Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-11-02
REPORT
aF TiIF
TehnantepetoC ON m itt8e.
To tAe Citizens of Nee Ollea,s.

To lie Gifitejts of Ns,o Orleans.
THE Permanent Committee, appointed
he yon III vour public meeting Oh tile 5tl
October, 1917, have the honor now te
report to you an account of their ac.
tioi, in your behalf Tlns report has
been deuyed, because 4 s;e measures de.
,ised by them had not been brought to Il
satisfactory cs.eSsion. Tie most i'm
portant Of these measures are now az az
epmtlialed, aud the time for astion hSa
tSrived. .
On the organization of the committee,
Mr.. Conrey was chosen Chairman,
and Mr.. Bernard Fallon male an offer
Of his services rs Secretary, Which was
accented. Our first efforts were of course
directed to the obtaining Of the privileges
granted BY Mexico to Mt..Garay. These
privileges consisted;
/. Of the exclusive right Of establish
ing a communication by steam afaoss tie
l4tlmus Of l'eltautepec hy can9a rail-
roads, Or Improvement of natural water
courses. The tight is granted for sixty
wears.
9. or q grant in fee simple e,f ten
leag,,es rf land on each side Of the line OF
communication making about five mil
lions Of acres.
3 OF exemption from any cnn'rlbt'-
tipus or taxes on travellers or nefeiiah-
disc in trnnsit,l, for term of fifty years
mud exemption from transport dues,
Irairhts, Iitherage, tonnage, or any other
class Of dues.
4. OF the right of foreigners to acquire
real property, and exercise any trade or
calling, even mining within fifty leagues
on either side Of the line oE transit.
i OF An exemption from NIL duty ON
agricultural implements, and implements
Tor the arts. for twenty years and ON
all artales Of Subsistence, clothing, inrIl-
tnfe. and other things useful for the con
struntjnn and establishment OF houses,
for sixty years from the establishment
Of the colony.
6. OF making all works necessary for
shelter aud Use, tortresses and warehouses,
ia two ports one at each end OF the line,
10 be selected by the grantee.
The vast value Of SO liberal q grant
was fully ny0reeiated BY your committee,
and their most earnest efforts were directed
to tie securing Of it's advantages to New
Orlesuss Although the execution of such
q work, II made by the citizS,s oi otiior
States. 2,uzt contribute immSHseIy to or
comnerss *, it was Obvious that weigh
tv motives existed for eH1eayorlng To So
cure TIA control Of The route IN this city,
Tie pfS,s Of the citizens Of New York
to inonopoliae the daily increasing trade
with the Pacific cost, ,-hy the passage across
Panama. had bcei, elulnently successful.
aud could not but be mnrtliylng to or
merchants The whole line OF western
travel, instead of descending the Missis-
sippi. was borne on railroads to the Attain
tic sea-bparl. and the superior enterprise
of our Northern rivals had enabled them
entirely 10 overcome the marked aiVHtta-
pres that our natural position, i'll relation
10 this commerce, ought to have secured
for Us. The concentration in New Or.
leans of the capital to be expended III the
road. and Of its receipts when made, were
by no means unworthy of oonsdera4
tion, and our local position was peculiar
" favorable for the Eupcrlntendence and
Of The work 10 be done.
Two subjects Of consideration were ot
importance. it was necessary to
ascertain the validity Of the grant, aud to
secure its transfer to company, to be es-
tat,lished ia louisiana. The reputed
grantee, Mr. IIpfgous had mnde himself
known at Washington by his Jealous en-
tcayors to obtain assistance, III the shape
Of q mail contract to enable him to push
on the construction Of the road. but had
heeu unsuccessful The route by pana-
ma had already secured the monopoly OF
New York and no disposition then ex-
iated among her capitalists to build mp
rival enterprise. The opportunity was
Thought favorable for cEtelidiilg to MIR.
/ lIarpous the cooperation OF our citizens.
but some guarantee was required that the
benefits of our eXcrtons would cnnre to
the advantage of New Orleans that II
our time, efforts and money were eHpend-
cd successfully in aid of the enterprise.
flat we should reap It's fruits With this
view it was determined to propose TO Mr..
ilarrous a partnership, and this deterlnlna-
ton was based oil the motive that the
very great val,te of his grant was such as
would require for its purchase 50 large
sum. as to render it doubtful If o fund
could be raised sufficient for the purpose Of
fnakine the purchase and building the road;
and also. because the eomtnittee was not
vet entirely satisfied as to the validity OF
the title OF Mr.. Hargous and was also
desirous of retaining the aid and co.opefa-
tio.i of himself aud his associates in the
furtherancc Of tue project.
A sum Of about ten thousand dollnrs
having been raised by subscription to de-
tray the preliminary e2penseHoi OIL Kinds,
the committee appointed the late Pres-
ton w. F'arrar, ESD, one of their num-
her, as q special delegate to visit New
York, oonter with Mr.. Hargons, aacer-
tain as far as possible the validity Of his
title, and endeavor to enter into an ar
conforfnably to the views above
expressed. Instructions were given to
Mr.. Farrar, aud limit of three millions
of dollars was suggested by the commits
tee as the extreme price they were disposed
to allow for the grant, if placed by Mr..
Hargous in tie company to be formed, in
the shape OF stock to be issued to him in
payment.
The mission of Mr.. Farrar proved un-
successful. The proprietors Of the grant,