Robert C. Schenck to Hamilton Fish, July 7, 1873

No. 280. General Schenck to Mr. Fish.

Sir: My No. 398, in relation to charges on telegraphic-cable messages, having been made public through the newspapers in the United States, has also been copied and attracted attention here. On its appearance in print, in the correspondence of the London Times, a letter of complaint was addressed to me by the general manager of the Anglo-American Telegraph Company in London, to which I replied. I send you herewith copies of the communication of that company and my answer thereto.

You will observe that the Anglo-American Company, instead of meeting and controverting the statement that there exists some arrangement by which excessive charges are collected in London for the transmission of cable-messages over the land-lines in the United States, attempts to make with me an irrelevant issue in regard to some supposed reduction of prices paid by the Government. This I do not permit. The system of overcharges which I brought to your notice is that which relates to exactions made here for sending intelligence over the wires within the United States to points south and west of New York.

No response has been made by the cable company to my reply sent to them on the 30th June.

The Western Union Company, I presume, will put forward some explanation or denial, now that my letter to you has come out and provoked discussion, but I trust they will not answer aside from the question which has been fairly raised.

I have, &c.,