The memorial was unanimously adopted, and ordered to be engrossed and forwarded to the Senate and to the House of Representatives of the United States. It was further

Resolved, That the Secretary be authorized to print the memorial of the Chamber in reference to coining powers to the United States Assay Office at New-York, and transmit a copy to every member of the Senate and House of Representatives at Washington.

Mr. A. A. Low, chairman of the Special Committee appointed on the 7th inst. to prepare an appeal to Congress in behalf of the establishment of mail facilities, by steamers, between San Francisco and China, reported that the committee had agreed upon the following memorial on this subject:

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled:

The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York respectfully represents, that, in a memorial adopted on the 4th day of October, 1860, and presented at the following session of Congress, it was attempted to be shown that an extension of the postal facilities of the United States was necessary alike for the development of the commerce of the country, and for the maintenance of the country's high position among the maritime nations of the world.

The following facts were stated in proof of this position:

1. That, through subsidies granted by the British government, a line of mail steamers had been established between England and the United States in the year 1840, and, through the same means, had been continued to this day.

2. That this line of steamers had succeeded in wresting from our packet ships the most valuable portion of the carrying trade across the Atlantic, of which, before, they had entire control.

3. That similar results had been obtained, to the great benefit of British commerce, through the extension of lines of mail steamers to Brazil and other countries.

4. That the British mail steamer secures, on every route it traverses, in addition to the most valuable freight, most of the passenger trafficcarrying to England, or via England, the men of wealth, the merchant and the traveller, as well as the "swift orders" for merchandise.

5. That the United States, at the present day, are mainly dependent upon British steamers for the transmission of letters to Brazil, the southern coast of South America, the Mediterranean Sea, the east and west coasts of Africa, the ports of India, the Mauritius, Singapore, Java, Siam, the Philippine Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and all the ports of China and Japan.

6. That in its various lines of mail steamers, the British government has a ready resource for transports in case of sudden war; and, at the same time, has at its command effective vessels, easily armed for purposes of attack and defence.

That all the advantages possessed by Great Britain, to the ready access afforded by her naval packets to the ports of China and Japan-to that vast field of commerce of which it is customary to speak as being east of the Cape of Good Hope-might be secured to our own country by the establishment of a line of mail steamers from San Francisco to

China and Japan; and that such a line, by facilitating intercourse with those extensive empires and other less populous regions referred to, would enable the American merchants to compete, on equal terms, with his commercial rivals in England and on the Continent.

In view of the foregoing facts, the Chamber of Commerce solicited of Congress a general extension of the American ocean mail service, but more especially such encouragement by subsidy, or otherwise, as may be necessary for the establishment on the Pacific of the line of steamers above referred to.

The completion of the line of telegraph from New-York to San Francisco, by means of which communication between the two places is had in a day, imparts new interest to the subject, and prompts your petitioners to renew their appeal.

The uncertainties and perils to commerce, resulting from civil war, and the possibility of other complications, while they strengthen the desire of the American merchant to be relieved of a condition of dependency on a foreign power for the transmission of his correspondence, present the most cogent reasons for urging upon Congress the measures referred to, as a means of protection as well as a source of convenience to our com

merce.

An increasing traffic in merchandise, in treasure and in passengers, to and from California-to be greatly enlarged when a line of semimonthly steamers is established-would do much to sustain such an enterprise, but it cannot be inaugurated and maintained without the coöperating aid of government.

The Peninsular and Oriental line, connecting England and all the European States with China and other nations of the East, requires imperial support, and this would be a powerful competitor to the American enterprise whenever it is undertaken.

Therefore, the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York ask of the Congress of the United States to give to this subject such early attention as is due to a great national interest, which is necessary to a proper development of the national commerce and to the gratification of a just national pride.

The memorial having been read, on motion of Mr. P. M. WETMORE, it was unanimously

Resolved, That the report of the Select Committee be accepted, the memorial adopted, and authenticated copies transmitted without delay to the Senators in Congress from this State, and to Hon. F. A. CONKLING, Representative in Congress from this city, with a request that the same be presented as early as practicable, and the prayer thereof urged upon the attention of their respective bodies.

