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In view of these facts, the American Company, owning or controlling the lines westof tlie Nova Scotia boundary cannot view with indifference the recent unofficial notice given to us to the effect tiiat your company have put an end to the arrangements with the Associated Press. The New York Associated Press is composed of all the leading newspaper publishers in this city — gentlemen of honor and perfectly responsible for all their pecuniary liabilities. We are well informed in regard to their arrangements for distributing the European news to the public, and we have good reason to know tliat all their dealings in connection therewith are in the highest degree prompt and liberal, and conducted upon the most honorable principles. VVe, therefore, as guardians of our own property, and, to some extent, of the interests of the business public, cannot consent Willingly to see the arrangements which have subsisted for the past ten years between the Eastern lines and the Associated Press, broken up without adequate reason. It is currently reported here and at Boston, by parties believed to be in the confidence of prominent members of your company, that you have made secret and exclusive arrangements with pi'ivate parties, who are to be allowed, regardless of the time of actual delivery of news from the European steamers, to have the first use of your wires, for tlie same consideration as lieretofore paid you by the Assosiateil Press. Admitting the principle that the public have no concern in the news arrangements of the Nova Scotia Company, any connection witli private parties whose object is of a speculative character, cannot fail to be ruin- ous to the lines in New Brunswick and in Maine, and we cannot but I'egard your action, if we are rightly informed, as exceedingly unwise and injurious to tlie best interests of the telegraph property, and unjust to the commercial public. If upon mature consideration, your company should be willing to throw youi- lines open to the whole public, upon the only true telegraph principle of first come, first served, and at one uni- form rate of tariff, we shall he satisfied ; and I am authorized to say that the Associated Press will also be satisfied. But we must protest against your breaking up the ai-rangeinent of the Associated Press for the purpose of favoring private parties, anil we also emphatically pro- test against your making any arrangements whatever calculated to affect the interests of our company, whilst its lines are used as connecting links between New York and Halifax and Newfoundland, without giving us reasonable notice of your intentions. Fully believing it to be alike our duty to ourselves and to the commer- cial public, we shall not fail to tj'ke all proper and legal measures to continue to serve the Associated Press with the earliest intelligence from Europe, and we respectfully but earnestly hope you will do likewise. ^ '. \ ■ / 1 'T M (Signed.) Peter Cooper, Pres't. \ ^t -».,/. ^ . r ,.^,/^ .i' . *•. tA. \ I G-lf h pp*f*f T* W' '^ Y'l ( / I . lii I f (Tel.) Halifax , May G, 1869. To Peter Coopeb, Esq., Prest. Am. Co., N. Y., and Prest. NHd. Co. Yours of -Ith received. We have endeavored always faithfully to discharge our duty to the Associated Press. While under engagement with them we have refused large otters for the use of the wires. All went on well till, on certain news being received from a Cunard steamer bound to Halifax passing Newfoundland, the agent of the Associated Pi'ess refused to send or pay for the usual 3000 words from Halifax, on the ground that it was of no use. We declined such an argument on the ground that we had nothing to do with extraneous matters. All we had to do was to send, or to receive payment for, 3000 words on the arrival of the fortnightly steamer. But it seemed to be imagineii by the Associated Press that our wires were to be shut up from others by the agreement, but that the Press was to use its own judgment as to the length and price of the message it would receive, which we did not look upon as fair. We remonstrated, but in vuin. The messages sent to us, and to parties iu immediate connection with us, which the agent must have known we would see, were most violent and abusive. The letter laid before us, by Mr. Hunter, which we presume was on the part of the Associated Press, was arrogant, dictatorial, and deiiant. If his own, he made the very same offer to us, on his own account, which now, as recognised agent of the Associated Press, he pronounces illegal in another party. But he writes to us as though we were dependent on him for our existence. You must have been aware all along of the no- tice of termination, and could have acted accordingly. We cannot help thinking that the Associated Press have imagined that we should have to come to them sueing for pardon and patronage. Such was never our intention ; we would lose everything rather than our independence; and we also think that they now regret that they did not comply with our well-understood intention — that is, to agree to the payment of the $150 fortnightly; had they so complied a fortnight ago, we should have given them the preference over every one for the sake of old acquaintance, even though, as I have said, the language of their agent and of others has not been over-polite. You protest against the breaking up of the arrangements with the Associated Press. It is we who protest against the Press for the ruptui-e, unless you uiean to join with those who tell us that we have no right to an opinion at all. Of our arrangements with others we '.'annot speak. If you have legal rights, enforce them. If you can ruin our company, do so. I am largely interested in it, and I will see the whole of it sunk in the sea before I will I'eceive favors flung at me contemptuously. I fancy the rest of the shareholders have the