New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-21

ti0n 30 light, that six weeks o time is ample for the
Judge to transact all the business Oh his District.
This should not be the Districts should be enlarged
the salaries OF the Judges increased in proportion
as to command the best talent Or IT, in yog5 wisdom
yon should deem the present organization OF the Dis
trict Courts the best, then would recommend the
leans into four districts, from which Judges for the
trial Of recused cases may be chosen The repeated
election Of Judges by the people increases the number
OF recused cases and that number is now 50 largei in
many OF the Judicial Districts that there can be no
hope Of ever clearing the dockets of taem unless
something be done by the Legislature.
The criminal law OF the State, as will be seen from
the report Of the Attorney General, demsnds your
immediate action. Its defects so glaring and so
numerous that may say crime often goes unwhip-
ped Of Justice It may be important to facilitate you
in your labors to have the aid and counsel cf that
officer, who from his position and experience, has
been made fully aware OF the many mperfections Of
the criminal laws.
The adjournment of your honorable body last year
without passing any laws for the government Of the
Penitentiary, or making any appropriation for its
maintenance and active operation, threw upon my
hands great responsibility.
With ardent desire to protect to the fullest ez
tent in my power the interest Of the State solicited
Messrs s. NJ. Hart and W. S. Pike to accept of the
OF the Penentiary knowing that my repu
taton and the true interest of the State would be safe
in their hands. ..r
With no money to purchase either the daily food
for the conycts, Or the material for manufactur
ing was, through the kindness Of the President and
Directors Of the Citizens Bank, granted loan Of
$4,000.
During the short time the factory was in active
operation, tsay two months) the net profit for the
State was three thousand dollars.
On the I'd Of June the factory was consumed by
fire, originating from friction in the pickery. It's
destruction threw out of employment, may say the
entire labor of the Pententiary.
had either to keep the convicts locked up in their
cells thereby endangerng their lives, convene the
Legislature at the expense of one hundred thousand
Tho rf
building the factory, and employing the convict labor
to the best advantage of the State
This responsibility, as you are aware, was not
sought by me- But as faithful representative of
the State could do nothing less than have done.
found it to the interest of the State to work
the convicts in the erection of buildings absolutely
| needed than for them to remain idle the cost of
their maintenance being the same, whether at work
or confined in their cells.
Immediately after the destruction of the factory
the President and Directors of the Louisiana State
Bank promptly rendered me (Which was accepted) a
loan, amply sufficient to rebuild and purchase the
machinery for the new factory. '...-s-s -.
The factory is now capable Of performing twice the
work of the old, and when the new building is filled
with machinery, it will quadruple the work Of the
old factory. Besides, it is much more secure from fire
| than the old building.
deem it proper here to state that am, as Govern.
or, under many Obligations to Aessrs Hart and Pike
for the faithful, prompt and udicious manner in
which they have discharged their duties as agents Of
the Louisiana peaitentiary To their report, which is
hereunto annexed, must refer you for full and de-
tailed statement Of the affairs of the Penitentiary
| from the time its management came under my con-
troll npto the close Of the past year, feeling fully
sured will staidthe cosest investigation and scru-
tiny, and that my efforts to advance, in this matter
the interest of the State will meet with the approval
OF the representatives of the people.
1t gives me pleasure to report to you the sound and
prosperous condition of our banking institutions. In
such esteem are mGneyed corporations held, that
the attention of other States has been attracted tc
the details Of onr banking system. Whilst the rate
of interest has been lower for the last year in Loui
ana than in any other portion of the country, the
stocks Of all our banks have steadily appreciated
and they are now bringing prices above their pa
value, showing that capital is best employed wheI
4 it exacts moderate charge for its use from the iabo
and industry which it stimulates. Freed from all th
evils which surely attend q debased and tiuctuatng
} currency, we should guard against any innovation
which would tend to destroy the strong and conseva
tive checks of our banking system. The history o
Louisiana is too full OF warning on this subject t.
render more than passing alusion necessary.
In 1855 when the public mind, both in the United
States and in Europe was attracted by the fitness OF
railroads worked by locomotives, for the transporta
ton of merchandise and passengers, Louisiana was
among the first States to project and embark in a
great commercial railroad. Whether the failure OF
the New Orleans aud Nashville Railroad was attr
butabe to want of experience, bad management, OF
the stress of the times, it is useless to inquire
it is sufficient to know that the effect most disas
trous. Public confidence was lost, and while the i'm.
pOrtance OF railroads to commerce and agriculture
was universally achnOHleugeu, the most sanpullle
would scarcely venture to recommend their constrlc
ton. The Constitution of lS45 prohibited virtually
the State from embarkng in or aiding railroad COM
panes, and took from the Legislature the power of
granting such charters would permit the organiZa
ton of joint stock associations suitable to the ends of
internal improvement. Time passed enterprise, first
crushed by failure, and then shackled by law, sunk
into the deepest apathy the people, awakened
to of their suterngs and their wants, called
new State Convention in 1852 which restored tc
them the sovereignty they had surrendered by the
Constitution of lS45.
The Legislature of 1858 granted the aid of the
State to three great lines of railroads by the subscrib
ing to onetth of the capital stock of each company
viz: the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad
the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Rail
road and the New Orleans, Jackson and Great North
ern Railroad On future occasion will transmit tc
you the annual report Of each company required
by law. In the meantime, deem the subject of in
ternal improvements OF such vital Importance to the
State as to authorize brief review OF the present
condition and future prospects of these great works
of intercommunicatiOn.
The vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad
commences on the Mississippi, opposite Vicksburg
and passes nearly due west over the northern range
of parishes, through Monroe and Shreveport to the
dividing line with Texas. The distance from the
Mississippi to Monroe is "A miles, to Shreveport III
miles, and to the State line lS9 miles. AT this poin
J union is formed with the Southern Pacific Railroad
which has been most munifcently endowed by grant:
of land from the State of Texas. It's estimated tha
the Texan extension will reach the Trinty-nearlJ
!
quired to complete the Louisiana division to tine Mis-
sssippi river
Congress at its last session, granted to this com
pany 420 924 of land to aid in the construction
of its railroad. The President OF the Company in hi
last annual report thus describes the value of the do
nation Much of it, lying Immediately upon tht
line of the railroad is the best quality of cotton ant
in the State, and of it will be found too poor TO
cultivation after the road is built
The whole road has been placed under contract
and large number of men are now employed in build
ing the eastern and western divisions The first 81
miles Of the roadway formation from Vicksbur!
west has been completed, and the iron superstructur
is now being laid down. The management of thi
most important line of railroad has been characterize
E from its commencement by great prudence, energ
) and discretion.
The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Wester
f Railroad commences at Algers and passes nearl
west, near ThbodauX, through Tgerville and Bel
t wick to Franklin; thence north-westerly throug
t Iberia, Vermionvle and Opelousas, to a point o
the Sabine suitable for a union with the Texan raj
roads. Seventy three miles of this important wor
have been completed and in successful operation fc
the last year. and by the lst OF March the road will
opened to Brashear, the eastern shore of Berwick
Bay, so miles from New Orleans. This point is rel
resented presenting excellent seaport for steam
and sailing vessels OF light draught in the coastn
trade with Texas, Mexico and the seaboard of Louis
ana lying between the mouths of the Mississippi an
j. Sabine rivers The cOmDany has made n cOntraI