in the matter are beginning to ap-
preciate the fact that the United
States must accept the proposition
he has made or run the risk Of sur
rendering the control of the 18TH
mus of Tehuntepec into the hands
of Great Britain and that this fact
became apparent as the effect of the
clause which he induced the Mexi-
can government to insert in his con-
cession relative to the aid of any
foreign government is
DULY CONSIDERED.
1t gives tosthe concession singu-
larly significant political bearing, as
it authorizes Mr.. Eads, or the com
pany which he forms, to obtain the
aid of any other foreign govern
ment. The word government is
used in the singular number. and if
the United States gives the aid he
desires, no other government can
give it. 1t is therefore urged as
not at all improbable that the
government of Great Britain will
give this aid if the United States
declines it. Even supposing that
Mr.. Eads should organize pri-
vate company of American capital
lists to build the road, in case the
government of the United States
should decline his proposition, it is
not improbable that the controlling
interest in the stock of such COM
pany would in little time be pur-
chased by English capitalists. In
such event the company could un-
der the grant of Mexico invoke the
aid OF the British government.
It is further urged that the histo-
ry of that government proves that
such an opportunity of obtaining
A FIGHTING INTEREST
In the ship railway would not be
declined. The moment that Great
Britain gives such aid as that an
English company of capitalists
she might ask, may hold the 18th
mus of Tehuantepec as she holds
Gibraltar, and nothing short of wal
with the United States could dis
possess her, and that hence it would
not only be dangerous but unwise
for the government of the United
States to decline the offer which
Mr.. E4ds makes, even ifit were as
sured that he would raise the money
in New York to build this road.
The Mexican concession fixes no
restriction upon the company with
regard to it's charges provided they
do not exceed five dollars for each
cubic metre of displacement of the
vessel, and this displacement is
measured by length and width Of a
vessel at the surface of the water
and her greatest depth together as
a parallelopiped, which would be
equal to about ten dollars per ton
on the vessels cargo. Hence the
company could, if it chose. charge
idigiduals or companies using the
roadway.
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT RATES.
| This feature of the concession it is
argued by the advocates of the pro-
iect, would make it particularly
dangerous if it passed into the con
troll of company of British capt.
talists or a corporation owning any
COnS1OeTa Die nuInOGT OI DTtlSn
ships,a as these could be passed at low
rates of toll and the profits of the
railway be made on the commerce
of the rest of the world.
Mr.. Eads' proposition is to carry
the war vessels and mails of the
United States gratis for 90 years,
and to charge American vessels
during the same period half the
rates charged on all others except
Mexico, for which consideration he
asks the guaranty of the United
States on 100000 of the capital
stock of the company, at 6 per cent.
per annum for fifteen years after
the completion of the road; the
guaranty under no circumstances
is to extend beyond twenty years,
and not to attach at all until after
ten miles of the railway shall have
been tested by the passage of a
loaded ship over it at the rate of six
miles per hour. Any payments
made by the Government on ac
count of the guarantee are to be re
paid in bonds, payable in fifteen
years, and in the possible event of
any of these not being paid at ma