New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-10

l sAA1S pAdCS, anu tine Necessity Oh
p1aclng all dangerous localities outside Of
of New orleans.p
luis report was made in 1867, advocating
eae cohstrnction N1 OF canal over this same
route. Now, as for the dancers resulttno
| from this canal, which gentlemen have sug.
| gested, think it is useless to discuss that
! point, for we know that there have been
many works of greater magnitude than this
constructed. You have lock opposite this
| city now, connecting the Mississippi with
the Barataria Canal-a lock which has been
IN operation for years. Has Algiers been
cverfiowed by that?
That is a small, weak wooden concern.
Suppose you build ship lock such as this
| company proposes to build of solid mason
ry, at the point indicated, either just above
or Just below Jeffersonville, could it not be
| constructed sufficiently strong to give ample
security against the floods of the Mississip-
pi You build lock there such as that at
the Sault St. Marie, the outlet Of Lake SUI
perior, ship lock of solid granite, costing
millions of money! and will it not stand
| against any floods likely to occur? Money,
ingenuity, and energy can construct any
thing. The same ingenuity and energy that
mas oTidged the Mississippi and damned it
np-that has bridged Niagara and East
| river, aud completed thousand caher
| structures of equal magnitude can construct
a canal and lock as proposed by this bill
that Will stand anything. This company do
d
that will be washed away by the first flood,
but it will be built of solid masonry. 1t is
useless for gentlemen to argue that some
other route is more feasible. This company
does not propose to build canal over any
other route They are not interested
in the proposed route below the city.
judge from what the gentleman
says he is interested in that route,
If they want to build that canal let them do
it. The projectors of this scheme don't ask
farthing from the city of New Orleans.
They simply ask for plain charter-the
privilege of constructing canal from some
point out here near Jeffersonville, in rear
of the city, where there is nothing to inter
fere with it. 1t will not interfere with b
tenement in the whole distance. There are
but two or three common shell roads and
railroads necessary to be crossed, and for
. these they are required to construct suitable
t drawbridges.
Gentlemen argue that we have not sufi-
cient water at the Rigolets. What is the
+ difference. They propose to deepen and
8 dredge out until they do get deep water.
| / understand at the Rigolets they get
> deep water, some forty feet. and from
1 there on out there is a place where
] there is but twelve feet water, and
t it will have to be deepened. The COM
pany propose to do this. If the canal is
l ever built the gentleman says you will have
no water deep enough, and intimates that
) the company will never do more than issue
= | Slelr SUOCh anu speculate Oh bDe Sttlues
u Now, supposing the canal is never built,
what harm is there in granting this charter?
1 Is anybody harmed or is the city iniured2
; 1t is to be built with money raised
4 outside of the city of New Orleans. That
# money is as good as any other money! What
difference does it make to the people of New
! Orleans whether six millions of dollars are
t brought here from New York, or any other
: place, if the same be expended on our pub
I lie works, and employment be thus given to
Lob .lzg IL
G ny go on and construct this canal, and
:, spend their money here, and give employ
Il ment to our lahorers certainly there would
4 be large gain to this city in that. Then
y there are the advantages accruing from it
IL to our commercial interests, which are very
IT great. They are not to be comprehended
le at a glance.
e This work, if completed, will immensely
&c facilitate the drainage of the city, which is
r a consideration of very great Importance.
In short, it is q scheme that is far superior
n to any that has ever been devised for the
o benefit of the city, and / cannot possib v
conceive single sound objection to it, ex-
IL eept, perhaps, that it is foreign enterprise,
e and is not proDosed to be built by capitalists
e of this city. Perhaps their politics are not
IL right. 1t seems to me these considerations
: should make no difference. But imagine
1t that the objections to this bill are
+ to some extent founded upon the
u fact that the projectors of this work
|
@ have heard outside believe that this is one
e of the objections. Being Northern men, it is
IS presumed they are good Republicans.
e hope this may not make them Objectionable
l. and cause tine defeat of the bill.
d Mr.. Bacon: Mr.. President, the gentleman's
II remarks refer to what have said. NV op-
s. position is not to the canal, nor have / yet
n impugned the safety of the locks. / am
h very well satisfied from reading the report
II of --------, which had already read
oFf
,e General McCalister upon this very project,
e that sufficient locks could be built, and that
II sufficient embankments could be made to
e protect the city against inundations. am
II satisfied that money and the materials which
h could be used can make these locks as safe
t. es the river itself, and even more SO than the
n one channel now only guarded by mud
is walls. OF that am satisfied. As to the poll
n tical opinions of those who are proposed as
IS the incorporators ifI was to speak politically
Is | should say that the gentlemen who repre-
J sent the other project are unfortunately
|. more Objectionable to the people on as-
n count of their political notions. / am sure
: that the best known of the incorporators of
d this company, Judge Whitaker, is re-
= spected here but those eonneetsd I'd with the
other project are politicians. | hone. CEN
Z tlemen will not take it into their heads that
we are opposing it because it is Republi-
T can project. Our desire is to protect and
!, benefit the citizens of New Orleans. Now,
, | nave uO OuJcCbtOHS 10 bnese T6ntlemen
d getting Republican money to build this
$ canal, and that each one Of the principal
e incorporators shall receive fair and right
full revenue from it, but the question is
y whether it will not do us more harm than
/ good. think there is good deal in the
h objections of the Senator from Natchi-
e toches (Mr. Lewis that the locks should be
n secure.
Il Now, sir, wish to repel the
+ idea that we are not anxious that people
u should come here with capital and perfect
8 works of improvement. We are anxious,
/ but at the same time we do not wish to give
d too great privileges. While they may re-
: ceive benefit from such works we do not
: wish ourselves TO be subjected to great
n losses. What good will 1t do the city to
e have such great resources if we have moth
}, ing to do with 1t That is not exactly fair.
: That is the reason why / did not want to
l. give them aperpetual charter.
II Now as to the feasibility Of these nro-
d jects. The gentleman from the reDort of
g mfr. Freret-Alr. Freret was anxious that 4
: passage should be opened into the Missis.
sippi from Lake Pontchartrain, brit he want.
F ed the State to do 1t. II the State could
: do 1t think 1t would be very wen for the
State. II not, individuals Should be per.
mitted. ALI want, sir, is that they shall
not have everything. If the bill is Der
fected, and certain things taken out, will
not oppose it.
Mr.. Braughn: Mr.. President, the usuallv
courteous and correct Senator from. FeIi.
ciana INF. Wilcox has charged the mem.
ners OF the Senate who are opposing Certain
portions of this bill with being guided nv