New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-08
IEyTTTEFss oE .TAHTaas RoBs 81
1N INgEENAIt IMPROVEMENT
NEW. iohEEkEl;s. Feb. 6. 1886.

Ssks
ON INgERNAIs IMPROVEMENT !
N Elhtt3 j. tffElilf a 5sjli NJ
.,s.gs - New oREEIfs, Feb &, 1856
lohis EzeeRepest Robert, gssstpietli8Fe.
y.,, Governor Of tte State of Loaisiata -
SIE-AfY second letter was an exposition Of the
inancal difficulties that surrounded Tie mana cement
If our two chief railroads This hope may possess
1oEe attractions which it can borrow from the ~
lnticipaton of success founded up0Y atefmafe and
Taaabe aid, rather than merit shown In its discus
ion. a% 54s3oB Ss osss n 555$5fj za
The amount expended in The construction of The.
Great Northern and 0pelousas Railroads is S6
55I0O, Of which tRe State has invested II 364 900,
and the city So 100000, the residue having beefr
derived from taxation and individual snbscrieions-
This large sum may now be considered dead eaItal
neither road having advanced sufficiently to perform
the agency Of developing orimproving any impofFans
OF valuable section of the country II Is, therefore,
question which is now invested with strong claims on
the Vigilance and support of the Government of the
state ana she city, with view Of assuring the re-
s1its which boh roads promise il carried to compile
ton fon will Naturally be led to inquire how the
Ee1i az ar as the limits Of the constitution will per-
nlI fsy using lts great political and moral Influence
Wtn oar sister state Of Mississippi, and ezhorting it
% cooperate pnYa scale commensurate with It's Inn
sesoureesn aid Of policy already ratified by
sie pppiaE Voice and which only needs the aeffie1~
sence Ct enllghtened and 10 las ss
aonofasse to to the people representatives and
TO which all pfide as nm irnperishatIe
Z W &kbFy
/ The city can issue more bonds and ii yoalL
swer good purpose il il did, III the u1are for NE
sale Of its securities is restricted aae sd af all
acrptons Of aid there ia, in hion none more
Objectionable grounds Of interest and nolrv m
stead of relying bonds credit why net fall back
on taxation to IA moderate extent2 have already
explained and, think, conyincinglE. that had we
adfesed to this policy. our roads would be giving
some return their cost aid beSin part fulfilling
their great mission; and IT, Tread Alright the senti-
ents of the bulk Of the sensible and patriotic o our
pose serious objections, provided guarantees existed
that aid thus granted would be faithfully and judi
| ciousy applied. Our two railroad companles have
nearlyBthe whole Of their unsold city dyed.
With large margins to the lender for the loans needed
to carry their floating Indebtedness, and every day
essefs their resources W the payment of " and Is
cent On the citybonds which Is paid by taxation and
comes out of the pocket Of the citizen How long
would merchant planter continue solvent, with
such pressure upon his means We are oppressveIy
taxed already, and the oudest complaints prevail,
but there is remedy for this evil unless men of ca
pacy and integrity can be on to superintend
/ the expenditure ofthe city The reduction Of taxes
4 isto be alone kept in view, We may Soon
\ in the condition of being without streets over Whch q
dray could pass: and if we taxed cotton sugar and
western produce las much to transport them to- our
presses and warehouses as it costs to bring them
/ hither, cur trade viii diminish, aud our stores and
houses become vacant. This is a digfessi6n not
without OF less application in OF
my subject But to return to- the plan Of city aid
Tiat the City Council shall submit 70 the
Of real estate ordinance to subscribe one million of
dollars by taxation. to be divided I'M the proaEton OF
$500 600 to.the Great Northern, and to the
Il Opelolsaa Company That the tax shalsb collected
+ in one instanlent and the taxpayer entitled to re.
