Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-03-10
impediment to navigation, that we should be de-

State into the Union, would be SO distracted as to
operate more onerOus tax on the trade of La.
fourche, than dozen -ea sonable tolls, If imposed
on every s am and aat0oat engaged on its waters
Let us now draw the contrast between this House
BILL and That which pas ed the Senate. What OBJ
ject did the Senate bill propose 10 attain? Nothing
Tess, than TO accommodate the greatest possible
number of persons; and perform the greatest pos
sible amount of business. Does this House bill
promise any thing of the kind? Does it not pro-
m to de2tloy the accommodations we already
have? In my judgment it does. 1t will create a
us IS, inconvenient, :npractcable and wotthle
road, impede and OF :truct our navigation, and pro-
duce such con 1son wolse coniounded in the
means of transporting our crops ., market and Of
getting our supplies, that our reliance in either
mode would be destroyed. No, no, Mr. President,
the people in my District do not wish to be sadded
with the road here proposed, road which, if built
can result in no good but will interfere WITH I'M
pede and compcate the accomplishment of the
o.ly road that ,ciH or cc,. supply their wants, viz
the road contemplated by the Senate bill, firing its
location within the waite. limits Of the Lafourche,
together with one Of the greatest blessings which
| would .evi bly, result as the consequence Of said
location. The closing Of the mouth of the stream
| at Donaldsonville.
! It is passing strange Mr. President, that this
House bill should have emanatetl from my colleague
Col w. w. Pugh in the other branch Of the Gen
| eral Assembly. Before Ileft home to come here,
had intended to offer for the consideration of the
Senate, bill for the Lafourche Railroad, with the
identical location proposed by the Senate Bill; and
l SO informed as many of my constituency as / con-
veniently could. Among the number most valued
and eminent, before whom caused my proposed
road project to be propounded and explained, was
my honorable colleague of the other House, and
who, was informed, from the most credible source,
was entirely in it's favor.
Again, when / came here, the subject of this
railroad, in all its bearings, was the theme of daily
conversation between u.s. and the subject matter in
relation to the measure of most Importance, was
determined with his advisement. In fact | con-
sidered it, as joint measure between us but
whether he, or were father or mother to the
bantlissg was not determined. ..,s.-. ;sss
But now foisooth, he denies ell parentage Of the
noble offspring which sill cherish SO fondly and
has brought forth, on his own hook, what all prac
ti6le men will admit, is either an abortion, o.
thing, the paternity Of which fev will claim to
share.
Mr.. President, the laws Of reproduction, in the
physical world, are more or less shrouded in mys-
terry, and would not like to designate the germ
from which this House bill sprung But sir, since
the passage Of the Senate bill, there has been an
expression Of public opinion from portion of my
constituency in the parish Of Assumption, who are
opposed at the present time, to shutting out the
river water from the bayou Lafourche This er-
preston, as we have seen, has had the effect of
defeating the passage of the Senate bill by the
House, by preventing unanimous vote in it's favor
What other extraordinary effects have been brought
forth, leave others to form their own conclusions
Now Sir, as we cannot get the good we so greatly
needed, and if we act at all will only do eyi let us
do nothing but Icy this bill the table indefinitely
until such period, as by proper examination Of all
the bearings, advantages, and disadvantages (if
any) of the proposition, the people who ssou think
adversely to the measure, shall be convinced of its
soundness and wisdom, and call for its passage
themselves 81 ,z4,a7 - sy5z-f9t7 sS
Such period, in my judgment, will not be far dis
tant. AT the last session of this Legislature, we
passed an act, authorizing the expenditure Of a
large amount Of public money, from the fund Of
the Second Swamp Land District, to make an out
let to the bayou Lafourche below Lockport and
when made, is intended to prevent the overflow of
aarge portion Of the lands bordering on that stream
But Mr.. President, will that improvement, when
made, have the anticipated effect proposed? In
my humble opinion, rs good effects will only be
temporary; on the contrary, it will cause worse
evil, IN very short time, than it was intended to
remedy, viz: total filling up Of the shole present
channel Of the Lafourche together with tie outlet
1Nen, when the whole Latourche region becomes
flooded with water, and too ldie to apply remedy,
without losses iseelcslable. tie people may begin
TO see and feel Necessity for railroad, eves, i it
by which they shall have been deluged. 4 sssesI
One word in regard to some Of the objections
which have been made to the location Of the road,
proposed by my bill, and also to the read if made,
- compared with the water privileges which We
now pc ssess The first is, against the supposed
inevitable result Of the location ritsin the levees
Of the Lafoufche, Wis: the closure of the mouth by
an embankment, 50 as to shut out the river water.
This result was erpected and intended when drew
up the bill - s@
Now Sir, this question Of closing the Lafomcffe,
as have attempted to show, is only question of
time for the time is close at hand, when self pre-
servation from destructive overhows, viii compel
the people Of the Lafourche parishes to adopt the
E'fs 80 9 azsSfa'zz e
Secondly, againet the road viz: that it win be.
oppreae the people BY extor6onary charges But
why SO? Is not the road to be exclusively ! La
fourche undertaking, without any connection or
alliance with that Of any other?
Then, propose, that the corporations of Dom
aldsonville and Thbodaux, shall take stock intheir
corporate capacity; and the parishes Of Assump-
ton, Lafourche and Terrebonne, for the whole
balance OF stock required shall subscribe as parishes
and 70 bold said at0ck for an time to come, the
dtvsdesds from the profits Of the road to be devoted
10 the payment Of the State and parish taxes there
by presenting large and rich portion of our State,
'sithot tarat.on, Or the disagreeabe yearly visits
of the TAX gatherers ffss IS YssE8-
By this plan the tolls and fares imposed by, the
would be imposed on themselves:
no danger ofoppression could arise.
ofy,