Resolved, That copies of the memorial be transmitted to the Senators and Representatives in Congress from California and Oregon, to the Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and Hon. J. McDOUGAL.

On motion of Mr. W. T. COLEMAN, a member of the committee, it was Resolved, That the Secretary of the Chamber be empowered to print the memorial to Congress relating to steam communication between San Francisco and China, and transmit a copy to each member of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States.

Mr. DENNING DUER submitted a draft of a memorial to Congress, urging the construction of a rail-road from New-York to Washington, as a military, postal and commercial necessity.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, New-York, December 5th, 1861. To the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled : The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New-York would call the attention of your honorable body, as the representatives of the people of the entire country, to the imperfect, inconvenient and unsatisfactory state of the leading postal route between New-York and Washington. This line of postal conveyance, commercial traffic and travel comprises, within a distance of 240 miles, the capital of the nation and the three largest cities of the Union, and forms the central and most important link of postal and commercial communication between the northeast and southwest. The entire population of five or six millions in all the Eastern States, and a large portion of the States of New-York and New-Jersey, including this city, with a still larger population in all the States south of the Potomac and the Ohio, are under the necessity of using this line of conveyance in all of their intercourse with the opposite region, and this communication includes the varied operations of commerce, postal affairs and travel. From the inexorable circumstances of geographical position, the direction of the shore line, the position of the bays and rivers, and the locality of the cities and towns on the route, the State and municipal authorities having the jurisdiction of this line of communication, hold the postal, commercial and travelling facilities of the people as completely under their control as they would in the possession of a mountain pass. We would beg leave, most respectfully, to represent to your honorable body that this jurisdiction has been used for purposes of local profit, to the long continued and serious detriment, inconvenience and expense of more than twenty millions of people, who are residents of at least twentyfive of the States of our common country.

We believe they are deprived, in an unjust and illiberal manner, of one of the most sacred rights of a free people-the right of a free and unrestricted highway for the transaction of every description of communication and public traffic. There can be, in the opinion of your memorialists, but one reason advanced for the principal broken links in this line of conveyance, that reason being unquestionably the local profit derived by the large towns on the route from the delay forced upon travellers by a compulsory stoppage in those places. We would call the attention of your honorable body to the fact, that these delays and inconveniences, occasioned by the stoppage of the railways, do not exist at other cities and towns on any other leading route in the entire country; and yet this particular route between New-York and Washington is by far the most important postal, national and public line of conveyance in the United States.

It is an instructive fact, that inconveniences like these, from such a cause, are unknown throughout the most despotic countries of Europe. We assert, without fear of contradiction, that wherever a railway system exists there is not another locality in the civilized world where there is not a continuous line of railway either through or by places of larger size and more importance than those on this line of conveyance. We would humbly represent, that we consider such a state of things as derogatory

to our character and position as an enlightened people, and antagonistic to the progressive spirit of the age.

While the different States possess a certain power in the chartering of rail-roads, it is fully competent to Congress to take any measures that may be deemed advisable to establish post or military roads for the use of the nation at large. The commercial population of New-York, both as citizens of a common country and as residents of a city that has at least one-half of the foreign commerce of the nation, have a right to protest against any local restrictions to commercial intercourse and correspondence from one extremity of the country to the other. These restrictions do exist, and have existed over the most important line of conveyance in the country for nearly a quarter of a century.

In addition to the importance of the road between New-York and Washington as a postal and commercial route, the present war has shown its indispensable necessity as a military highway. This topic need not be enlarged upon. The fact that the capital of the nation was at one time in imminent danger of capture, and for the sole reason that these imperfections in the rail-road communication of which we complain exist, and the incontestible fact, that at the present day the successful prosecution of a war becomes almost solely a question of transportation, will convince your honorable body that the importance of this line of conveyance, in a national point of view, can scarcely be over-rated.

