duly concluded for a Bremen and Havre service, the first under the law
of 1845.

This was a five years' contract entered into with the Ocean Steam
Navigation Company, upon the basis of an earlier agreement (February
1846) with Edward Mills of New York, which Mr. Mills had transferred to
the new organization. The subsidy was fixed at one hundred thousand
dollars a year for each ship going by Cowes to Bremen and back to New
York once in two months a year, and seventy-five thousand dollars a year
for each ship going by Cowes to Havre and back to New York. The
contractors were to build within a year's time four first-class
steamships of not less than 1400 tons, nor less than a thousand
horsepower; and were to run their line "with greater speed to the
distance than is performed by the Cunard Line between Boston and
Liverpool and back."[FW] Provision for the subsidy thus called for was
promptly made in this item in the post-office appropriation bill for the
ensuing year, approved March 2: "for transportation by steam-ships
between New York and Bremen according to the contract with Edward Mills,
$258,609."[FX]

The next step was the enactment of a law which had for its declared
objects "to provide efficient mail services, to encourage navigation and
commerce, and to build up a powerful fleet in case of war."[FY] This
measure, approved March 3, 1847, entitled "An act to provide for the
building and equipment of four naval steamships," made provision for the
construction, with Government aid, of merchant mail-steamships under the
supervision of the Navy Department that they might be rendered suitable
if needed for war service.

The act directed the secretary of the navy to accept on the part of the