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

that VIII Augment immensely Its receipts which, ~ an
highest iInportancer Further. it IS asserted that
with railroad Communication to the Tennessee river
New Orleans can defy all competition Of rivalry for
the trade which naturally and egtimately belongs to
her. Every road constructed ana 20 pc constructed,
| the tributary Of such improvement, and no con-
| triyance can divert or prevent this result
Under this state Of feeling and in the presence Of
these solemn facts the State OF Mississippi, after
having already granted the right Of way and other
extraordinary privileges became herself interested in
this road.
By an act the Legislature of that State approved
March I'd, 1854, entitled An Act to aid in the con-
sfFnction OF the New Orleans, jackson aud Great
Northern Railroad in the State of Mississippi and for
other purposes it is provided that onethrd part Of
the money in the treasury and which may come into
the treasury contemplated by the Act to the credit
of the Internal Improvement Fund, is given for the
construction of the N. o., jackson and g. NJ Railroad
to aid in the construction OF the road from the
Louisiana State line to the town of Canton and one
third part in aid OF the N. o., jackson and G. N.
Railroad north Of Canton 10 the Tennessee sIver.
Underline provisions of this law OF Mississippi, the
Company has received sfl4 ,000 and the whole
amount has been expended south Of Canton.
The act above, last referred to- provides that there
shall be deposited, TO amount equal to the amount
given, certificates Of stock In the Company In the
name Of the State Of Mississippi, and that the Gov
ernor of the State shall represent the State as
stakeholder TO the extent OF the stock subscribed for
In addition to the S4l4000 received from the
State OF Mississippi under the provisions OF the act
above referred TO- the sum OF $lS5 600 has been re-
ceived by the Company from the Chickasaw School
Fund OF that State under the provisions of an Act of
the Legislature approved January Is, 1857 it being
expressly conditioned that the money appropriated
by that Act should be all expended north Of Canton
Not one dollar of this amount has been so expended
In 1857 the Legislature OF Mississippi passed an
Act to lend the N. o., jackson and q. N. Railroad
Company, money out Of the fund called " The Three
per cent Fund.- on condition that the amount
loaned should be expended north of Canton $40 900
has been received by the Company on account of
this loan not one dollar Of it has been expended
however, north OF Canton.
The gross amount received by the N. o.. jackson
and @. N. Railroad Company in cash. to this date,
from the several appropriations made by the Legs-
ature of the State of Mississippi is 1913 O00 of
which $412,O00 was appropriated on condition that
i should be expended north of Canton-not one dol
lar OF which has been so expended
Notwithstanding the fact that the Company Is
bound by the laws Of Louisiana and of Mississippi
to carry the road through Mississippi by March, 1862
forfeit its franchises in that State and without re-
gard to the liability of the Company in good faith
to carry the road forward rapidly the condition
of their affairs will admit. After having received
from that State large sums OF money, certain
ditions, and misapped them-sums Of money ex-
pressy appropriated by that State in good faith in
order 10 enable the Company TO prosecute her work
on the line of route determined and always intended
10 be pursued, north OF Canton towards Aberdeen
after repeated declarations of the intention of
the Board of Directors to prosecute the work and
act in good faith, 1t appears that an unaccount.
able and sudden change has taken place in the views
Of the Stockholders lit is said, that portion holding
the largest number of shares y and it is well under.
Stood that il they be permitted to obtain the control
Of the management of the Company the solemn en-
gagements entered into with Mississippi will he
broken, and state Of feeling produced which will
tend to destroy the best interests of the City of New
Orleans and OF her citizens, in the road.
In communication like this it will not be ex.
pected and IL would be foreign to my objects that
should attempt to discuss the advantages of any pro
posed route for the road. shall only assert that the
route laid down upon the maps Of the Company,
from New Orleans TO Jackson through Canton ana
Aberdeen, in the State of Mississippi TO the Tennes
see river, was the route agreed and determined Don
when the Acts Of the several Legislatures were
passed, when the subscriptions were made to the
Stock, and when the moneys contributed by Mssis-
sippi were paid over TO the Company
1t will be seen by the annexed correspondence he
tween myself and the Governor of Mississippi that
the assertion falls to the ground that it is contem
plated. BY those in favor Of keeping faith with our
neighb0rs, and pursuing the work accordingly to
prosecute the work immediately, at a cost of six or
seven millions OF dollars and that it is not contem.
plated TO involve the Company to the extent of A
single dollar, beyond the means she may contribute
after the payment of the running and current ex
penses the interest debt the matured and matur-
ing obligations, theexpense of repairs etc that the
people and State OF Mississippi do not expect from
the Company, from the State, or from the Civ any
more money than can be legitmately in view Of
those other claims upon the Treasury, Appropriated
in aid Of the construction above and beyond Canton
They intend and will build the road from the means
10 be obtained from the State aud from private aid
which will, am assured. flow in the moment it is
established that the road will be begun and prose-
cnted north OF Canton as the means Of the Company
will admit.
Then, il the revenues of the Company, derived
from the road as IL now exists in the present extent
are not to be diverted from the channels already
named and If the Road can be extended to the Ten.
nessee river without any further contribution to that
end, beyond that which can be made without affect.
ing those other interests why should it not be done
Will II be pretended that Road torr hundred miles
long will not be OF vastly greater importance 10 the
commerce, welfare and advancement of New Orleans
than one two hundred miles long? particularly when
it is considered that part OF the Road yet remaining
to be completed, beyond Canton, penetrates as is
shown BY the very careful and elaborate report of the
Engineer, in 1854 one of the most fertile and com
pensating regions the face of the earth and when
the extension is to be made comparatively without
further cost to US.
have been induced by a careful and elaborate in.
vestgation of all these facts to cast the vote of the
City OF New Orleans against the projects of those
who design To arrest the further progress of the
Road and in SO doing, 10 my opinion, attack the
vital interests OF this commercial metropolis. But
these are not all that have influenced the step have
taken; attracted by the peculiar provisions of the
Act OF 18th March, 1858, and discovering as
thought, in II deliberate intention TO give the
Governor of the State--a political corporafidh-the
controlling power and influence over a private cor
poration, TO the prejudice aud in disregard OF the
superior interests OF New Orleans and having grave
doubts TO the legality OF the enactment passed as
it was without compliance with the provisions of the
act which requires six months notice to be given
before any change could be made in the Charter of
the Company, sought the counsel and advice OF the
City Attorney, the legal adviser OF this corporation
TO whom we are all directed in cases OF doubt The
correspondence between that gentleman and myself
commend TO your attentiOn-it is transmitted hereto
upon It's perusal you will discover that
il Is his opinion that the law Of the 18th Of March
1858, is null and cannot be enforced and that
good faith to the State OF Mississippi aud private
Stockholders, as well a due regard of our own in
terests, should induce the City Of New Orleans to
vote against the acceptance OF the Act aforesaid.
must apologize for having taken so much OF your
valuable time In thus endeayoring to place before
You my reasons for the performance OF conscien
tious duty but may be excused when it is known
that have been misrepresented, threatened aud
maligned, in consequence OF the course | was re-
quired, under the obligation of my duty, TO take.
desire, ia conclusion, TO say, that IN no instance
since my connection with public affairs, have BEEN
10 my own mind, more clearly aud entirely right than
IN the present case and, with firm reliance upon
the Justice and intelligence of the Common Council
and the assurance they will engage with me in
soletude for those interests OF New Orleans involved
IN the proper consideration OF this subject | submit
my action Tor their approval, and the approval of the
citizens OF New Orleans, who, commercially morally
aud politically, are all involved 10 the position have
assumed in their behalf.