The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 20, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2946, 29 July 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JULY 20, 1872.

Lord Bukghley, the very able Minister of Queen Elizabeth, when England was threatened with invasion by the Spaniards, caused a printed newspaper to be issued, under the title of “ The English Mercuric, published by authoritie for the contradiction of false reports.” This was the earliest English newspaper. Unfortunately for the world, the means that ho adopted for disseminating truth have too often been made use of for spreading falsehood. Sixty years afterwards Mahchant Needham, an unscrupulous and hold man, became connected with the Press and—according to Axtiiohy a Wood —“ siding with the rout and'seum of the people, he made them weekly sport by railing at all that was noble in his intelligence [newspaper], called ‘ Mercuries Britarmicus,’ wherein his endeavors w r ere to sacrifice the fame of some lord, or any person of quality, and of the King himself, to the beast with many heads.” Unfortunately the spirit of Needham still rules in many editorial rooms, and notably it has established itself in that of our morning contemporary, as well ns in the offices of many other equally pretentious journals in New Zealand. What honest Anthony spoke of Needham is equally applicable to the career of the Daily Times. Mention but the name of the Colonial Treasurer or the San Francisco Mail Service, and apparently any canard, no matter how glaringly false, finds insertion in its columns, and forms a text fot adverse comment. Amongst the cunningly-devised tables intended to “ sacrifice the fame ” of that service and the vessels engaged in it, our contemporary on the sth of this month published a so-called report, “ slightly condensed from the Conyressional Globe,' 1 of a debate stated to have taken place in Congress at Washington in May of this year. The report is introduced thus : —•

Early in the present session of Congress a Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives, providing for a subsidy to a steam mail line between San Francisco ami New Zealand and Australia. By the provisions of the measure the Postmaster-General was authorised to contract with Messrs William H. Well and Benjamin Holladav for thirteen round voyages per annum for ten years, at a cost nob to exceed 500,000 dollars per annum. This Bill, despite the exertions of a powerful Lobby, was defeated in the House early in the session. It was then determined to make a final struggle to secure the desired result by means of an amendment to the Post Office Appropriation Act. That Bill came up in the United .States Senate on May 7th, when the following debate (a summary of which we have already published by telegraph) occurred.

The Daily Times, no doubt, has its friends, admirers, and supporters in Otago. Not long since we heard this article quoted as authoritative by an up-country settler, and therefore we are prepared to believe its worshippers will be simply astounded and horrified when we inform them that there is not one word of truth in the report beyond the bare fact that a subsidy had been moved for in Congress and refused. We have before us the Daily Globe, of which the Gonrjr<sdon<d Globe is merely a reprint, published at the close of the session. Both are official records of proceedings in Congress, On Wednesday, March Ist, 1871 not May 7th, 1872, as asserteelby our

contemporary - appeared a report I of tho debate in the Senate on the “ Post Office Appropriation Bill.” The subject under discussion was not a subsidy of 500,000 dollars per annum for a San Francisco Service, but a motion to give effect to the following recommendation by the United States Tosl l n;istor-Ueneral :—•

I respectfully renew the recommendation made in my last report for an increase of mail service from mmithly to semi-monthly t ips on the mail .'.team-ship route from San Francisco to Japan and China. It was on that occasion, at the latter end of April, 1871, that the speeches attributed to Senators Cole, Chandler, and others wore made. A very few extracts from them, placed side by side, will suffice to establish their identity ; and, as chief prominence is given to tho speech ot Senator Chandler, of Michigan, chairman of the committee on Commerce, wc will confine ourselves to it. But before proceeding to this cvider.co we will give an extract in Mr Chandler’s words, sliowim-- to what vessels he alluded. O

This Sloo grant grew into what was known as the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and it was fi.-r ycais enormously prolitable. It took in line afior line, and every competing Hue, ami issued stock at a pretty high figure; and thou it ahf orbed the Nicaragua line, and secured the control of transportation on both sides—on the Atalautic and Pacific, and so it went on ... .

Ten years ago every passenger ship that crossed the Atlantic was a side-wheel steamer, To-day there is but one side-wheel steamer that crosses the Atlantic. They have given place to screws, that arc more profitable to run. Now, sir, this company has 1 think twenty boats. Mr Chandler was still more explicit as to the line lie alluded to when lie said: I am not talking about the subsidised line running to Japan. lam talking of the ships that you want to get into this service . . I have got the list of them here . . the America, the Great Republic, the Japan, the China, and the Colorado, which is in reserve. Other extracts might be given proving that the speech quoted was made on the motion stated, but, as this must be sufficiently clear, it only remains to place a few extracts side by side to show the deception that has been attempted. It must be borne in mind that the Daily Times acknowledges the report to be “ slightly condensed.”

