New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-06
En- LETTER. OF JAMES ROBE
oA INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
t11sE N. -tHIEaEssy Fed. rsI55I,
10 ms E1cshteney Robert O. tp7cEiife,
- LOpeynofs Of Lhp Sfsrte nft nasssstsn v ~.

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portaht subject avail myself Of your kndnegs hr1t M
not without didence and digtrust Of nly ability III
treat it property: and were less free from apprshen
sion and anxiety for the futage Of the pubic works
commenced in hs State, owing 10 the apathy ana in
difference with which they regarded, IRould de-
elipethe honor Of addressing to you this and other
Letters which will form continuation of the subject
under appropriate divisions. s355gs
The progress made in the construction Of public
Works in the States east Of the Ohio and Mississippi
ffyers with the benefits which every day experience
proves Will be conferred Louisiana by their early
compfete renders the subject now, more than ever,
1ne6hs o. Of Chief Importance in our public policy II
causes o. our own inactivity amidst the general pro-
gse8 oi the nation, nor from anst contemplation Of
W. eSa nsssstes We the victory
ass practically displayed to give us solid
Taai y " sae confidence and cooperation Of
snIte "mezs alliance interest to cultiVate
- naeh the habit Of everyday life to andeaTor
Sora " Y Teh things as We find them and prop
estGi 70 psSofni new and ant1ied are en-
The 1T1easa dseoves1s xrs regarded With suspicion
clety when hrs have Mt, ID general. n
secured Their authors poverty, envy
merit generally disdne nenished by tilefE anncitS
they seldom enlist eager attention. VI
made 50 plain as to reach the common undsrsanding
lacks the charm Of novelty. These reflections ars
suggested by the task have uTassrtaken and " faeT
that cannot invest my subject with nnvsltY
may fail to interest the public as much as s import
ance deserves.
In consequence of the failure and abandonment Of
the Nashville Railroad, commenced in 1880, and IN
deed Of every undertaking in the State which had
the misfortune to into existence at that period
Of initiation and speculation .tte public mind seemed
to have settled down, by common consent, i'd the
belief that we never would possess the+capacty or
means to undertake and complete any public work Of
Importance and that this sentiment was not only
general but had actually become intoIerant towards
enterprise IS fully exposed in the constitution Of
That instrument diyested the Legislature Of the power
to confer chartered privileges and yet while carrying
out the restrictive intention Of its framers, in their
hostility to thanking institutional by astranee iH-
consistency actually constituted those that survived
the disaters of 1s42 the most exclusive monopoyof
privileges ever known tolerated among free5peo
pie. 1t was decided that we should have no more
banks b4t the enjoyment Of exclusive privileges was
reserved for those then in existence (which policy
still continued would have subjected our whole COM
merce to controlled by the caprice and interest of
three or four powerful combinations.
In April, 1851, our first Railroad Convention Has
held in this city. Preceding its organization, none
was more doubtful of its than L and CON-
sented with the greatest reuctaneeto share in its de-
| hberations. A committee of ways and means was
named, composed of our most intell gent citizens;
and their report and resolutions enumerated the policy
of taxation on real estate for the purpose of building
4 railroads, which was approved with The greatest
4 unanmity by the convention. This unexpected manl-
festaton Of an awakened public sentiment inspired
the great massof our citizens high expectations,
and was fair index Of then determination to COM
mence fresh career Of progress, and redeem the
State from the apathy which has reduced tito
the rank Of an inferior memberof the confederacy >
Al the election in November 1851, members OF the
Legislature were selected in reference to the promo
ton those reforms in legislation, which we're not
only demanded by circumstances, but sanctioned
/ by unequivocal expressions of the public will.
