New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-04-16

Canton 10 the Tennessee and Alabama line. May 1t
be calculated upon with any degree of certainty that
AID TO any considerable amount, will be furnished To-
wards the objects now under conscientious
| make no apology for thus abruptly addressing
your Excelency, believing you will appreciate and
understand, that in doing So have but the single
motive, to actin relation to the controversy now
pending upon this subect-with view to the best
interests OF those represent and with the desire to
do justice 10 all respects to all concerned
Your early reply, II you are at liberty to furnish
the information asked, will greatly oblge,
Your most obedent servant,
CHAs NJ WATERMAN, Mayor.
REPLY.
New ORLEANS, April 7th, 1858.
Hon C. VI. Waterman, Mayor, etc
Dear Sir-Yours OF this date has been received
and hasten to reply congratulate myself upon the
fact. however unexpected on my part that yon have
put me in a situation in which | am enabled TO ex-
plain TO the Stockholders in the N. o., jackson aud
g. n. Railroad Company, and also to the State of Lou
isiana and the City of New Orleans the true position
OF the State of Mississippi and myself as her repre-
sentative in reference 10 the affairs OF the Company
don't know that can do this in better way than
by plain statement of facts, and the application of
those facts to the Law OF our Charter You aware
that by the Charter, our Company is required to
make the road through the state of Mississippi in ten
years from the date OF the in 1862 as to trans
port freight and passengers to forfeit our Charter
In the fall of 1857, learned that portion of our
Directors in favor Of stopping the road at Can
ton. After learning this, was in New Orleans late
In the month OF October, and called upon Mr.. Cal
houn the President Of the Company and informed
him of what had heard of the purpose of Mr. Robb
and other Directors, in reference to stopping the
road at Canton and requested him TO call meeting
Of the Board of Directors that l might learn the
true state of acts-saying to him, that as Director
in the Company ought TO know ii such a purpose
existed and that it would very soon be my duty as
Governor of Mississippi, to know the truth upon this
point as would then represent the stock of the
State in the road Mr. Calhoun, when requested to
call meeting of the Board of Directors. su gested,
that the time was bad one for the purpose, aud
that, as Mr.. Robh, from whom the proposition had
emanated, was absent from the city, that he would
prefer that would not press the call Of meeting of
the Directors. To this consented, informing him,
however, that would visit the city at as early day
after my Inauguration as conveniently could, for
the purpose OF having the question settled. Late in
November wrote 10 your President informing him
that would come to your city at any time after the
LIST Of December, for the purpose of meeting the
Board This did and at the meeting of the Board,
submitted the following resolution which was after
mature and long consideration, unanimously adopted:
''Whereas it is the purpose of this Board to pro-
secute the works as vigorously its will per-
init, in the direction Of Koscusao and north of Can
ton therefore, be it resolved that so soon as the road
is completed to jackson, that the grading shall be
commenced north OF Canton.p
This resolution had hoped and believed would for
ever settle the question OF the extension of the Road
north of Canton. But in this il is apparent from the
present very great excitement the subject, that
mistaken. By whom and for what purpose this
excitement has been gotten up, it is not my purpose
to inquire further than is necessary to give you the
information asked for and for the justification of the
State of Mississippi and myself her representative
in what has been done, in connection with this ques-
ton Of extension north of Canton. From the pres
ent tarore on the subject, stranger would suppose
that great legal fraud or moral wrong was about
to be perpetratedand that extension beyond Canton
was mOnstrous innovation on the affairs of the
Company, but not so-the very law of your exist
ence, the charter under which you exist, and under
which alone you can claim to exist in Mississippi
requires you to go beyond Canton. This necessity is
coeval with the very being of the Company. The
Company has four times soemnly promised the State
OF Mississippi that it would extend the Road north
of Canton. That is, firstly when it accepted the
very liberal charter granted to it by Mississippi
secondly when it received the one third of the State
internal improvement fund, appropriated by the
State and received by the Company in truth, to be
expended in constructing the Road north of Canton.
Thirdly, when it received the Chckasaw School Fund
in trust to be expended north Of Canton and
fourthy, the three per cent. fund on the terms
These appropriations in the whole amounting to
about $4l20O0, which was required by the Legsla-
ture OF Mississippi to be expended north of Canton
but every dollar OF which has been expended south
Of Canton. Under circumstances like these is il not
proper that l. as the Executive of the State should
expect, and 50 far as practicable require that the
laws OF the State should be treated with decent re-
speet. Has il come TO this. that the Railroad Com
pany is not to be reminded of the terms on which it
exists. and Of moral aud legal obligations to do that
which II has four times promised TO do, aud more es
pecially when we consider the easy terms on which
offered to be satisfied if the Company would only
promise to do that which it had already promised
and was legally and morally bound TO do.
At the meeting of the Board of Directors, in
December, when the resolution in favor of extension
was unanimously adopted. l only asked Of the Com
pany appropriate So 900 per month for the present
year and to make contract north of Canton, for
which the Board had an Informal offer TO put three
hundred and fifty hands on the road and to take the
sum Of $4,000 per mouth, and the balance for work
to be done, in the hands of the Company. My object
was, for the Company to show decided will and
purpose to make the road ms its means would permit
and thereby TO inspire public confidence in the work
And so far as could do act of the kind, pledged
myself that the people along the line of the Road
from Canton to Aberdeen, would subscribe in Stock
and take in Bonds for work to be done, at least
100000, in the course OF the present year. And
also stated, that even If the Company had ample
means, | desired the people along the line of the
Road in much the greater part, to make and pay for
the Road and that ii they did not contribute largely
and literally towards it, that they did not deserve to
have it that those who able to help themselves
and would not did not deserve the aid OF Others.
not only did thisthat is, offered to be satisfied with
S. 600 per month, which | wanted as a pledge of
good faith, but which showed the Company, then
have in funds, appropriated to the Road north of
Canton and which rs honest men the Board dare not
TO touch unless they intended to make the Road north
of Canton refer to $4,000 of the three per cent
fund then in hand; SIS 900 of the Chickasaw School
fund either in the treasury would be there before
wanted and moneys constantly coming into the
treasury from the sale OF the internal Improvement
lands OF the Stateall of which was Appropriated to
the Road north of Canton.
Thus you see that offered to be satisfied even with
the crumbs and remaining Fragments from the table
that Mississippi herself had spread Was this such
an outrage and aggression upon the rights of the
Company, TO call FOR the nterpOston Of the State of
Louisiana, and the vote Of the City of New Orleans
to protect the rights of Stockholders? II so. am
not able TO itand this is all that have done
or asked for Mississippi and could not ask, or take
disregard of the four times expressed will of her
Legislature that the road should be extended beyond
Canton--I only asked decent expression of respect
for the legislation OF the State. did not even ask
or suggest that the 1892 900 above referred to should
be paid in whole or in part though it was appropri
alnd axnressly Aid in cnnsirnclina the Rnad un-.