New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-29
Consolidation,

J We publish, to-day, bill proposed we pre-
sumo by Mr. Robb) to organize the consolidation
i of the three Municipalities of New0rleans. W.
have no idea that this is the bill which it is pro
: posed finally to pass. On the contrary, we look
! upon it, on the current Of legislative matters
, only as a screening blind behind which, on The
river, the hunter floats down towards his focl
Of ducks. There is another bill, which Mr.
Benjamin has assured us, on his word of honor
! was his bill That bill was the bill of Mr. John
Slidell. We had a glance at it-a ten minutes
glance-we could get no more; nobody else
could get sight at the bill. We saw but one
clause-we turned to that hastily, expecting
that we would be allowed to see no more, and
we saw distinctly that to secure his election as
| U. s. Senator, Mr.. Benjamin had consented to
! advocate and support bill, which must be the
ruin Of his own party in this State, and of the
!. Second Municipality The attempt, notorious
in Baton Rouge, to conceal that bill, and to for
bid those friendly to the inclusion of Lafayette,
from having any knowledge of the contents,
alone show the character of the bill, as being
unfair and sectional. -f
Mr.. Benjamin was the only candidate for
United States Senator, on all sides, any side,
and every side of Consolidation. and he alone
reaped all the benefits resulting from the cues
ton, which had no earthly proper connection
with the United States senatorshp He has the
! Senatorship. Mr.. Hunt, by o fair, manly,
chivalric, and honorable course upon this ques-
ton, suspecting no deceit, no underhand work
ing, sacrificed votes, lost by most bigoted and
sectional appeals. a.5.r 7.a
On the night preceding the Senatorial cleo
ton, when it was too late to make any opposition
whatever, Mr.. Benjamin said, in our presence,
with.a sheer of the utmost disdain, ssWe have
| the right and power to submit or not to submit
this bill of Consolidation, to the people, and we
will do just as we please If we choose to pass,
| it we will do so-make it peremptory upon them,
and they can help themselves as they can"
This bill is Mr.. John slidells bill, as Mr.
Benjamin himself told u.s. 1t is regular Pla-
| quemines affair, as we know from the examina-
| ton of only one clause 1t sells the whig party
| of Louisiana, now and for ever, to crafty Mr.,
Robb, the European bond holders, and to make
Mr.. Benjamin United States Senator. It sacri-
fees the Second Municipality, and makes it the
seryile treasury sold Esau-for the other
Municipalities. To illustrate this, we have only
| to state one fact. Mr.. Benjamin told us when
we objected on this ground, sMy dear sir, the
Second Municipality can easily outvote the
other two." This is not true, in fact, and Mr.
Benjamin ought to have known better. This
fact. this statement of Mr.. Beniamin's, and his
refusal, Cutter plain honest men had distinctly
understood him to say, that the admission of
Lafayette was unconstitutionaD to inform us
whether or not upon his reputation as lawyer.
the admission of Lafayette, was or was not con-
stitutional, shows the game which was afoot. He
distinctly refused, in our presence, to give any
opinion whatever upon the subject. Mr.. Randell
Hunt, Bayard-like, boldly and publicly spoke
out, pering all his chances, days before the Sem
atorial election, and said, upon his reputation
as lawyer, that the suggestion that the ad-
mission of Lafayette was unconstitutional, was
mere dust thrown into the eyes of the unthink- |
ing and he further said, what we entirely be-
lieye, that the attempt to pat the admission of |
Lafayette into separate bill, was an insiduous |
move to secure its positive exclusion.
Now, here is q very nice state of things Mr.. |
Benjamin is United States Senator, and he says L
in our presence, and'in the presence Of others,
that with or without the consent of the people of
NewOrleans, he has right to make law 1
peremptory, absolute upon them; and that if he
chooses, he wul do so. Mr.. Robb says, as a
dozen gentlemen have reported to us, that he,
to prevent all opposition, will push his Consoli-
iation bill through with telegraphic speed and
that he designs to give no chance for exceptions,
which might be taken in public discussion-that
is, we are to have bill of Consolidation which
suits Messrs. Robb and Benjamin, Ito say nothing
of Mr.. John slidell, European bondholders, etc. }
without regard to popular sentiment
We have no patience with such matters, and
we want no discounts from Mr.. Robb. He has
said. as we are credibly informed, that he will
lrive his bill through at once, if it cost him
100000. Well, Mr.. Robb has, the money, the
people have the democratic privilege of thinking
for themselves and if he does drive it through
in that manner, he will have made his point
will have satisfied the parties with whom he is
and, we suppose, it will be small
matter that the people of New0rleans have been
the Second Municipality sacrificed,
the whig party of Louisiana tied down, and the
entire city sunk in disastrous competition with
city, of all others, possessing the
best natural advantages of any other on the
Mississippi.
We distinctly say that, without gross and
palpable violation of the chartered privileges of
the city of NewOrleans and the three Munich
without most dictatorial AFRO
gance in legislation. the Legislature cannot pass
a bill consolidating any portion of the city of |
Neworleans, without referring the same to the
sense of the people Of the several Municipalities
In the mean time, We say that this bill of Mr.. |
kobh's is not the bill which is to pass; it is not
the bill which it is intended to pass Mr.. John |
snaeifs bill, Mr.. Benjamins pet project. the !
Dill which sells the whig party of Louisiana,
winch compels the Second Municipality to pay |
the taxes Of the two other Municipalities which |
virtually makes union with Lafayette an impos-
sibihty-which makes the municipality which |
Mr., Benjamin himself said could outyote the |
two others, take a permanent position as an |
inferior, in minority of three votes: TINT is
the bill which is to pass, in one form or The
other. unless the indignant remonstrancs of in.
telligent men should prevent so great leeisla-
tive outrage. That bill has already made Mr.,
BeajaMta L, B, Senator, which is something |