Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-02-12

are consequently without one to send the Re-
publican; but have no doubt the Planters
Banner or Concordia I~ntelligencer, could fur
nish the information desired.
Correspondence Of the Baton Rouge Gazetc.)
New ORLEANS, February 10, 1912.
Isuppose you begin to conclude that | have
actually left for New York, and that | am now
marching upon the deep but in so conclnd-
ing You will be at fault, for | am still en-
this gay metropolis. Who among us has not
sorrowed that he was not descended from the
Gauls In what other race are to be found
the same elements Of happiness The French
lslan requires no Italian gun to dispel the gath
ering vapuur from his elastic mind-fortune's
darkest scowl can not repress his gaiety ; IN
the palace to dav, in the howell tomorrow
basking in the radiant smiles of fortune, or
passing through the ordeal of her heaviest
blows-his bouyant spirit ever predornlnateF,
and shows his lineage the enviable descend
| ant of the race of sunny France. "Ftre Ia
mode, uire la danse, rire Ia bagnte1e!!" How
simple are there elements of felicity. and yet
by a mysterious employment of them does a
Frenchman work out his happiness in despite
of every obstacle. Every other people seek
the gloomy haunts OF solitude to hide their
erief, or to hold sad communion with meian-
choly. But the Frehchman repairs to the
cafg, the theatre, or ballroom; and talks and
| sings. dances and iiddles away bis sorroWs.-
His descendants in New Orleans are worthy
sons of their sires. No fall i'll the price OF
cotton or of stocks-no fear Of bank deprecia-
tieu-no apprehension OF wide spread bank
ruptcy and universal depression can rob them
of their gaiety or cheat them of their plea
sure. As long az they have q woman to smile
upon them, or a fiddle to cheer them, they bid
defiance to fortune. 1t is thus this happy peo-
pie lend gaiety and cheerfulncss to a city
threatened with universal bankruptcy, and
now suffering under the accumulating evils of
universal stagnation.
On account of sickness, | could not comply
with my promise, to supply you by each
Wednesdays boat with a sketch of legisla-
tive proceedings. | left off last time, / be-
lieve, at the bank bill, and the measures TO
brlug about a committee of conisrence: that
committee was appointed. The house without
SO intending it, appointed 3 committee, a ma
iority o; whom yicwel the bill Of the senate
/. with more favorable eyes than did a majority
Of the house. When they went into joint COM
rnittec, the committee of the house Bndeavor-
ed to concert a bin out OF the two; but this
was vehemenily opposed by the senate's COM
mit.ee. 1t was then endeas ored to engraft
some of the most sanitary provisions OF the
bill Of the house into that of the senate; this
too was opposed they would not permit even
.giaringly unconstitutional provisions to be
stricken out--nor even gross grammatical err
rors 70 be corrected. Their beloved bill could
not be improved. The question then was,
| tIa;~ h.ti ~. - LII 4, n.l fE, -,p,tt ~, rs {ix,
house had 10 give way. When the report Of
the Committee was made to the house, a re-
commitment was opposed on the ground, that
it was hopeless to expect TO get any thing bet
ter from the senate. Before the passage Of the
bill, however. Mr.. Hunt, a representative
from New Orleans, delivered an address Of
great ability, in which he directed against the
~senate's bill the most cutting ridicule, de-
nounced lis harsh, unjust, unconstitutional
provisions, sand predicted i'll confident terms,
its disastrous consequences upon the com
merce, the property, and general prosperity of
the country. To use the expression of a mem
Der, .Mr. Hunt laid the senate cold" But
not withstanding all this and all the mischiey-
Gus tendencies Of the bill, it passed the house.
The members excused themselvc in voting
for 1t, by saying that it was necessary TO pass
some bill, and that they still entertained the
hope the senate would relent, and permit the
passage of a supplemental bill, which would
remedy the great detects and injurious provi-
sioDs Of theirs
J have taken great pains to enquire of per-
sons, The most capable Of forming a correct
judgment of this matter and by such rnen
the bill of the senate is universally reprobated,
while that of the house meets their a~prroba-
ton. The bill of the house, while its provi-
sions necessarily drive four or five weaker
banks into liquidation, has due regard to the
interests of the unfortunate stockholders;
whilst it provides that the stronger banks shall
assume the payment Of the circulation of the
weaker banks. it prescribes such a manner of
doing this as will enable them TO bear up un-
der the great additional burden: while it for
ces them TO give ample time to their debtors,
it yields TO them certain advantages in COM
pensation while it keeps steadily in view
the great interests of the whole community,
it nevor loses sight of the obvious and i'm
portant fact, that bank-stock is property, as
much so az land and negroes that their fell
low-cltizens own fifty millions of this proper
~; that however improperly bank directors,
(who are mere ageats), have comported them
selves, yet that innocent stockholders, who
are composed Of poor and rich, nay, of widows
and orphans, deserve the protection of the
laws. Such was the character of the bill of
the house which would if adopted, have pro-
duced the most salutaTy results. But can any
thing like this be said of the bill of the SEN
ate !! Does that document bear on it's face an
American feature? does il not bear the stamp
of monarchical legislation =! That inquisito-
rial board of control, which is to control fifty
millions OF proptrt of the citizens, and to BE-
maid foc hu tha a aoopi, ,vLo &I,,, L,-a
the control OF their property arrested from
them land in thus violating every principle
OF justice and of freedom--and thus t%rasnplinr
upon the rights OF their fellow-citizens by a
process of legal violence-do they achieve
any good to the community None, none -
One main object of their bill is to bring about
the sa'utary measure of snacie payment; and
yet by the operation of that provision which
they elegantly ~denominate the "dead weight
40 they not virtually prevent the banks from
collecting ! aiti if they cannot collect, how
can they pay? VIII tiEy not by the h~arshness |
of their bill, fore all the banks into lianida-
ton Will not this bring on sudden and con.
tlnued contraction land what then, will be-
come OF the debtors of the banks, and, indeed,
OF the Whole community? what will be, the /
rulnous effects of a sudden relapse into a
state of no currency at all neither a currency
of specie or of paper? will not all this result
IN universal bankruptcy
But | must stop. the boat is l~eaving-at a
future day, if you wish it, | will take this sub
ject up in detail.
MeNTHLIEs-The Southern Literary Mes
senger. The Western Farmer & Gardener
and the Louisiana Law Journal all reached
us this week. Their we,l-stored columns will
receive further notice hereafter.
n. Y. Spirit OF Il TraEs-In addition
to the other very interesting matter usually