New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-02-09
pATON ROUGE AND NEW ORLEANS
q RAILROAD. ~

q TON ROUGE AMI Ne w OASAA2 fAfsS ~
RAIL1sOAD. kF Ia
Ne publish This morning. the report Of the minor
II of the Committee ofthe House Of Representatives
81 internal fmprov on the subject Of sub Z
stspton y the State to onefth of the capital sock
If the New Orleans and Baton Rouge pE...iroad Com
pany. There was no majority report, so to speak
the majority Of the committee cnntentipg themselves
with simply reporting adversely without going into
argument or illustration We regret this, feeling sure
that all opposing arguments and Illustrations could
be easily rebutted and refuted, which would tend to
strengthen, instead Of weakening, the bii. Inc Dill
is srong enough its own merits and II II Is egis
lated upon with exclusive reference to ITS merits,
there is no doubt to minds Of its meeting with
favorable consideration.
"a The minority report is ably written and interest
ING production. It meets and covers al the issues
involved in the controversy, and demonstrates con.
clnsiyelv Tie necessity Of the road, It's value and
ntty how II has been considered heretofore by diff
feent Legislatures and gives reasons
wbv the same State aid that has been extended to
an other roads should be extended to this road We
trus all our readers both in the city and the country
7 will peruse it attentively. AZ IN s1is
This road as is very justly stated in the report is
| a work Of great general advantage, and the pubic
interests require its construction as SPEEDILY as prac
ticable The capital stock is set down at 81 100000
IL has been surveyed and located ami for cheapness
of construction etc., is superior to any railroad IN
the State. It leaves Baton Rouge by q line bearing
| nearly east, /" and without a single DETECTION from
straight line fortyive miles in ength will reach and
unite with the New Orleans jackson and Great North
ern Railroad near the 48th mile post This will
make the whole distance between New Orleans and
4 Baton Rouge OIL miles The road will pass through
the center Of the parishes of East Baton Rouge and
Livingston and for about rs miles over. valuable
4 public lands. 1t Is thought Congress will grant
100000 acres of land in aid Of the work. as soon as IT
] is commenced. 1t is understood that wealthy con-
tractors have proposed to build the road, and stock 1t
with machinery, for $21 900 per mile, which is 81 600
per mile less than tine average cost Louisiana rail-
roads, In addition it is stated that these contractors
are willing to receive half payment in the stock Of the
d company, take the State and city of Baton Rouge
bonds at par value, and only require cash payment
for work actually done These terms are in the high
est degree reasonable and denote tile greatest conf
dece on the part of the contractors in the remunera
tive character of the proposed enterprise Contractors
, usually know what they are about; and when they
make such an offer this it strikes us that it should
induce all dspassonate and practical observers to
! look with friendly eye upon the work.
: The only objection we have heard urged against
this work is that it is local work-conined to small
section of countryand that it is not, therefore, en-
titled to be placed the footing with the other
roads the beneficial influences of which are, as soon
as completed to permeate the whole commonwealth.
We think this objection iounded in more than one
respect-in fact, in great many respects and are
confident that we can prove our way OF thinking TO
be correct. We don't assume any superiority III the
premises, Of any nature or kind whatever. But we
do ask our fellow-ctzens and the opponents of the
road especially, to listen attentyey to what we have
to say, and to bestow upon whatever arguments we
may advance, a fitting consideration. All we ash is
to be heard-a the friends of the road ask is to be
heard. Certainly that boon--that rght-will not be
denied us by our own immediate countrymen.
Now, for the first question to be considered Is the
road local road Here the principal objection to
+ extending State aid hinges Do away with it, and
: the objections will also pass away. This Is exactly
what we propose to do. We take the broad ground
at the outset that the road is as much entitled to BIZ
looked upon as State work Of internal improvement
{ as the jackson and Great Northern, the Opelousa
and Great Western, or the yeksburg and Shreveport
Railroads. Why, it only passes through two parishe
Is and makes a solitary railroad connecticut! some
doubter or doubters may calculate. We will tell yo
x why, friends. That connection not only accommo
that important and wealthy section known as the Fe
Of cianas. Further it brings the political and CONNER
cia capitals uxtapostion, matter of extre
ID Importance to u.s. if not to the State at large Now
as gentlemen of the country opposed to this bill have
not some little right to be heard in the determnato
of this question? II you will consult your Auditor
report-and he has made faithful and able report
you will find that the city Of New Orleans has paid
~ the last year. into the State Treasury, more thai
1T one-third of the entire taxes of the State. Ii yo
will consult the New Orleans delegation-Senator
ic and Representatves-yo will find them almost uni
yersaly if not universally in favor Of the passage
the bill which will come up for discussion in the Hous
of Representatives on Thursday week next. Here VIZ
!, contend, without going further, is ample evidence
why the road thus advocated should not be viewed
the light of local road. Then, add to the parish
Orleans the axespaid by Jefferson, East Baton Rouge
: West Baton Rouge, Livingston and other parishes
whose representatives favor the construction of TIN
/, road, and we much mistaken if its opponents d.
not ascertain that the representatives of those VIII
e. pay the largest half Of the taxes into the
Treasury are in favor the subscription sought for.
9. Taking thus much for granted = and goodnes
nd knows we moderate enough in our assumptions
n here is common ground on which advocates and o.
V ponents can meet and reconcile their differences. W
are all in favor of State improvement and State d
y. veopment and we will be unkind to another an
a' derelict in our duties citizens if allow any gl
misunderstanding to interfere with the general
ely of the State. Es#=l. -.-
ha But there is another reason barely limited at abov
which should weigh heavily in favor of the propose
ell railroad measure. The people of the State have,
hy may be truthully said, three times decided that Il
nal Legislature should assemble at some point dsta
,a, from New Orleans. With the propriety or impr
priety of this decision. we have nothing to say
present. The Constitutional Convention of 1915 xt
es the capital of the State at Baton Rouge; that of Isl
ron refused to remove and in 1866 in pursuance of
act of'the Legislature the people voted directly
be removal non-remova Non.Iemoval carried Il
"a day by more than three thousand majority. ST
there is powerful minority opposed to the ocatit
ats of the seat of government in the town of Batt
his Rouge and this minority will, in all human prob
'ne bity never remain satisiied-wi keep continual
ND agatng the question, Gall of which will be annoyl
III. and expensive) until the main objection is remove
Now, what is that objection? We will answer wi
all the frankness of our nature and as JUST
~ demands The main objection is the difficulty
"a, p ingress to and egress from the capital. BY sIsa
Al. tnl-n