same feeling. If you publish any complaints of us, please to send me a paper containing them, and I think we shall be able to jus- tify ourselves befor«? the public. We understand that the message sent by the agent of the United States Associated Press was stopped at Sackville by your operators, until the message of the New York Associated Press had reached that office by Express and iKien sent over the wires. We give you notice that, should *# U i A i ii)W! i irj 'Wii rw>' ''< r''" ' iau*a»i Nfcn triaai such a thing occur again, we shiill immodiately cut off all connection of every kind ut Suckville, and it was a great piece of forbearance that we did not take that step yesterday. Jas. C. Cogswell, Prest. JV. S. Co. (Tel.) P. Cooper, Prest. Am. Tel. Co., TO Prest. N. S. Tel. Co. New York, May 7, 1859. Your message received. Please send us a statement of all the facts by mail. And oblige, j'ours truly, Peter Cooper, Prest. Halifax, May 10, 185;». Letter from J. C. Cogswell to Peter Cooper, Esq., Prest. Am. and N. F. Company. Sir, — In accordance with the request in your telegram of the 7th I have to make the following remarka : The original agreement with the As-sociated Press was made in 185Q by the Government of Nova Suotia, and under it the Press contracted to send over our wires 31)00 words on the arrival of each regular mail steamer for the sum of .If^o. The Government lines passed into the hands of the Company, and, in November, 18o3, notice was given to the Associated Press that the price of news would bo raised. After some negotiation and some complaint on tlie part of tiie Press the terms were agreed upon. In the letter from the Associated Press consenting to pay the S'l'jO, one special proposition, made by themselves, was, that six months' notice of termination (should be given. All went on well enough till in .July, lSo8, the Cunard steamship Europa passe^l Newfoundland, and news receive! tliere by her was sent to New York. On the arrival of tiio Eiiropn at Halifax, soon after, the Press agent refused to send tlie usual 15000 words on the ground that it had lost its value. The same tiiin;; has occurred twice or thrice, since, — the Press refusing to pay — our Company claiming the full amount. We conceive ourselves justiiie 1 in so claiming on the simple ground that, by its agicement, the Press con trade/ to seinf 8000 words upon the arrival of the Cunard steamers, ami under that contract we have always faithfully held our wires at tlieir disposal. We have refused large oifers for preferential messages, holding ourselves bound to Mr. Craig. We had nothing to do with anytliing outside the agreement. Immediately that either party found it expedient so to act, notice of ter- mination could be given. Vou will observe that .according to Mr. Craig's statemei t in his .affidavit, m;ule at llu.ston, dated at New York 11th of February lust, the conatniction of the Xovn Scotia telegmph wua based upon the sending of the I'rcHS mcssftgcs' But, apcording to his version of mfttterH, he might, tlie month after the Nova Scotia lines had been built, have refused to send the IJfMM) words upon the ground that, in some other way, he had obtained theT.ows, md that, to use liis own ex- pression, it was " stale." We do not looic upon it in t!iat light. A one- sided bargain is not generally considered fair. A tenant cannot lca\e a house immediately that he tinds one nt a lower rent or that suits him better, nor can a landlord eject a tenant inunediatcly that a better one presents himself. On the same principle we said to the Associated Press, "We are ready to fulill our part of the bargain; do you foltil yours. If you are dissatisfied with it, give notice, and let the arrangement be concluded." On the 12th October L^oS, Mr. Craig did give notice that ♦' After the 1st May, IS'V.l, the .Associated I'ress would not pay more than the ordinary tolls or rates of tariff charged to tiie public, for tlie details of news by any steamer at Halifax that may have been antici- pated wholly or in part by arrivals at Newfoundland or elsewhere ;" upon the receipt of which letter we gave general notice of the termi- nation of the contract. The Nova Scotia Tompany protest against the terms which have been applied to them by Mr Craig and others both in public and in private, in the press and ii. letters. No harsh words ha\ e ever been used by us in our communications, but we have simply stood upon what we conceived to lie our right!-. We iiave ever been determined to stan<>(» for the use of our wires un- der peculiar circumstances, as the owner of a few feet of land in tlie Fifth Avenue has to ask $100,000 fur that which he would, twenty years ago, have sold for five. In this instance, however, we have not raised the price. We have been willing to continue the old ar- rangement. Mr. Craig has violated the contract, and, by way of preventing any chance of amicable re-arrangement, lias u«ed lan- guage such as no gentleman should receive or give. I enclose you a number of his telegrams, as nlso Mr. Hunter's proposition. Some of those sent to Mr. (iisborne, and by him sliewn to us, when here, were even worse, if possible ; and, though Mr. Craig may say that they were private, still they shew his style, and, coupled with tho.se sent to us, stamp him as a person not likely to be a pleasant correspon- dent. That addressed to Mr. IJolton, one of the Executive Committee, was also directed to be sent to our Secretary, in order that by no chance we should miss seeing it. He was here for some time in the early part of the news arrangement, and the reputation he has left Vhind him is not such as you or I would like to bear. You complain in your telegram of want of notice. I assure you that it never occurred to us tliat such notice was in any way requirtd. Our arrangements were with tlic Associated Press, and when those arrange- ments were broken off it