Regulating The Ocean Telegraphs

A bilí has been passod by the House of Ispresontatives and referred to the Coinaittee on Foreign ltelations in the Sente, regulating tlegraphic eominunnicaion betwoen the United States and forign countries. It provides that tho ünted Status government and oitizens símil lave equal rights to tlio use ot' any coneehng wire or cabio with any foreign overnment or oitizon, both as to the consol of suuh cables or wires and as to the ates of transinission oí messages ; that nieasages shall be sent in the followiug rder: (1) Despatches of State, (2) des)atches on tolegraphic service, (3) private espatches, and (4) general commercial lid presa messages, to be sent in the orer of thoir reception ; that it shall not e lawful for two or more compauies to ousolidate without the permission of tho cereta ry of State, and if they havo so onsolidttted or shall so consolídate, it uill be thu iluty of the Secretavy of State, i thu absence of an international ugreeueut, to fix the rates and regulations, ibjeet to the control of Conejeas ; that I or the future the Secretary of State shall e authorized, on application in writn:;, o graut permission to any citizen or citzens of the United States, or to the citien or citizens of any foreign country rauting citizens of tho United States qual privileges, to connect by telegraph vires the t'rritory of the United States vith any foreign country the governit:nt of which shall have granted the apslicants permission to land and work such elegraphio wires on its shores ; n.ud fiully that auy person disclosing or interupting inessagüs or injuring a cable hould be punished. If this important ñll should become a law, it may rcasonily bo sif])posed that tho disgraceful obbying of such moasures through Coniress - and it is well nigh if not wholly mpossiblo to get such a measure passed without the aid of the "third House - will ntirely cease. The Secretary of State will grant tho required pormission iii all ases in which the applicants satist'y the equirements of law. Under sueh a law ïere might bo some hope in the not very istant future of obtaining cheap foreign ielugruins. -