The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-04-18
NO. 81.

is said to he thirty,fve miles; but Mr.. Haynes
says the distance is thirty-threc miles Now
Sir, will give him the advantage in distance
in both the longer routes, and will take air
line route Of thirty miles or the shortest route.
| don't want the advantage of any man, in q
business transaction, nor will avail myself of
it in this matter, though it he due me. We
learn from the Report of the Minority Commit
tee on the Baton Rouge and New Orleans
railroad, that the said road can be made for
$2l 900 per mile; which is said by the Com
mittcc to be $1,000 less per mile than the av-
erage cost Of any road in the State, and S19,-
600 less, than the average cost of any railroad
in the United States. Now Sir, take the
shortest route from Clinton to Baton Rouge,
at $40, 900 per mile, giving my friends road
the advantage in the average cost per mile OF
$4,000 over any railroad in the State and it
will require 100000, according to the most
moderate estimate, and that too made bya
Committee friendly to building railroads; aud
we know that estimates Of such enterprises are
made generally under than up TO the true es-
innate. On Mr.. Haynes route Of thrty-thrce
miles from Clinton to Baton Rouge, it will
require $660,000 to build the road. On the
thirty-fvc mile or true route, it will require
s70O,000 Now Sir, it is an easy matter, to
see, that the interest on the capital of either
route at G per cent is q considerable item of
itself. The interest on the capital of the
shortest route is $4,000; on the medium or
Mr. Haynes route, it is $50, 900; on the capi-
tai of the thirty.ive mile route, it is $40, 900.
Now Sir, take the profits arising from trans
porting the productions and passengers of East
Fcliciana, and you will find deficit of $l9,-
O4S of meeting the interest on the capital OF
the shortest route; Oh the thirty-thrcc mile or
chartered route, you will find deficit OF $l9,-
GAS of meeting the interest Oh its capital; on
the long or thirty.fve mile route, you will lind
deficit of $2l ,O4S of meeting the interest OH
the capital required to build the road upon it.
This is the. enterprise we are told by MIR.
Haynes and the advocates of ofbuilding railroads
at the expense Of our portion of the con,muni-
ty, to benefit few persons of another portion.
we are to look to for so many blessings which
really consist in raising our already enormous
taxes. | ask Sir; where the uIoney is to come
from to pay for this species ofmisguidcd and en-
travagent appropriations of the peoples money!
think know where it has to come from
Sir; it has to come from levy;ng additional
taxes on the people. am told the Treasury is
now empty; and ! learned this morning we
have authorised the Governor to borrow some
$500 900 to dcfray our current expenses.
Would it not seem more reasonable and just, to
free ourselves from some of those Railroad
properties already entered into on the part OF
the State. before we plunge ourselves still more
desperately into debt, by helping to make rail
roads, which promise nothing but taxes to the
people? But am told Sir; the back freight
will constitute to make this Clinton and Baton
Rouge railroad profitable; Is it not astound-
in~ Sir; that we are to be told that we VII
realise profits from being additional taxed on
the road rs has been shown, enough to pay
the interest on the Capitol invested? why Sir;
can man who don't make cotton or sugar
enourh to pay for his annual supplies, realize
profits by being taxed on the articles he il not
able TO bny? Why Sir; was Taught from
own heads off, If this is the kind Of profits We
and such miserable legislation! | am told Sir,
that nv parish has been taxed for several years
to make railroads in other portions of the Stale
and therefore should vote for this railroad
scheme so We can get our portion of taxes 10
make our road. Though we have been taxed
to assist the New Orleans and Northern rail
road, the Opelousas and Great Western rail
road and the Vcksburg and Shreveport rail
road have yet to learn, that three wrongs
make Il right The logic is the same as if VIC
knew, we had been robbed of our rights by
some three of our neighbors and we would Join II
fourth ncighbor and help him rob ourselves.
am yauntingly told, that our portion of the
State, wants railroad and it is time the road
was made answer, unfortunately for us and
the State of Louisiana, we were one of the first
portions of the State, afflicted, with the bles.
sings of n railroad; we had the Clinton and
Port Hudson railrod some twenty years since;
and it proved a miserable abortion, in the way
Of profits to the State and the community.
We learn from the Auditors Report, that tho
State owes some $4,000 to the abortion rail
road, in the rickety remains of which we are
asked to take stock on the part of the State
to the amount of one fifth of the capital that
may be required to tie a new project which
from every species of data that can be relied
on promises to be an Improbable enterprise to
the community at large and to the State in par
ticuar, and Mr.. Haynes admits that it will
require half of the profits to keep the roads in
repair. 1t is urged that we should go for this
railroad because it is contemplated, that the
West Fciciana and Woodyillc railroad will