was for them to notify third parties. We should h'i\e had no objection to give you such notice hiul we thought it neccs- gr-'J I M'-^ f-" (» 81117. lliit tli(! intitnato iMrmtrfion wliicli, hy your own stiitement, has Huhsistt'il l)('tH«'('ii ymi ami the Afsctciiitdl I'resH, seems to rentier the ihiittcr otiKitict- :i mere pieco of ceremony, [f yoii really were ignorant 1 ref^ret it. A few \v(mi|!i from ,vou, in the tone of your telegruni, in- Htc;iil of the dictatorial aii'l defiant language of Mr. Craig ond Mr. Hunter, might liave cliinged the state of att'airs. We cannot help thinking here that hoth the company and Mr. Craig thought we were at his mercy anil should have to suhmit to his own terms, not believing tliat any mie else would oti'er to take his place, nor seeming to undei' stand that should such he the case we wiaild far prefer honorable inde- petidence with poverty to dishoimralilu submission at any price. The hisiory of your own country, of which you are so justly proud, might have suggested to you that we might possilily choose the former. A word in conclusion as to the Newfoundland Company, of which you are also President; I am not about to enter into a long story, but I will simply say that the manner in which your agent here endeavored to ob- tain an exclusive charter from our Legislature for the Atlantic telegraph — in violation of our rights — did not tend to proiluce a very warm feeling of friendship. We were not consulted ; our existence was ignored, until it was found that our co-operation was necessary. We nniintained our principles and our independence, and, as regards the correctness of the first, I slumM like to see laid upon the table of our Legislature, now when matters aic Itetter understood, such a bill as your agent endea- vored to obtain in 1S'")7,— or rather 1 should be curious to see how long it wouM remain there. I do not think our company would trouble them- selves to ask wiiat had become of it. Considering all these matters, I am not surpriseil, although I regret, that a rupture has occurred. We cannot consider ourselves as to blame. I repeat that we should always have been willing to continue the ar- rangement of 1H.").'>, and have given the Associated Press of N. York the preference over all others; but we must now l.iy the blame of disturb- ance ujjon others, and, when reason requires, we shall aak the public tearlessl}" to decide between us. (Then follows a paragraph not bearing on this question.) I have the honor to be. Your obedient servant, Jas. C. Cogswell. [Enrlosiiren rrfe.rrvil to in above. Leiter."] (1.) Extract from a Lkttkr of tuk Exkoittivk Committke of the N. S. Tklkgrai'ii (.'o., to I). H. Craic, datkd Nov, ICi, 1853. T am instructed by the Executive Committee to give notice that upon the close of the current year, they cannot continue to send the steamer's despatch to the Associated Press upon the terms on which it is now sent. This preferential despatch monopolizes the trunk line of the Company usually alMHit half a y youi- enteriin; into new news arrangements, or hy depending on the transmission of speculative despatclies at fancy prices, will cer- ttiinly prove fallicious. Moreover, your company cannot wish to appear befir'e the public in the light of an ally and sharer in the spoils of spe- culators, The standing of the gentlemen composing your committee forbids such a supposition —were the additional reason wanting that certain parties are only awaiting to discover your company in some such false position to carry out certain projects respecting which legal opi- nions are already in their hands. Your coHimittee will pleas be aware that I mention these facts with due respect, and in ihe nature of an explanation only. Meantime, I retnain, Your very obedient servant, John Hunter. (8.) New York, April 25, 185i). (Tel.) 1). H. Craig to J. Hoyt. Your despatidi received. We decline to accept the interpretation of your coninuttee. All our arrangements are nnide for entering into com- petition with the public, and we have no fear as to the result. We shall present to your office a report of one to three hundred words on the arrival of the steamer, and we expect that it will be sent ahead of everything that comes after it, and if not .so sent at least try hard to find the cause; full report will be expressed and sent thence by tele- graph, as the shameful conduct of your company does not entitle them to expect anything more from us than we can well avoid giving them. We have no favors to ask, and none to give, and least of all do we want any extension of peace. Your committee are resolved, as we have been given to understand they are, to force us into a fight. Mr. Hunter has full authority to act for us, and we shall cheerfully be bound by his acts. We have no distrust of our power to protect our own interests, and now as ever defy the crowd to head us off in any legitimatfr enter- prise. Show to Hunter. P. U. Cbaio. , j^jBHBjB'W' I'' ' '**' gf'i'he above was in reply to telegram which the committee sent to Mr. rnilg tlirough the Cliief Operator, stating that as the steamer left Liver- pool on the 'S-Ul April they ilid not consider the news by her abut out, anil askiiig if he wished it forwarded. On the foregoing reply being submitted to the President of the Nova Scotia Telegraph Company the following answer to it was sent : (») Ai'utL 27, lHr,9. (Tel.) J. C. C'ogsweiJm Prest., to D. II. Cbaiq. The message sent you was in courtesy, not in defiance. We merely meant to give yoi an additional steamer's news, if you claime*! it under the circumstances. The contract ende\ D (Tel.) H. Craiq to J. (5.) New VoiiK, April 2H, 1859. C. COOSWELL. Not having addressed any communication to you or any member of your committee, I am surprised at your uncalled for and grossly insult- ing message just received. I beg you will give yourself no uneasiness about our business or our rights as we feel quite able to manage the former and defend the latter. D. H. Tkaig, Agent Ass^d Press. d ^om- shitU the of •d to tele- hem lem. want been has his •eats, snter- (Tel.) J. r. CodswELL to I). H. Craig. (6.) April 28, 1859. My message was intended for anything but insult. When occasion requires I shall be prepared to place a copy of it beside yours to me and others, and leave the public to decide. But I have no more to say to you. If you like your own style adhere to it. Jas. C. Cogswell. 