The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-04-21
S p E E CH
JAMES ROBB, ESQ
RAILR DAD CONV TION


HGd fn yNeb orleans, Frid1y, .fprtt Is, 1851.
The following is a verbatim report of the speech
OF the President of the Convention, taken expressly
for publication in the Crescent:
JAMES RoBB, Esq, to address the Convention and
was received with enthusiastic cheering Hs said that he
rose with unaffected emotion, TO speak upon question of
great importance, question which aeknow lodged on
all hands to De OF deep interest New Orleans lie came
to that Con nton as citizen. who felt the deepest
interest in the fams in the welfare and in the prosperity of
the Queen City Of the South. lie to consult in
harmony. bat yet to make statements of truth There were
many things which belonged to this city, which were not
understood either by the maony of the citizens themselves
or by those living in the State in the States on it's
border In his remarks, he should have refer lay
ing Ia special tax real property in this State which
he considered wond be the only plan whereby they could
effect their object for had proved that all
voluntary subscriptions for public improv had
tailed. lie that the and the eaons of
property had not hitherto been fairly considered hoped
that rOm the time, they would date that
aroused them 10 action, inspired them with energy, to
treve that trade which they had lost, only abroad but
home Why, he would ask. New Orleans so heavily
taxed, why 1t without public credit. those CONNER
cal resources which other cities enjoyed, and which they
ought 10 enjoy, aswell other city (Chsers The
obvious: they laboring under four different
species of debt They had three millions Of debt upon
city before divided which OF their de-
presson and they had nothing 10 show for H. That was
their old city debt, and then there the debt of the First
the Second, and the Third Municipalities. The Second Ma
ncipaty had better credit than the other to sometimes
i pays and sometimes it does the First Municipality
uncertain. and the Third could not at all And
in what position their public credit? why los? for
when the creditor presented to the Mayor his dividend
rants he gave upon the City Treasurer made pay.
able twelve months after date. This question of
great Importance. and he that he obliged
make this statement before great assembly, What
could State be WORTH what could community expect
TO receive without public credit? What, Mr. Chairman, if
deficient in reputation. would credit be worth?
Why, without these good qualities you would not be ent
tied 10 public confidence.
We depended or less public epiDOn and was
ueess to say that we could unless had public
credit abroad. He strong advocate for the plan of
taxing the real bat would be necessary notice two
classes oi the people whom it was proposed to taI. He
wished to correct impression that abroad the
Try and which alluded the previous day by his
celent FRIEND Mr. Walter, whose acquaintance he happy
TO make in respect TO the merchants of New Orleans He
knew that genemans sentiments were credtabe to him.
and he hoped that he would take estimate of the
chants OF this city when he informed OF the facts he
about to relate lie proposed to select classes the
of which the large property owners, who enjoyed
prlncely fortunes. and lived at their and the
the merchant who toed hard develop trade and extend
the commerce. of the CITY, propose to distinguish them, and
to show that the only way to carry out any large public
eakng extensive Internal Improvement tax them
by appeal to the voice of the people, (cheer He
had appeared prominently in public, but had mostly
moved in the capacity OF private citizen But he would
begin lie would support opinions favor of
taxing the broad capital contained those resolutions and
he would carry them by and to make this great
,ernal Improvement he would rae tho by that tax
u,,e Ill Who ,v.,s n,o.n, and ,h., ,h ;;, , - =; ~
1onyen,on vond nm, Uf into ,b nson, md nt ,ha,
,bout hesitation raise tho Inds o cary tho VOL ,h
Jr,be neone wonld come forward with thar .nho;n
tho ns,b,n 4. of Ns,y O,ls,n. would do h; H., ;,L %
,n,d IN tho Co,m,,op or tb., railroad In ,yh. % ,;a ,l
ns,.tants smnl ths csnaIa WIN c, ,hs h.nat u ' as
,h nan mn ,hs onr,rv .ra ,hv 90, ,bs on ~
r ,hir c,n;t,I .rd ,ho;, crod,, Ho, ,y, !, ;i H.
thi Ice Of mo-. could h had S;,h h 'Ja,;os Js;. no a.
,h. H., ~ i,h , ; a.; cil - 80 =. . r -" "
-, t;L w. =, e, ,, ;, 80 .a 49, " % In, nio1, nv,
i ,h; ,,; J t.,; ~ ,h Al ~, 49,, ,h; .ioy "Ia'a I
- ~ ,I l c ;, rL t.s, Wv. NV p~b u,eu s"''e
s ,,ana WV" ~ ' 'ns nau
Wy, s wi .a aa w. 'oso "no nNeu vi .s
u,'i WV h; ,ouu'' anu o"ou''ens. anu
' w -, ~ -; f' ,n ~ u.s. r, n ~ w a ~ "easP .dA" ~"o"
'''i "oa' ~ sa'no '.o " ;uuva'e '' IN
,o,s VI anu ae wh ,ne ioi ne
ao o VI men hau greater cause 10 complain than
''u r, 'o'I.a''s ,, Vi u'i' Iip'
nau announcer Class Oh persons IN the CITY 10 whom ne
anu eS were thoss VINO possessed estates
W"oh ue as' '"eve mon'hs three individuals had died.
leaving over millions oil dollars Those mon were of that
Glass; ana acted Hh that class who had opposed internal i'm
rrovements and the advancement Of the State He had in
his eye an eminent end who had remarked within the last
hours that the honest aborer who had performed
daily service within the limits of the State had rendered
service to it than all these He much the pur.