The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-01
HoUsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
Washington, Jan. 81, 1889

Elitors Of hts Washington Union
We observe that you have copied the entire report
made by Mr.. Branch, from the COMMITTEES on Foreign
Affairs in relation TO unadusted differences with the
government of SPAIN into your issue of yesterday
ing This is highly conmendable in itself, it is cou
lated awaken the public attention TO the subject to
which ii relates but it so happens that that report
contains of fact from which inference is de
duced which may be prcjulicial TO constituents and
TO the citizens of Louisiana generally who interested
in the culture sugar. when the question of modifying
the tariff is brought forward take the liberty of call
ing your attention the in the report the hope
the correction Of it may have publicity through your
'-'nus equal to that given to the report itself
n .~or -, ~ alluded to is contained in the state
ent Embodied in the to the production of sugar
in Louisiana during the last few years mat statement
the production of sugar for the year 1857 Is set down ~
ST $50 600 pounds. This iB mistake ihe crop OF
1857 amounted 2T9 697 hogshead, OF ahon 30 ooo
600 pounds of sugar, as shown by Champomiers ne
mort Of the crop made and manufactured in that year,
instead of 81 800 900 pounds.
On reference to the report it will loo seen that there y
table in u which is stated TO have been complied from
statistics contained in Homanss Cycopcdia of Com
merce showing the production of sugar in Louisiana for
the years 1850 1885, 1854, 1885, 1856, and 1857, and
which exhibits the just spoken of as to the crop OF
1857 and that after having alluded TO the failures Of
the first attempts made the establishment of the
uar culture there the report then proceeds to state
that /" these facts and figures show conclusiveIy
land none regret 1t than the committed
that Louisiana cannot supply our wants, and must
prepare for the free importation OF sugar from other
quarters il cannot be supposed that the consuners
our entire popuiaiion--w consent 10 be taxed much
longer article OF universal consumption and almost
necessary of life for purpose which IL is obvious
If he
was based ON the idea expressed in preceding portion of
the report that the sugar in Louisiana about
TO be bghted again. and that perhaps, In few years,
our whole supply of sugar from that may be cut
of by uncomfortable natural causes in which The com
mttee to have been confirmed by the extraordinary
falling of of the sugar crop of Lousiana from 1858, as
exhibited by the table.
IL Is very much be regretted that the subject which
the committee considering did not make IL necessary
for them compare the statistics TO the production OF
sugar in Cuba and Louisiana for the last thirty years II
this had been so, sure, from our knowledge OF
the diligence and exacness displayed by that committee
in making the Investigations properly devoved them,
that no Injury would have resulted incidentally to
the people of Louisiana for they would have that
from 1928 to the present day the production of sugar had
increased greater ratio in Louisiana than in Cuba
and they would have attached no of ioytanoe
TO tbs FILLING OF of the crop in Louisiana in 1885, be-
cause il would hpye been evident 10 them that II
merely OF those fluctuations to which all agricultural
products are subject in all countries
There have been but two extraordinary flYsas of the
sugar crop in Louisiana for the last thirty
in 1856 and in 1895. twenyone years before Prior
1885 the largest crop of sugar made in Louisiana
did not exceed 100000 hogsheads In 1885 1t el to
80 600 hogsheads and as owing TO the great proper
ton of required Cor seed the increase in the crop
necessarily gradual after extraordinary failure, IL
not until 1882 period of four years that the crop again
became ss large IL had been before as will be from
the following table of crops