'D (7.) New York, April 29, 1859. H. Craig to J. C. Cogswell. Your message received. I assure you that I never addressed a cora- kQunication to you nor wit)te one for your eye before yesterday, and am 2 i 10 as f'T from designing or wishing to insult you as you can be from intend' inj^' to insult mo; you can, therefore, judge of my astonishment at the tone of your mes.s;\ge of yesterday, iu, I consider my style perfectly res- pectable and courteous; you may rest assured that I shall adhere to Ci^-Cci successfully defend it. D. H. Craio. (8.) J. C, C()(3swELi, to D. H. Cbaig. Halifax, April 29, 1859. Your message to Hoyt, bearing on the genei'nl interests of the com- pany, was, as a matter of course, shewn to me as President. Other messages from you, ratlier violent in their language, had been shewn to me also. I am prepared to expect opposition, and never object to it. But I wished to request of you, in any remarks you might make, that would be laid before the committee, to be moderate in your language, no matter how strong the hostility. You have never received dis- courtesy from us in language, however you may dislike our policy. We had better now let the matter drop. J. C. Cogswell, (9.) (Tel.) Nkw York, May 3, 1859. I). H. Craio to J. C. Cogswell, Prest. N. S. T. Co. We are accustomed to deal with telegraph gentlemen who are above the despicable tricks we have reason to believe you and your associates are about to res( rt to.vwA, vain effort to injure an association to which Nova Scotia owes its telegraph connection with New York, and which has been, as it is now, the chief reliance of lines in New Brunswick iind iVIainc for the payment of their necessary working expenses. The Government of Nova Scotia from 1849 to 1802 demanded from us only seventy-five dollars for transmitting 3000 words from Hiilifax to Sack- ville, but no sooner had your company got control of tiie government lines than you doubled your rates of tariff and compelled us to pay one hundred and fifty dollars, or three or four times the rates charged to the public. E\ en this imposition we submitted to until you recently at- tempted to compel us to pay these extortionate rates for stale news, news that liad been autii^ipated via Newfoundland, but we were even disposed to allow ourselves to be fleeced by you for the stale news provided you would pass over your lines a brief free despatch of news by steamers bound to Halifax whenever the same should be obtnined off' Cape ilaee; this you as!?ente. (Tel.) Peter Cooper to J. C. Cooswell, Your letter of 10th instant received. I do not wonder that you have been provoked. I earnestly urge you, h o wever, to draw a proper dis- tinction between the just rights of the puUnc and the demands of private individuals. Your letter will be submitted to the directors and answer- ed by mail. I'eter Cooper. (Letter.) W. H. Wiswell to .John Hunter. Halifax, April 80, 18o0. 'Sir, — In answer to your last letter of the 2'.>th iiist., as also to several preceding ones I am directed to reply as follows : Your communication of the 8th instant (being in extension of that of the 1st, v.hich simply requested information as to our being open to an offer) was duly laid before the executive committee. They were perfectly prepared before receiving it to meet you in a candid and business like spirit, making, of course, the best terms they could, without being too exacting. In fact, they would undoubtedly have consente.^teil to detail a tried and faithful agent to the telegraph ottice, whose duty it shall be to report to the agent at S-ickville tliat the steamer's news have been forwardeil for the party who first tcuders it at the otHce at Halifax, and until such report is rec ived at Sackville no steamer's news shall be transmitted over the American lines, unless it shall be delivered at the office at Saekville by other means of transmission than the telegraph line from Halifax. ¥ jiS^^i €t;a;i^iy?^y few 18 " Resolved, Seconrl, that the object of tho above resolution Is solely to scoure to the public at larnje tlie benefit of the steamer's news in ad- vance of" spnuulators, in accordance with section 12, chapter "Jtii'*, of the laws of tiie State of New Vork, 71st session, passed April \'l, 1H4H, as follows : — ' It shall likewise be the duty of every such owner or associa- tion to transmit all despatclies in tlie order in wliich they are received, under the like, one hundred dollars to be received with costs of suit l)y the perjion or persons whose despatch is postponed out of its re;j;ular order as herein prescribed ; provided, however, that arrange- ments may bt; made with the proprietors or publishers of newspapers for tlie transmission, for the purpose of publication, of intelligence of a TCncral iiud public interest, of its regular order.' " The Directors instruct me to request that you will direct their agent to be received at the othce at Halifax, in order that tiiese resolutions may be carried into effect. We assure you that we entertain the most kindly feeling towards your company, and regret that it has become necessary to adopt any re,:;ulations in order to protect the public interests. W. H. Adel, Sec. pro tern, Am. Tel, Co. W. (Tel.) H. VViswKU. to W, Halifax, May 10, 1851). H. Am-.h. Vilur request is a very singular one. AVould you permit an agent of ours to sit in your chief office to superintend and