New Orleans daily crescent., 1859-03-18
Nth 0rltu1s 9ailp Grtsftut,
TALK ON CHANGE.

| N 's' a 6enefai war On the Continent with Great
Britain involved would be another affair, and sufi
cent would be the evil thereof when it transpires
Ihere was not much talk yesterday, other than the
war question and the rain storm. The rain, how.
ever, was only an attendant on the equinox which
a. sunset last evening appeared to have given out
and as many months of March have heretofore passed
without gales and storms it is reasonable to hope we
may have nothing more unfavorable this month.
The most important talk was the distractions at
the mouth OF the river. We may say we have talked
till we are almost hoarse upon this subject. There
was nothing received yesterday from the bar so far
as we could ascertain. There are eighty vessels de-
tanned, outward and inward. Fifteen millions OF dol
lars in value are now detained at the Southwest
Pass Fifty thousand dollars dsbursed thirty days
ago, or simply guaranteed to be paid, company
would have sent this large amount Of property to is
destined market. In the name of commerce and the
great prospects of this great emporium, how much
longer are we to submit to these obstructons for the
patry sum of fifty thousand dollars, with ten insur
ance companies, and each one in position to ad.
vance $4,000, or, in other figures, some could ad.
vance $4,000 and Others less than $4,000? The
mighty exports and imports of our city must not be
detained. Days follow hours, weeks follow days,
months are now following weeks, and trade remains
As the crisis has now in opinion arrived, when
something of demonstratve character should be in
terposed to relieve and remedy the evils under which
we labor, we have to hint that measures suggested
thirty years ago should be called into requisition It
well known by all our old citizens that one of the
most important advantages to be realized from the
making and building of the Pontchartrain Railroad
was the facility it would be to the trade of New Or.
Loan hy tha tran l;,ht
for large vessels to deep water anchorage which was
and is now in Ship Island harbor also Cat Island
Ship Island harbor is distant seventy miles from the
Lake end of the Pontchartrain Railroad The argu.
ments that used at that time to illustrate the
benefits of the road can now be referred to. What
considered chmerical aud theoretical in 1880 can
now be deemed feasible and practicable in 1859.
There is no room for debate this point. The gen.
eral talk is, what shall we do? We are pleased to
state that very little time is required for an answer
fhe talk is, and we can assert aud confirm the pro.
posas, that parties are prepared to lighter and
transport cotton from the Pontchartrain and Jefer
son Railroads to vessels in Ship Island harbor de-
liver the cotton the decks of vessels for fortyve
cents per bale that they will furnish steam lighters
carrying one thousand bales, and deliver cotton to
load ship of five thousand bales in six days-that
|
That the Carrollton Railroad, from Tivoi Circle can
transport one thousand bales of cotton per day. To
this can be added the capabilities of the Pontchar.
train Railroad and the canal and basin of the Canal
Bank and the old Carondelet basin.
| The talk might turn up and the question be pro-
pounded, how about this ghterage, transportation,
and SO on? We are fortified in all these RESPECTS.
Our desire is to facilitate the mighty trade of our
| citv We 1only fort boIo
be received here ere many years. The lghterage of
produce is not based theory it has been practi-
cally carried out in Mobile bay for years. We have
said that Ship Island harbor is seventy miles from
New Orleans. 1t has the best of anchorage aud hold.
ing ground. Vessels drawing "a feet of water can
the bar beat in and out with variable winds
at all times and have the safest of anchorage, equal
to any on the Southern coast or any other coast.
Vessels lay close in shore with 80 feet of water
lighthouse has been built on the island giving one
of the best of lights. The further talk is that the
advantages which will accrue to large vessels by
using Ship Island too numerous to detail In
port charges alone, ship of thousand tuns will
save fourteen hundred dollars, which includes the
towage bills, not considering the wear and tear, the
breaking of hawsers or towing lines, and other incl
dental troubles. Moreover, ship can retain her
crew on board and not be infested by the troubles
which captains encounter.
The talk is, that an experiment is to be made to
load vessel with cotton. 1t need not be called an
experiment, for there nine vessels loaded last
year at Ship Island with lumber, transported from
the mills in Mississippi one ship of 1900 tuns
Therefore, it is no experiment in real sense but will
be nominally regards cotton. The further talk is
that there is ship now off the s. w. Pass of 1900
tuns and has been waiting there thirty days to
the bar inward. 1t has been proposed to tow this
ship (beng partly owned here in our city, to Ship
Island gratis to carry and deliver her 5000 bales
cotton in six days. at As cents per bale or as fast
wanted; convey all stores and provisions, captain,
officers and agents. to and fro gratis If the rail
roads would reduce the rates of transportation cor
responding deduction could be made in lighterage.
If what was predicted thirty years ago about yes
| sells using Ship Island in 1860 should now turn up
facts, it cannot be deemed strange. The same diff.
culties occurred at the mouths of the Mississippi
| that now exist We look for the business of New
Orleans to increase SO rapidly that medium and
light draft vessels will occupy miles front
age Of the city. The channels at the mouth of the
Mississippi now change yearly, and the only reliable
habors the coast those of Ship and Cat Islands
and facilities now available to settle the question
of large vessels. Parties are prepared with steam
tow boats to fulfil all requirements, and if five thou
sand bale vessels can be unloaded and loaded in Mo
bile bay, through the ligheage system they can be
at Ship Island, and relieve the great and increasing
commerce of New Orleans of an incubus which is
likely to destroy its influence, check its advance and
prosperity, and seriously retard its great destiny
We shall have occasion to talk Of this again.
RICHLY CoLoRED PoHrRAIrs. The Washington
correspondent of the New York Times is a " dab >
in the way Of portrait painting. See, with what
reckless etfrontery of power-what abandon of con
scious genius he throws off the following two little
bits of art-a few mastery strokes on the canvas
and he leaves the picture to stand or fall upon its
merits:
|
"Not far from Seward sat, gathered up in his seal
like wild cat asleep, Slide, the Richeleu--tht
Cardinal not the Duke-of New Orleans, who i.
said to have managed more Presidential Conventions
than any politician in the Union and who ekes ou
the lions skin with the fox's brush. Slidell's ia,
smiie may be seen in any picture gallery in Paris
and in any portrait of Minister of Police in the six
tenth or seventeenth century, He seems all ear ant
nose constantly watching consprators and snuff1inl
out plots and his little foxy eyes are in state
perpetual twtter.
On the next chair to him crouches Benjamin. th'
Dlsrae of Louisiana, who has good deal of the in
tellectual look Df his race and who stranoe sov