4 These reforms contemplated nothing short Of an
entire change in our organic law-the consolidation
4 of the municpaltes-the restoration public credit
by funding and guaranteeing the pu1etual payment
of the interest debt-the granting Of special
charters" and the contribution Of State aid by sub
scrption to the stocks Of the companies engaged IN
the construction of works Of public utility The
success of these of refor repeatedly rat~
fed by the public voice, is now portion Of our his
tory The Legislature Of the State OF Mississippi, in
spirit Of great beraity, at the same time promptly
responded, by conceding the right of way through her
territory, to the New Orleans, jackson and Great
! Northern Railroad Company. z*Ss 4sS "a
The considerations that prevailed in favor Of re-
sort to taxation real estate, to construct public
works, were numerous The policy had already been
its legality had received the sanction of the highest
Courts of Appeal None could pretend to deny that
g landed property, whether rural urban would per-
f. petuay ehjoythe benefits resulting from the con-
sruction of railroads and canals and it eonsti-
a tuted the great bulk of basis of taxation it
lie provided that "a majority Of its propretors should
alone decide upon the subscriptions it would have to
~ bear. The measure was sustainedby vote of more
IL; than five to in its favor in the city, and
ID ried by considerable majorties in many Of the pa
~ rses of the State Reliance was not placed in mere
y voluntary aid, it was well known, from the proVer
bal hostility of few large Propretors to all progress
and Improvement and the absence Of others who re-
n tutions that the whole burhen of undertakings
f. would in that case have to be borne by the industl
and enterprsing classes of citizens who the
tenants Of those whose property their very enterprise
e would be most certain to benefit In addition to
G other Weghty and just arguments in favor of taxa
= ton, it came recommended by the suggestions Of
RI economy being cash, instead of credit system,
If sometimes nconvenent, and. in most cases. fatal to
i the value of the shares Of the stockholders.
V Encouraged by every plausible calculation of suc-
cess consented to serve as the first President of the
Orleans jackson Rai1ro
Il Company; and left the State for Havana, in March,
# 1852 with every confidence that there would be no
y departure from available taxation to build the
y road. Duringmy absence the proposition for sub
scrption of two millions Of dollars from the city was
brought before the City Council which, yielding to
the feeble counses of expediency unfortunately stpu
70 lated in the ordinance that the instalments should
4 cover six years-the first not colectabe until May
1858. This was the beginning of misfortune and up
J. to this day our undertakings commenced under the
most encouraging auspices, have languished under
the accumulated evils Ola credit system, which, if
not overcome by substantial aid may in the end result
in the sacrifice of the shares of the individual stock
p holders. If the subscription by taxation had been
a granted as originally proposed, viz two and half
o. millions Of half per cent in 1852 and one
ii per cent. per annum in 1861 5, and which would
have equally received the support of the friends Of the
~, road. this sum, with the State and individual SUBJ
r serpons, would have secured to the Company nearly
If four millions Of dollars in cash. without borrowing q
al dollar. Other important aids which SO large basis
or would have called to the assistance of the road, would
ID have insured its completion to Canton, within the
N last year. ~--7-1
The manifest advantages of such an achievement
wouldhave strengthened and confirmed the confidence
the friends Of progress and destroyed the hopes o
its adyersaes The business Of two hundred and siz
ch miles Of road penetrating rich andpopulous district
he would have rapidly grown into Importance and OF
reasonable calculation its net revenues would have
%. yielded four hundred thousand dollars annually
nd which would have proved an unfang resource to the
he Company in carrying the extension of its works tc
a. the Tennessee river and maintained the value Of it
shares solid basis, thereby preventing the de
or probation which gives them but nominal quo
r. tation Besides the taxpayer would have held an
cr equivalent for his taxes and ultimately reaped the
,r advantages which all similar undertakings elsewhere
=, ., have conferred on real property.
ed The consequences of the unfortunate turn given to
the affairs of this Company, and those ofthe Opelousas
he Company by surrendering position of strength fol
one Of weakness, will make the subject Of my nex
letter,
: And am yours, faithfully,
I' JAMES ROBE.
en- ---o-eS--
us 4 HOPEFUL YoUrH.-A boy about nine years 0
as age called recently at sationhouse in Brooklyn
lie hot