report upon your pro- ceedings? We think not; anil we must decline your request as unreasonable. W. H. WiswELL, Sec. JN". S. Tel. Co. W, (Tel.) Nkw YonK, May 17, 1850 W. H. Abel to W. H. Wiswei.l, Scc'y N. S. Tel. Co. Your despatcli of IBtli inst. is received. By the laws of this State and the settled practice of telegraph companies, tlie press are fairly en- titled lo tlie prefeiunoe in obtaining the steamer's news, in order that speculators may not operate at the expense of the puulic. It is alleged, and you do nut deny, thai you have agreed to gi\e a preference in the traiismissiim of the foreign news to a private party; this arrangement is not only unre:isonable but unjust, and it/ is rendered particularly ob- jectionable at this time, by the excited and interesting state of foreign affairs. If this company should transmit such a despatch in advance of the public news it would bci^ouie a participator in the wrong, hence the request was maile to be allowed to place a tried and faithful agent in your office to see that puulic news aie first despatched over your lines beibre private despatclies are allowed to l)e transmitted. This re- quest, so far from being unreasonable, is only the reasonable and natu- u I ^ITv -^ 10 is solely i in ad- ■), of the 1H4«, as assooia- I'eceivetl, costs of )ut of its arm n ne- wspapers eiioc of a eir agent ions may ist kindly necessary s. Tel. Co. ral conseiiueuce of yonr prior unreasonable action, in availing your- selves of your local position at the end (tf forty thousand miles of tele- f^rnpli lines, to place the foreign news, in which all the lines have an equal interest, under the control of any private parties to whom you may see tit to sell so valuable a privilege, witliout consulting or obtaining the connent of the other companies, who are bound in honor to see that the telegraph is not perverted to private speculation. When you retui'n to, or establish, a system by which the public interests are properly guard- ed this company will withdraw its re;" your pro- equest as Te[. Co. 1859 his State fairly en- l)rder that s alleged, 5e in the angemcut ilaily ob- f foreign dvanue of lence the agent in ver your This re- md natu- W. (Tel.) H. WiSWELL to W, Halifax, May 18, 1859. H. Abel. Your message dated 17th received. You persist in mistaking our ac- tion. You have been told, repeatedly, that we did not break with the New York Associated Press until they violated the contract, and their agent and others connected with them used the most dictatorial and in- sulting language. Your charge against us as to speculation is most un- founded. Our committee are guiltless of any such intention. Had your company used its influence with the New York Associated Press to per- suade them or their agent to abide by a well-understood arrangement wiiich we have always honorably carried out in the face of high oflFers for a preference, or, at least, to speak in a courteous and business-like manner, we think that there would have been no difficulty. You now ask us to comply with your demands simply because you see that we are not in 3'our power. We ai-e glad to find that you at last recognize the superiority of our local position. We have always been aware of it, and take credit to ourselves for not having ever used it improperly or dig honestly. We have charged a reasonably high price, as all men of sense would \vi\e. done, and then have been ready to fulfil our agree- ment. You, or the Associated Press, have not. T)ie present course of action will probably continue, being consequent on your attempt to coerce us; tlie advantages to your interests appear doubtful. We can- not think ourselves amenable in any way to New York legislation, and no supervision of our office or details of its operations by strangers can lie allowed on any pretext. Every honorable and reasonable courtesy will be extended to parties who display the same towards this company. W. H. WiswKLL, Secretary. 1 J 20 (Tol.) WewYobk, May 21, ISoO. W. H. Abkl to W. H. WiHswKi,!,, See. N. 8. Co. Your (h'S|tiitch of Iftth roceiveil. You niistiikc our grouml. We couipliiiu tli!it yi)u will not ti'iinaiiiit iiK'SMafjjes in tiie order in which they are teniloruil at your otiice. Will you iij^roe to do so, and let the Asso- eiiito'l I'reHs take their chance on the only true telegraphic principle — lirst come, tirat served. Answer, please answer. W. H. Abel, Secretary, pro tern. !(fl (Tel.) Boston, May 21, 185'.). To .I.vMKH C. Cons WELL, Esq., President of the N. S. Telegraph Co., Sir, — Your letter of the 10th instant to Peter Cooper, Esq., Presi- dent (if the Auieiicau and the Newfoundland Telegraph (.'ompanies, with enclosed copies, is received; and, so far as the contents thereof re- late to matters between your Company and the American, I am in- structed by their Directors to sny, " That they very much rej^rot the events wiiicii h.ive rccenlly occurred to disturb the harmony hitherto existing between said companies — a harmony, the preservation of which, in tlieii" business relations, is necessarry, not only for their own comfort and success, but indispensable in the performance of their duties to the public. That you have been annoyed by the telegrams, copies of which you sent us, we can readily understand, but you will do our com- pany the justice to believe that they have neither been parties to these discourtesies, nor, until the receipt of youi letter, were they aware of tiieir existence; and, although they are well calculated to produce the asperity of feeling which seems to exist between your company and the newspaper press agent here, yet we cannot believe that your sense of right will make us responsible for the acts of a party over whom we have no control. Furthermore, tlie business interests of our respective companies arc so connected and blended, especially in respect to the trans- mission of the foreign news