Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
H. R. 28.
(Report No. 596.)
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
May 4, 1848.
Read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
Mr. T. Butler King, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported the following joint resolutions:
JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Proposing the establishment of lines of government war steamers from the port of Monterey or San Francisco, in California, to Shanghai and Canton, in China, and from the same port to the Sandwich islands.

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10 Resolved by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled, That, for the purpose of affording suitable en-
couragement and protection to our extensive and rapidly
increasing commerce on the Pacific ocean and with China,
it is expedient to provide the means of frequent and
speedy communication with the present rendezvous of our
whaling vessels in the Sandwich islands and with the prin-
cipal ports, open to foreign trade, in China. In the ab-
sence of such information as would enable our merchants

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3 to offer to contract on reasonable terms for this service,
and that our flag may be the more respected in those
distant portions of the globe, it is expedient that it shall be
performed, for some years to come, by a large class of
government war steamers; therefore, to accomplish these
objects as speedily and effectually as possible, the Secre-
tary of the Navy is hereby directed to employ one war
steamer, of a large class, in the transportation of the mail
and passengers from Monterey or San Francisco, in Cal-
ifornia, to the Sandwich islands and back once a month.
That he shall, as soon as practicable, establish a line of
war steamers, to consist of three or four—now built or
being constructed—from one of the above ports on the
American coast, by way of the Aleutian or Fox islands,
to Shangai and thence to Canton, in China. The mail
to be taken from the port of departure on the American
coast, immediately on its arrival from Panama, and deliv-
ered, as regular as practicable, once a month at the above
named ports in China, and to be conveyed from those
ports to the port of departure in California once a month,
so as to be placed on board the steamer bound to Panama
with the mail from Oregon.
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy shall cause
to be prepared such accommodations on board said ships
as they will admit of for passengers, who shall be convey

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12 ed for such price and subject to such rules and regulations
as he shall prescribe. That the pursers of said ships shall
take charge of the mails, deliver all letters and papers on
board ship in foreign ports, and receive the postage there-
on, which shall be equal, in proportion to the distance, to
the postage charged on mailable matter in the British mail
from China. He shall also receive the fare from passen-
gers, and account for all money so received to the account-
ing officers of the treasury.
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby
authorized to establish such depots of coal as may be
found necessary to supply the steamers to be employed
in the service hereby ordered.
Resolved, That, two years after the passage of these
joint resolutions, the Secretary of the Navy shall advertise,
three months, in two of the principal newspapers of Bos-
ton, New York, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and
New Orleans, for contracts for the transportation of the
mail in five steamers on the route to China, and two on the
route to the Sandwich islands, of not less than one thousand
tons burthen each. Said steamers to be so constructed as
to carry a suitable armament of long heavy guns; to have
an average speed of at least fifteen miles an hour at sea;
to be convertible at the least possible expense into war
steamers, and subject at all times to be taken by the gov

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33 ernment at a reasonable valuation; to be commanded by
officers of the line of the navy not below the grade of
lieutenant, and to receive four midshipmen each, as watch
officers, and to carry a mail agent on board—all of whom
shall be suitably accommodated without charge to the gov-
ernment. The said steamers shall make twenty-four pas-
sages—twelve each way—in a year, between San Fran-
cisco or Monterey and Shanghai and Canton, and an equal
number to the Sandwich islands. After having advertised
three months for proposals, the Secretary of the Navy
shall open them in presence of the parties making
them, and shall contract on behalf of the government of
the United States for the service herein described and
ordered. No proposals shall be accepted from any party
or parties who cannot show, to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary of the Navy, that he or they, and his or their asso-
ciates, can perform, in good faith, all the contract or con-
tracts shall require. The most favorable proposal or pro-
posals, made by parties thus able to perform, shall be
accepted, and the contract or contracts shall continue for
ten years.

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H R. 28

[ docketing ]
Joint Resolution

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[Line?] Mail Steamers to China &c

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	Resolved by the Senate and House of Represen- tatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of affording suitable en- couragement and protection to our extensive and rapidly increasing commerce on the Pacific ocean and with China, it is expedient to provide the means of frequent and speedy communication with the present rendezvous of our whaling vessels in the Sandwich islands and with the prin- cipal ports, open to foreign trade, in China. In the ab- sence of such information as would enable our merchants
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11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 1 2 3	to offer to contract on reasonable terms for this service, and that our flag may be the more respected in those distant portions of the globe, it is expedient that it shall be performed, for some years to come, by a large class of government war steamers; therefore, to accomplish these objects as speedily and effectually as possible, the Secre- tary of the Navy is hereby directed to employ one war steamer, of a large class, in the transportation of the mail and passengers from Monterey or San Francisco, in Cal- ifornia, to the Sandwich islands and back once a month. That he shall, as soon as practicable, establish a line of war steamers, to consist of three or four—now built or being constructed—from one of the above ports on the American coast, by way of the Aleutian or Fox islands, to Shangai and thence to Canton, in China. The mail to be taken from the port of departure on the American coast, immediately on its arrival from Panama, and deliv- ered, as regular as practicable, once a month at the above named ports in China, and to be conveyed from those ports to the port of departure in California once a month, so as to be placed on board the steamer bound to Panama with the mail from Oregon. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy shall cause to be prepared such accommodations on board said ships as they will admit of for passengers, who shall be convey
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4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12	ed for such price and subject to such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe. That the pursers of said ships shall take charge of the mails, deliver all letters and papers on board ship in foreign ports, and receive the postage there- on, which shall be equal, in proportion to the distance, to the postage charged on mailable matter in the British mail from China. He shall also receive the fare from passen- gers, and account for all money so received to the account- ing officers of the treasury. Resolved, That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to establish such depots of coal as may be found necessary to supply the steamers to be employed in the service hereby ordered. Resolved, That, two years after the passage of these joint resolutions, the Secretary of the Navy shall advertise, three months, in two of the principal newspapers of Bos- ton, New York, Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, for contracts for the transportation of the mail in five steamers on the route to China, and two on the route to the Sandwich islands, of not less than one thousand tons burthen each. Said steamers to be so constructed as to carry a suitable armament of long heavy guns; to have an average speed of at least fifteen miles an hour at sea; to be convertible at the least possible expense into war steamers, and subject at all times to be taken by the gov
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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33	ernment at a reasonable valuation; to be commanded by officers of the line of the navy not below the grade of lieutenant, and to receive four midshipmen each, as watch officers, and to carry a mail agent on board—all of whom shall be suitably accommodated without charge to the gov- ernment. The said steamers shall make twenty-four pas- sages—twelve each way—in a year, between San Fran- cisco or Monterey and Shanghai and Canton, and an equal number to the Sandwich islands. After having advertised three months for proposals, the Secretary of the Navy shall open them in presence of the parties making them, and shall contract on behalf of the government of the United States for the service herein described and ordered. No proposals shall be accepted from any party or parties who cannot show, to the satisfaction of the Sec- retary of the Navy, that he or they, and his or their asso- ciates, can perform, in good faith, all the contract or con- tracts shall require. The most favorable proposal or pro- posals, made by parties thus able to perform, shall be accepted, and the contract or contracts shall continue for ten years.