In conclusion, we would respectfully represent to your honorable body, that the time for the conveyance of the mails between New-York and Washington is now, on an average, not less than twelve hours, while with a first-class rail-road the time consumed need not exceed six hours. This acceleration of the mails, we would beg to represent, would be of vast advantage to the commercial interests of this city, and to the entire country. Believing, as we do, that every public interest of the people and the nation at large demands a public highway of the first class between these important points, and that every year will increase its value and importance, we would respectfully petition your honorable body to take immediate measures for the construction of a double-track railway, for postal, military and other purposes, from New-York to Washington. We do not wish to enter into details as to the mode and manner of accomplishing this object, but leave it entirely for the consideration of your honorable body. And your petitioners will ever pray.

The memorial having been read, was urged for adoption by Messrs. DUER and TILESTON, and was finally referred to the Executive Committee, to report upon at the next meeting of the Chamber.

Mr. C. II. MARSHALL offered the following preamble and resolution, which were unanimously adopted:

"Whereas, Our commerce with Europe is very much exposed to the depredations of rebel pirates, there being no armed national vessels on that coast at this time,

"Resolved, That the President of this Chamber be requested to appoint a committee to draft a respectful memorial to the Executive, requesting the speedy despatch of two or more armed vessels to that coast for the protection of our marine interests, and to present said memorial with as little delay as practicable at Washington for a favorable consideration."

The President named as this committee Messrs. C. H. MARSHALL, T. TILESTON and R. LATHERS.

Mr. G. W. BLUNT submitted the following letter from J. INGERSOLL BOWDITCH, of Boston, Mass., which was read and referred to the trustees of "The Nautical School in the Harbor of New-York :"

Boston, Nov. 27, 1861.

My Dear Sir,-A communication to the Mercantile Marine Society at Liverpool, made by Captain JAMES ANDERSON, of the CUNARD steamship EUROPA, I think, was presented to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in this city a short time since. It was referred to a committee to report upon. The object of the communication was to show the importance of elevating the character of the seamen of Great Britain, and of encouraging a corps of observers in the different departments of science, and to reward such meritorious observers with a "certificate of merit," or some other mark of respect for their services.

In Liverpool they have a school-ship called the CONWAY. In this country, we have, I believe, nothing of the kind. Still, I thought a plan might be adopted which might bring out those men who would be glad to employ their leisure time on their long voyages.

Captain ANDERSON recommends that a pamphlet be issued by the different societies who may be found willing, giving a detailed plan of such observations each may think it advisable and practicable to have made by the travellers, to have the same published, and with it the names of the most distinguished individuals who might be found desirous of aiding the plan.

The American Academy will probably report on astronomy, geology, zoology, botany, mineralogy, meteorology, &c.; and if blanks on the different subjects are prepared, and men can be found desirous of promoting the objects aimed at, it seems to me that great good must ensue, to seamen as well as to societies. To the sailor the benefit would be great. Many men who have good reputations on shore become, I fear, when at sea, addicted to drink, from the fact that they have nothing to occupy themselves about. This plan would fill up their vacant time, make them feel that they were adding something to the general stock of knowledge, and encourage them to pursue the course of observation marked out to them for its own sake.

I want to know if you do not think, if the Academy should publish a report and circulate it among seamen, that some men would be found anxious and desirous of forwarding the plan of the society?

I suppose you have, as I have, occupation enough just now in thinking about our common country; but I fancied that you would never forget the sailor, and have therefore addressed you.

If, when you have a leisure moment, you would drop me a line, with your views on the subject, making any suggestions you may deem proper, I should be much obliged.

The Chamber of Commerce, if it could be brought to bear on the matter, would, I conceive, be an important auxiliary.

P. S. I hope you keep up a good heart and cheerful tone. I have not felt unhappy since the flag on Sumter was trailed in the dust. On the contrary, believing in the justice of our cause, and having