despatch, that what is injurious and detrimen- tal to one equally affects both. By the adoption, however, of a simple rule, it seems to us that all difficulties ))etween ourselves or with the pub- lic may be at once disposed of. The rule with us, and we believe with all the telegrapli companies in this country, is this, that •• The first come, first served." This is the only fair and practicable rule that can be adopted, giving satisfaction to the public; whenever it has been de- parted from trouble has as surely followed. In the strife for precedence let superior activity, as in everything else, have its reward. In this view nJay we not hope you wdl readily concur, and your coiapauy at once return to this practical rule? These ditterences, we think you will agree with us in saying, should not exist, and, if not at once ended l)y the above suggestions, we should be li ippy to meet: you at IJiiston, New York, or elsewher", that we may confer together ou a subject, the speedy udjustoieut of which is 6o im- port! of ol atlbil us til bene! us, uate(| less BPi" jjiT" 1 n , 1859. mil. We hich they the Asso- 'inciple — • >ro lem. , IStV,). portaut to the interests of both oui-selvos and the public. The revenues uf our respoctive lines, at best, are so meagre, tiiat neither of us ean atlord to sulijciit our companies to any unnecessary collision, resulting, a.-j tliey always must, in more or less loss. In such controversies no benelit, in any event, can result to either conipuuy; nor can eitiier of us, as the managers of this important means of communication, iledi- cated to the public use, justify ouri^elves to that public lor these need- less annoyances. Uu receipt of this let us hear from you. Very respectfully yours, H. (). Aldkn, Vire-Prcsii/ent. P. S. — This letter will be telegraphed you from lioston and then sent by Favor's Kxpresa. It is from New York, q., Presi- Dmpanies, liereof re- , I am in- regret the r hitherto of which, n comfort ties to the I of which our corn- to these aware of uce the and the sense of whom we •espective le trans- etri men- simple the pub- ieve with The first that can been de- ■eoedence In this pany at should e should we may so im- a {Copy of a Circular of D. H. Craiy.) Office op the xVssooiaticd Puiias, New York, May lo, 185'.). To the AoKNT of the Ass. Press. Dear Sir, — I do not think it at all necessary to make any public reply to the scandalous falsehoods of Johnson & Zabriski, and of their half dozen beggarly newspaper buckers, who h.ive been excludeil from our news arningements because of their inability to pay their weekly telegraph bills; but I comply with your retiuest for a brief statement of our present troubles with the Nova Scotia telegraph managers. The line to Halifax was built some ten years ago, for the special ac- commodation of the Associated Press of this city, as is eviilenced by the fact, that, before the contractors would proceed to build the lino, they exacted from the Association here a pledge that they would use tlie line for at least three thousand words on the arrival of every new regular steamer at Halifax. The rates agreed upon for us to pay to the Nova Scotia line from Halifax to Sackville (about one hundred and thirty miles), were about double tlie rates charged to the public, their propor- tion of the whole tolls amounting to seventy-tive dollars for each dis- patcii. Thus, the only peculiarity of our arrangement with the Nova Scotiii line was, we paid them about double the rates which they charged to tlie public, and we had a i-ight to occupy the wires continuously from the moment our report reached the telegraph office until it was all sent through to this city. But, if other parties got their reports into the office in season to get them ott before ours arrived, the line was at liberty to send them; and this actually happened on two occasions dur- ing the past ten years. Afier the lines and the Associated Press had worked harmoniously together for two or three years, tne present Nova Scotia Company bought up the lines in that province, and, although their charter expressly prohibited them from raising the rates of tariff previously established, tney disregarded the law of tlieir organization, and violated their agree- ■■ ihiii I: 9d iiipnt with tlio As8oci:ite ilollars to one Immlroil ;inil tit'ty ilollars for uiicli report oC tluvo tlioiisiiiil wohls. Our protects ugainst this iiii|M). sitioii were milteodeii; uml t'vutn tliat time up to tlie begiiiiiiiig of the pref^eiit mouth we suhiiiitted to tlio extortion, ami were even ilisptised to continue the arraiigeiiieiit, mo C.ir aw relates to rial iieim. l»ut, the Nova Seotiu Toiiipany, liaving iniposeil upon us once, thougiit they ei.ulil tlo so with iiu()iiiiity a setoml time, ami tliey thercfnre (leninnded tiiat wc > do by violating all honorable rules of telegraphing. Thus, our re})oit of the Niagara's news was held back from nine o'clock, V. .M., on the 4th inst., (VVednes lay,) until the afternoon of the Otii, ( I'hursilay,) while in the nieantiuie they sent forward, from Halifax to jSickvdle, a despatch of that news for certain private speculators in lioston (but not to Johnson & Zabriski, as they falsely assert), whick despitlrk u'lis luiiiilfl to the Jlulifiix o/terntur J'lom one to three huiirs lifter our iles/Hitrk was in the operator's hands, with the tolls prepaid from thtit city to A'ew York. At the same time, they sent an imperti- nent message to the m:inager of the New Brunswick line, to the etfect that no messages, public or private, should pass over the Nova Stiotia wires until they (tlie directors) should icceive special notice from the Boston speculator — an iiresponsiblo individual connected with the Kx- change News lloom in that city — that he had received his report in full, and "all right." True, in part, to their word, the Nova Scotia directors did actually hold back our