Daily Glohe. March Daihj Times, July 5, 1, 1871. ‘ 1872.

1 took the blazing When this subject statements we heard was first broached a that the Treasury year or two ago the was becoming enrich- lobbies were ablaze ed. I was carried with statesments of away By tlie eivtliu- “avast tvado to be siasm of my bon, secured,” and of friend from Min- “other advantages” neseta, who told us to be gained too wonthat we must build derful to be named, up tiiis vast trade. I The Senators {from bdievod that the the Pacific States Treasury was being were quite entbusiasbcaeiitt. d. I thought, tic. I thought, howhi.wevir. that before ever, before we took we took this new this step I would step, I would look look into this matter into the matter, and and see exactly what see exactly to what the truth was, and I extent it was true, found it a good deal and I found it a good as the sailor found deal as the sailor his wife. He was found his wife. He brought up for Ivatwas brought up for ing his wife, and the boating bis wife, and judge said, “ Why, the judge said, Jack, you mimed “Why, Jack, you your wife for worse ; married your wife for you agreed to love better, for worse ; and protect her, and you agioed to love support her. Now and protect her, and you should deal with ■support her. Now her kindly.” “Oh, you should deal with yes,” said he, “your her kindly.” “Oh, Honor, I took her for yes,” said he “your better or for averse ; Honor, I took her but I found her a for better or for damned sight than I worse i but I found took her for.” her a damned sight ( Much laughter. ) worse than I took her Just so I found this for.” ( Laughter. ) mail contract. Just so I found this mail contract.

An iron steamship An iron steamship the moment she is the moment she is finished takes an AI finished takes an A 1 register for twenty- register for twentyone years. She does one years. During not even have to bs those twenty • one examined for twenty- years the only reone years. cj nisi fee expense is Air Nvjj : Let me taking her out of call the Senator’s at- water once or twice a tention to the fact year, scraping her that eight of them bottom, and painthave not lived their ing her; whereas a time, for they have wooden steamer durgone to the bottom. ing the first ten years MrCiIANDLER: Bo- will cost the whole tween three and four of her original price hundred wooden ships in repairs. Then a went to the bottom propeller with the last year, and eight latest compound eniron ones. Lon ships, glues will make 12 I say, take out Al knots per hour upon registers for twenty- a consumption of fuel one years. They do onc-third of that not even have to be which it takes to examined in twenty- drive these old one years. During wooden ships ten these twenty-one knots per hour. If years the only ex- a line run with these pense of repairs of steamers would pay an iron ship is tak- with a subsidy of ing her out of the fiUffiOOOdols., then a water once or twice line of modern iron a year, scraping her propellers, with eomhottom, and paint- pound engines, would ing her ; whereas a pay with a subsidy wooden ship, during of 100,0()0fiols. ; bethe first ton years, if sides which, the sershc lives to be ten vice would be cornyears old, costs the mensuratc with the whole amount of her requirements of the original cost in re- times. Mr President, pairs. Then an iron it is useless for us ship has a freight oa- to run these old pacity of about thir- wooden hulks anyteen per cent, more where. They cannot in the same tonnage be run at a profit.

than a wooden ship. These ships on the 'That is the estimate. Australian line WiV’. Mr President, it is laid, up for two years useless for us to because they could not run these old wooden run, on any known hulks any where, line of commerce. They cannot be run They could not run at a profit. Three profitably anywhere, or Jour of the ships and they cannot run that ire. nmr propose anywhere now, for to take and put on the they arc going to Australian line hare abandon the lino boIwrn laid up, as 1 am cause it is uuprotltinformed, J'or the last able, unless we pass two years, because this vote, and that they could not run too although they anywhere, and they have already snbsicannot run anywhere dies more than suffi now ; and they are clout to run a line of going to abandon the iron steamers. In lino becouso it is un- the interests of cornprofitable ; and now irmrcc, I protest they want to find an against taking a sinoutlet for these old gle one of these old ships. Mr President, hulks under the pay in the interest of of this Government If commerce, I protest we were compelled to against takingasingle take them, then I one of these old hulks should propose we under the pay of this should take them for Government. If wc just what they are must take those old worth, and you would ships in the interest find them exactly in of commerce, then I the position of the propose to take them Dutchman’s dog, &c. for what they are worth ; and you will find them exactly in the position of the Dutchman’s dog,&c. It would appear that the same stretch of genius that applied the debate of March 1, 1871, to May 7, 1872, contrived tho interpolation of some sentences which do not appeal- in the authorised report. It is a pity that such ingenuity was not exerted in the cause of truth instead of concocting falsehood. It remains to be added that, at the date of this debate, tho Webb contract was not completed. The debate took place on the Ist March, 1871, and tho contract was not signed until the 7th of that month.