_To the House of Representatives_:
I return herewith to the House of Representatives, in which it
originated, the bill entitled "An act making appropriations for
the transportation of the United States mail, by ocean steamers and
otherwise, during the fiscal years ending the 30th of June, 1855, and
the 30th of June, 1856," with a brief statement of the reasons which
prevent its receiving my approval. The bill provides, among other
things, that--
The following sums be, and the same are hereby, appropriated, to be
paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for
the year ending the 30th of June, 1856:
For transportation of the mails from New York to Liverpool and back,
$858,000; and that the proviso contained in the first section of the
act entitled "An act to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for
the service of the fiscal year ending the 30th of June, 1852," approved
the 21st of July, 1852, be, and the same is hereby, repealed:
_Provided_, That Edward K. Collins and his associates shall proceed
with all due diligence to build another steamship, in accordance with
the terms of their contract, and have the same ready for the mail
service in two years from and after the passage of this act; and if the
said steamship is not ready within the time above mentioned, by reason
of any neglect or want of diligence on their part, then the said Edward
K. Collins and his associates shall carry the United States mails
between New York and Liverpool from the expiration of the said two
years, every fortnight, free of any charge to the Government, until the
new steamship shall have commenced the said mail service.
The original contract was predicated upon the proposition of E.K.
Collins of March 6, 1846, made with abundant means of knowledge as to
the advantages and disadvantages of the terms which he then submitted
for the acceptance of the Government. The proposition was in the
following terms:
WASHINGTON, _March 6, 1846_.
E.K. Collins and his associates propose to carry the United States mail
between New York and Liverpool twice each month during eight months of
the year and once a month during the other four months for the sum of
$385,000 per annum, payable quarterly. For this purpose they will agree
to build five steamships of not less than 2,000 tons measurement and of
1,000 horsepower each, which vessels shall be built for great speed and
sufficiently strong for war purposes.
Four of said vessels to be ready for service in eighteen months from
the signing of the contract. The fifth vessel to be built as early as
possibly practicable, and when not employed in the mail service to be
subject to the orders of the Government for carrying dispatches, for
which service a fair compensation is to be paid. Contract to be for
the term of ten years. It is also proposed to secure to the United
States the privilege of purchasing said steamships whenever they
may be required for public purposes, at a fair valuation, to be
ascertained by appraisers appointed by the United States and by the
owners.