report, and also all the other most important private mes- sages by the Niagara, some fifteen hours, for which gross conduct the company have made themselves liable for heavy damages. But si'hemes of villiany, however shrewdly laM, rarely succeed for any length of time; and this attempt of the Nova Scotia directors to fleece the public, in which they were strenuously seconded by a score or two of disreputable persons in and out of Halifax, was not an exception to the general rule. Their scheme resulted in a miserable failure, but not, as has been falsely charged by the discomfited gang of speculators, thvouifli any lu-each of good f.iith on the part of the telegraph company this side the Nova Scotia line, for [ ha\ e the best reasons lor knowing that the New Brunswick telegraphers had made no rules for the emer- gency, nor did they violate any old ones. The fact is, that ten hours before the advance despatch to the speculators had reached Sackville, the agent of the Associated L'ress at that place had occupied the wires this side of Sackville, and continued, uninterruptedly, to occupy them whilbt they were in a condition to do business, until after he received and i trans New [t wick futun that I)ub r ;^!! '"^^„ 98 C(!Ocl for tors to score or xccptioii re, but ulat(»rs, omptiny tiowiiig le emer- II hours ickville, wires >y them eil anil triuisinittpcl the jtrcrts desputch of the N'iusinv's news to Boston iiiiil New York. [t is unnecessary now to say uihUt wiiat nile of tlie New llnins- wick line the ai^erit of the Associated Press will act on the arrival of future steamers at Halifax, hut you ".ml your friends may rest assured tliat no k'^itimate ellorts will l)e wanting to protect the interests of the puhlie. whiidi, in this mittei-, are also the interests of the press. I ohserve that tlio Nova Scotia diieofors call .lohiiSi)n iS: Zahriski, rather facetiously, tlie agents ol' the United Stales Associated I'ress. Kut there is no man of eonunon ohservatioii who ihics n t r ii . .i ii « l g^rf»»> 'OT Ii ai l Ml i m i i*.-^4 » , »,i.^ , 34 '' !i< i 't Halifax, May liS, 1850. (Tel.) To II. O. Alpen, Ks(i., VicL'-l'iTst. Am. Tel. Co., Your tflegram of 21st received. In answer thereto I have to re- iniirk, tli;it tlie discourtesy of .Mr. Craig has a very great deal to do with the matter. We know nothing, speaking in a business way, of your cum[)any, .save that it lias a line connecting with ours at Sackvilie, and we must protect (lur own interests and independence. With the Asso- ciated i'ress we hail a contract which we were ready faithfully to fultil, but wliicli they violated, and then tlie contract was brought to a close. During the six months from notice you must have been aware tif the fact, and you should then have used your exertions to make a new amicable arrangement. We were ready to abide by, what we still are prei)aied to assert before the world was the eijuitable reading of the contract. But we have been met with nothing but domineering language and vulgar threats. Accordingly we Tuade a new contract with other parties, and the only course that I can recommend you to pursue is to purchase that contract. We shall be ready, for the sake of the public, to do business as before with the Associated Press upon what we main- tain are the old terms, i. e., .SI-jO for oOUit words by each fortnightly steamer at Halifax — no matter whether received previously at New- foundland or not. Your talk of good feeling to us seems strange, and stranger still your request " that we would do your company the justice to believe that they have not been parties to Mr. Craig's discourtesies," when I look at a circular from ^Mr. Craig, datearaded in print as the President. IJeibre I would have given a letter of mine to -Mr. Cooper to a third party, for similar publication, I would have taken care to see the documents with which it was to be connected, and had it been such a one as that of Mr. Craig's I would for shame's sake have refused. But my name is now })assed through the Union as President of a "dishonorable, villainous and scheming'' company, and Mr. Cooper endorses the abuse. Then, on the "Jlst, eleven days after this th)cument has been publishetl, I am informed gravely that your company regrets that the harinon}' subsisting ijetween the companies shuulil have been disturbed. Ho do I; but I never lent my name to any- thing del'iunatory of Mr. Cooper, or your company, and, whatever be the result of this controversy, shall take care not to do so. Now, I ask of you, in common justice to us, who have hud our name vilitie I in all the New Yiirk papers, to publisli my letter to Mr. Cooper with the ex- tracts and correspondence annexed, or at least to call together the editors and allow them to hear both sides. I have no fear of the result. Mr. (.'raig talks of law. I would fearle,--sly meet him before the New York jiublic with that letter and correspondence, and I .should pity the spirit of your people if they ilid not pronounce us right. You also, by way cf further shewing your amicable feeling, [icrsuaded .Mi'. Stevens to re- fuse to receive message.^ fiom over our lines at Sackvilie, unless prepaid. I have requested him to give up the attempt, and to let the Associated :1 Press I ainityl your divi del divide! York lines W. I I i I ■WHP* I rvr" j-.y AV'---- fMv hM . j.1' v^- ' .yfeit i>,fcil . language dth other rsue is to le public, wc uiain- rtuightly at New- iige, and he justice irtesies," leaking of given his me, thus h 1 am a letter I would nnectcd, shame's Union as uiy, and 1} s after |hat your mpanies to any- evcr be iv, 1 ask I in all the ex- |o editors . Mr. w Yoi'k le spirit by way lis to re- jropaid. ociated I I 25 9 Press question stand by itself, to which he has consented, and, so far, il amity is restoreil. What you tell me about the " meagre revenue " of W your lines astonishes me. Why, I personally know tiiat you declared a divi lend of 1<> per cent, last yoir. I have received no notice yet of your dividend for tliis year, but your stock stands at i' p.ti.ii'im in the New York market. If you re-invest your dividends in tlie puichase of more lines you must be quibbling to say that you receive no profits. Jas. C. CoaswKi.r-, Prc&i. ^V. H. Co. P. S. — We intend to publish the whole correspondence in justice to oursel ves. (Tel.) Nkw York, May 12."), 185'.». W. H. ABKf, to J. C. CoiiswELL, Prcst. IN. S. T. Co. Your despatch of 'l\\.