ceye shares Of stock in each Company on presenta-
tion q his tax recent Thatm proportion aafie tax
is collected by the Treasurer of the city Td to
each Company. he shall be entitled to receive on
4behalf of t ity equal amount Of its bonds, which
shall forthwith Be cancelled by tie Mayor:
The prpctie s0peratisn Of the adoption Of this re-
eolnrlentation will be the withdrawal of our railroad
rComanes from thenarket borrowers for mil
4lion of dollars and to reduce our publs debt tor
Il like am0untto enhance the value of those. unseld
and lessen objections t5 them as security, besdes
liberating those Companies from, an inconEefient
debt which is consuming atlier substance and de
stroying the value of their shares Instead Of the
progress we have made in the construction of our
railroads being unattended with any future adFan
tage as everything n6WseeIns to .indicatei we snail
regain life and vigor under the nourshng snnportsto
be derived from policy sanctioned by theplalnest
dictates Of sefinterest and common sense Ourg gon1-
panies will then cpmpetefor capital (which we nave
4 in abundance) equality with otifer sound and
y productive securities# #There is now invested in our
two roads not much Sahort of one million Of dollars.
derived from taxation on real estate, nearly halt OF
which is replesentedsby shares the remainder being
applied to the payment OF interest on the bonds OF
" the city This sum dead capital or rather what
le represents it has only nominal Tauei and how are
to gigelife and value to this dead mass if we neg
no ect to apply the remedies the disease demands
he Our condition is not unlike that OF the proprietor
Iv thousands Of fertile acres which heeann0t enplo!
ce without captaland iaboe to improve and cultivate
M and who consents surrender share to others VIII
in will furnish him these aids. rather than to submit t.
ar privaton anlEFant, when his concessions viii seeul
Nv him luxury and plenty The additional million b
M dollars proposed to be raised by taxation, and to can
10 Gel like amount OF the public debt, could not prov
he serious Inconvenience to property; and Mobile ma.
nd justly be cited example, where the current Ia
on for railroad purposes is per cent and not bee
no less for the last three years. think it will appea
= clear to you that the taxpayer will be the gamer
lst, by giving value to shares already acquired; %
,ar by acceleratng the completion of our railroads
~, which, wherever they have been built have NOR
than doubled and quadpled the value of real estate
and by augmenting population have enhanced tn
th, rents OF houses in like proportion.
NJ The Governor of Mississippi, who has eTinced th
i'm most auabe degree of zeal in behalf of works Of in
he ternal Improvement has been pleased to recommend
ne in his late message, in strong terms the Great orth
ed road to the favorable consideration of the Legs
lature and has suggested increase of revenue tc
Ms aid the different railroads running through the State
ly There is great merit in the recommendation of Gov
I'd McRae and it is only to be regretted he did not
he higher figure than two hundred thousand dollars,
the amount of annual aid. am not insensble of the
IS. small Importance weight attached to counses that
D. freely extended and should not venture express
he publicly any opinion asto what the State of Mississippi
ce might do in aid of railroad Improvements, if had
IL not received encouragement to do so from number
of its principal and most influential and respectable
re ctizens-beSides, my reluctance is in degree
O. overcome by the recollection of their hospltabe re
ne ception and the attention received when visited
the State in 1852, and had the honor to address the
both branches. At that time had only in view the
obtaining Of the right of way, and plainly stated that
st did not come to invite assistance the part of the
". State. That the weight of any claim set up fo
cir its fostering aid should not be impaired it is only
I'd cessry nstittean inquiry into the that have
he occurred to invite it. This has been partly done
no this and my preceding letters without referring to thu
altered prospects Of railroad undertakings which ha
cir since taken place. owing to the great enhancement
ell the wages Of labor and the doubling of the cost o
railroad iron. In ls5l-2 the building of 400 miles Q
the Great Northern Railroad from New Orleans to tn
In Tennessee river could be reasonably estimated to
rs not exceeding eight millions of dollars, the scale
prices then current for wages, and all the material
pe needed in its construction. Provision for this eSper
Us, dture was clearly within reach at that time,
the ordinance for taxation real estate had not bee
perverted from the original design. Our own resoul
ces would have reached five millions Of dollars, on tn
~ ~ | following calculation, viz: s. &@ gu
me Real estate subscription in New Orleans. $250000
ad Private - 10000
tas State one-titth OF s. 100000 LOCO ,00
ms Subscription in Mississippi ,.......... 100000
40 $5 600, 90
ass The remaining three millions ofdola1s could hay
he been obtained by negotiation in spite Of the adFers