The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-03-04

: Railroad company, it is apparent that they d
IS not favor the proposed extension of their roa
d to this place, via the parishes of Rapdes, Match
j. itoches and DeSoto. They represent the com
n pany to be in a healthy condition, and its bus
e mess daily increasing, and state that the lde
" entertained last year of disseminating the roat
t, for time at bayou Boeuf, and commencing
S separate link at New Iberia to connect with Ope
= lousas, has been abandoned, and that they nov
;; deem it expedient to comp lete the road anG putt
J. in running order from Algiers to Berwick's bay
e where it is proposed to connect with steamer:
! running to Sabine bay and Galveston. The re
3 port of Mr.. Bayley, chief engineer Of the road
favors the adoption of the shortest and cheap
est route to the Sabine. He estimates that the
connection can be made for 81 ,995, 900, or for
$4,000 per mile. He says:
The commerce, the trade of New Orleans,
requires that the immense business Of Texas
should be secured to her, particularly when it
is certain 10 be diverted by other and rival
routes to the west and NORTH unless the Ope-
lousas road is SO constructed as to make it the
interest vi 1tAdS W sup " anu LlhNt with Ne"
Orleans. This can only be effected by afford
ing the shortest and most direct route from Tex
as to New Orleans, thus cheapening the cost
of transportation and gaining time. These con-
ditions are gained by building your road to the
Sabine on the route for it mentioned, viz: from
Opelousas 10 the Sabine, at Thompson's bluff,
about four and a half miles below the parallel
of 81 degrees north. The whole distance from
New Orleans to the Sabine will be about 257
miles Between New Iberia and the Sabine, by
this route, The road can be built for less than
ST. 1000 per mile, including iron, track-laying,
cross-ties. DC; or for everything except equip /
ment. 1t will be apparent at g lance on the
maps Of Louisiana and Texas, that you will by
this route connect New Orleans with the whole
of Texas. From Sabine, at the proposed cross
ing, roads might diverye north, north west,
west, south west and south, and thus penetrate
every portion of Texas and tap every road
which is or ever will be built that great State.
No part Of Texas will be unconnected with you Il
and roads are already chartered w@ch will eff
feet this. To strike Texas near latitude 80 de-
grees would connect you only with northern
Texas, and lnasmuch as roads are now being
built and somewhat advanced connecting the
seaboard with lorthern Texas it is manfestly
better to tap such roads by short and cheap $
line, than to attempt to reach northern Texas :
oy FIRST traversing the whole of Louisiana at a !;
cost of five to seven millions f
Such being the views of the Opelousas COM S
oany, if our friends ofDeSoto and Nachitoches 4
lesire railway facilities, let them build road u
0 this place, where it can connect with tI,e line
rom Shreveport to Vicksburg. s.
--~-r-~-~~------~-~-~-~---
The hon. John SlideIl, chairman of the L. S. ?
enate committee on roads and canals to which r.
ere referfeasRnmerou resolutions and memo
ais from the owners and commanders of steam p
oats navlgatlngthe western waters, submitted IL
report, a few days ago, accompanied by bill q
enlarge and improve the canal around the >,
lis OF the Ohio river, at Louisville After de- o.
ling the manner in which the work shall be eli
'ne, the bill provides that during the progress
the Improvement, the rate of tolls shall con- ~
Ii,
Tue as at present fixed by the secretary of the m,
sasury; and the money arising from the same an
er paying necessary expenses shall be appro- OF
lated and used in improving and extending tn'
work; but; alter improvements are COM in
eted, the rate of toll is to be reduced to ten no
nts per ton, (customhouse measurement for De
eamboats, and proportionate rates for other We
aft, unless a greater amount be necessary for SIS
pairs. The canal, now the property Of the 49,,
1ited States, shall continue public thorough an
e for the accommodation of all vessels deSir- cit
: to use the same, under the control and d. SUI
'tlon Of the secretary of the treasury. Mr.,
dell, although an ultra democrat, cannot be ~
sde to comprehend in what manner it is "un- DIM
to improve the navigation of pos
nth western and western rivers. but
On the 18Th ult., in the u S. house of re-
.sentatlves, the committee of Investigation Vel
de four special reports, each having refer as
;e to the case Of a member and o,a 's., deg
,,, .t. ~, o'0' al MAJ
ort' embracing all the testimony in the case
de out against the members alluded to- cha
latter closed with recommendation that by
following members of the honsa ha ;n,a,o mel:
teIy expelled: Edwards (thirty-thi dis o ';}
IT, Chatauque county, New York; Gilbert tho
'enty-thrd district, New York; and Matti- vey
, twentieth district Utica, New York y and rept
Itch, Fourth district, Connecticut) The con-
oft was ordered to be printed The excite mt"
ut IN regard to the matter was intense. for
DR.. Benjamin. from the committee on private one
GAINS, to which was referred the resolp- H'l I
|, OF the u j. senate directing the committee will
7qu'Fe into the expectancy of providing BY a T
eral law for the adjustment of private land view
ms in the States of Florida, Louisiana A. ShaI
sas' and Missouri reported bill for the Of c'fV "
uJ0S'ilen' OF all such claims in the States iera
ned. r
IT. Pearce has given notice of his intention P PrIt
'troduce into the U. S. senate a bill nrov;d- peor
Tor the time and manner Of electno sena- =,
OF the United States by the legislatures Of be
several States. Got
he State If Or;o - 49, days
en lA0i e''eu III Popula- whic
nI1y per cent. during the last sixteen yrs nair,
as now 2,4OO, 900 inhabitants, Tn the mast the ,
tIlf.1.r Ill