\\ received. Tliis ("oinpany disclaims all con- nection with the ditlerences between you and the Associated Press, or their agent, Mr. Craig. Wc merely insist tiiat a preference over our lines shall not be given witiiout our consent, nor to any parties who are not by law authorized to iiave such preference. AVe were not aware of your diiferences with Mr. Craig until tlie breach actually occurred. We do not buy and sell c(jntracts, and must therefore decline to act on your suggestion We have never seen Mr. Craig's circuhir of Inth May until to-day, and did not know of its existcnt;e until your despatch was re- ceived. Mr. Cooper's letter was attached to it without his knowledge or consent or that of the Directors. We will comply with ycur rcijuest to lay the whole correspondence before the .Associated Pi'e!>s. Wc have no doubt they will be satisfied with the position assumed by this com- pa!iy — that the first who comes, shall be first served, — and will yield the preference heretofore accorded to the press, it they pny only regular rates. Bv ordei- of the Directors, W. II. Aiii!;r.j Secretary, /iro (cm. J. (Tel.) . COGSWKM, to \\ . JI. IlAiatAX, May 2(1, ISoU. Abkl. Yours of -;")th received. Wc have given no preference over your linf'S. We only claim the management of our own. You say that you were not aware of our difference with Mr Craig. We saj in w\)\y that we know nothing of your differences with the agent of tiie United States Association. We liave made a contract within our own borders and know nothing beyond them. I am not aware of anything dishonorable in buying and selling contracts. Assignments and transfers are in.ade every day. As for Mr. Cooper's telegram to me, published by Mr. Craig, I think you had better not p iss it by so carelessly. If Mr. Cooper knew nothing of its jjublication, where did Mr. Craig get it ? Was it from your telegraph cilice ? If he had the run of that office tlie public may lose confidence. Mas all the correspondence lietween us lieen »nh- 4 ! J t:fe'i MM, ,'^^: 1 ^H] jfe maimm ''■■il 'w'm- v l»,l JUll .wi J^ ijxi ^.«£*-^^^ - ! 4W .Willlll'lllUlinnliHl , ^^ ill ; - J. i! ' III 2r) jcct to l\is ' ispcction ? Sii ;li ii thing could not liavo occurred with us. [ tliiiik Mr. Coiiper is liouiul Inr his own .sake to (li.^ «««fc^. ifl with us. I hii.s been nc, as he r coMipiiny pen to Mr. re open to r siicli per- joiiipany if )GSWKLL. I), 18o'J. >inpiiny ro- L'ui or their eypcndence ed in the 10 ortler of request to iiiei.l !i por- unsultation jbably lead nro tern. 1850. II and Mr. e for any- 11 with all )roper use ks of liis before the ir agent. he use he iiondeiice, nd copies found, — rk Press. to their wait till be pub- ISWELT.. 27 ADDENDA. Since the above was in typo, a copy of the JVcw Vnrk Courier and I'JiKiiiirrr, i)f tiic 17th May last, has been furnished to the Kxecutive Oaiiinittoe, containing tlio foliowinu; paragraph bearing upon the trans- mission of the V'kjo's news by way of Newfoundland : "llert! tlie Novii ScDtia line clnsed, n'p'ii'tiiif; tli"ir lii.^' (Imvii east of Antifrnnisli. — We iiiv ciiMS (lU'Mitly left without iiiiy iifws in rchitimi to tlic \V;ir in Italy, or tin' (li'st '.vnril tif ("(lUiiiMiriiil Inti lli'jciicrf. It is sus|i.'cti'(l tliat t'lcir oInsiiiK is more for tlic imriiusi- iri' ilcpriv iiii; ilii- Ass(iciati'W^ .mk. i>Li-s--'.l<. «uia "^ i that the ice of ter- the 12th liis notice. :, 1858. Committee r reply tci .luliews of I tlie Nova it tlie As- .th, 1858,) id for the he steamer lasmuch as ntirclv in- [■ May 1st, iged to the that may IbuncUand s>mm 29 sociated Press in justice bound to repay. The transaction exhibits, on the part of the Associated Press, a great want of that integrity in busi- ness relations which is characteristic of honorable dealing, and a dis- regard of the terms and conditions of the agreement existing for some years between the Association and this Company, the latter being ex- pected to observe every particular while the former may set the agree- ment aside without hesitation or notice. Suppose that immediately after the arrival of the steamer at New- foundland and the transmission of her news over the wires, the English steamer were to arrive at Halifax, and a party were to offer us a large sum of money for the transmission of the first message : we should hold ourselves obliged to decline, because we should consider ourselves bound to you ; and yet your agent might not furnish us with any com- munication because it might be considered that all the important news had passed already. Such an offer, in fact, has been made to us and has been declined for the reasons stated. You wish to keep us strictly bound to you, but whenever it suits your convenience or interests to break a contract, you unhesitatingly do so and seem to think that, as a matter of course we must abide by your judgment. I am also directed to state that tlie Executive Committee accept the closing paragraph of your letter as a notification of discontinuance, and to prevent misunderstanding they hereby give you formal notice that the agreement referred to shall be terminated and cease on the first day of May, 1859. I am, dear sir, Yours truly, W. H. WiswELL, Sec'y. EUECTVLW •FIOK, I), 1858. |i, and has 5re me to tigcd with- lilrawn for |deducting 1 is exclu- jpaid, be- inemoran- Ir the As- T ^J.^A-f^ '^ ""''itriif^ m'^ip^'^i mMmsm