The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-25
The Governor of Louisiana, and the
N. OF. & G. N. r. r.


The following is the portion of the late
Message of the Governor Of Louisiana, on the
MOI. & GIN. r. R.. to which reference
has been made in our columns
RAILROADS.
But little progress has been made in the en-
tension of our principal railroads, since my
last annual message. The New Orleans, jack
son and Great Northern Railroad remains COM
pleted as far as Canton, Miss, and the roadway
formation, for the first twenty-six miles north
of Canton, will soon be ready for receiving
the superStructure and iron.
This corporation has always held leading
position among our railroad enterprises. Its
form Of organization, its financial schemes and
its general policy have been more or less adop-
ted by other companies, and, for the most part
with advantage. 1t has probably been man
aged with less prudence and economy than
some other railroad works, but at the same
time the road has been pressed forward with
zeal, energy and fertility of recourses, under
pressing difficulties, seldom equaled in any
section Of our country.
This railroads. completed 20G miles inter
secting the Mississippi Central Railroad at
Canton, thus securing to New Orleans an I'M
broken railroad communication with the whole
railroad system Of the United States, and at
once realizing the anticipations Of the original
projectors.
Although so much has been accomplished
yet only one half the labor undertaken by the
company has been performed, their plan was
to build continuous railroad to the Tennes-
see river, 40 miles from the city of New Or
leans. On reaching Canton, however, the COM
pany find they have exhausted their available
subscriptions, and have contracted on long
time bonded debt of 100000 Under these
circumstances the company are admonished
that their franchises in Mississippi determine
by law in March, 1862, and that it will be
necessary to procure an extension Of time in
order to recuit its resources and establish a
financial credit equal to the magnitude of the
work yet to be performed. In view of these
facts propositions of the most unfricndly ma
turc have been introduced into the Legislature
Of the State of Mississippi at its present sitting
whereby it is proposed that the necessary re-
lief should not be granted, except under con-
dit onS of the most humliating nature and ut
terly subversive of the credit and future exis-
tence of the corporation. What is most re-
markable is that this movement is not supper
ted by the rival railroad interests of MissiS-
sippi, but by those who should be the fast
friends of our enterprise, those who represent
the counties traverscd by the proposed rail-
road, north of Canton, those who, Of all others,
are most interested in, and anxious for the ex-
tension of the railroad, impatient as it would
appear, at unavoidable delay, suspicious of the
honest purposes of the company to complete
their work and perform faithfully other obliga-
tons to the State of MississiDpj this unnatnr
al course has, it may be inferred, been adopted
with the view of intimidating the corporation,
driving it from its mani est policy, and there
by making it more certain of local interest
l will be able to lay before you at an early
day the documentary evidence which has sug
gested the foregoing remarks. No Legislature
is responsible for matter which may be laid
before it, however unreasonable or unjust, but
only for action on such matter l feel the
highest confidence that the Legislature of
Mississippi will not knowingly do an unjust
or unfriendly act towards this corporation
but in view of the magnitude of the interest
involved in maintaining, unimpaired, the credit
and efficiency of the company, and placing its
perpetuity and the validity of its
contracts beyond all future doubt or cayil, l
would earnestly recommend that the State of
be officially requested to grant to
said company sufficient additional time to
complete their railroad and that no forfeiture
If franchise shall attach to any portion of the
aid railroad which has been or may lie here
sfter faithfully completed.