New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-06
TERMS: SIC 90 PER AEHBM.
WHOLE NUMBER 4s9.

~ ~
~ Ine COMMITTEES on Internal improvements.
~ remained in their hands several days. was
reau over and carefully considered by them:
so9e amenoments were proposed by them
anu acceeaed 70 by the authors of the bill,
and then reported upon favorably. II was
printed ana has been lying upor the desks
of Senators five or six DAYS. They have ner.
tainly had an opportunity to study and in
vestigate II to their hearts content: If thew
are so much interested in 1t as they assert
and are not now prepared to act upon ii, it
is their own fault When the hour for
which 1t had been fixed, as the special order
OF the day arrived on last Saturday, we had
no quorum and could transact no business,
and 1t lost its place upon the calendar. /
ask now that the bill be read and acted
upon. / think it is no more than tair that
| should have this opportunity of repre-
senung the friends Of the bill. Not
often have opposed the suspension Of the
rules to introduce or call up 4 bill. I think
that IA courtesy to myself and the friends of
this Dill 1t should be taken up and carried
through. The Senators have all had an op.
portunity TO hear and read it; they have
printed copies before them; if there is any
thing to be amended let it be done. I am
opposed to postponement and am sur
prised that the Senator from De Soto (lfr.
Lewis) should come in and advocate the
postponement of the bill-a bill about which
he knows nothing. The Senators from the
city have right to ask 1t, Of course; but
still think the same objection holds theres
they have had ample time to examine it.
So far as the merits of this bill are con-
cerned, Mr.. President. | think no man who
has the interests of Louisiana at heart, or
the interests of the city of New Orleans,
can oppose or offer any plausible objection
to this bill. II viii enhance the value of
the property Of this city, and increase its
commercial advantages. 1t will be bless
ing to the city, the State, and indeed to the
whole Western country.
1t proposes to give to the commercial men
of this city all that has been asked by the
merchants and commercial men Of St.
Louis and Mobile. They have been for two
or three years agitating the question of
opening ship canal from Pass Manchac
into Lake Pontchartrain and thence to Mo-
bile, afording a channel for the vessels from
Mobile to pass through to the river, and
otce Uersd for the steambers from st. Louis
to pass through to Mobile. This bill will
secure all the advantages they have asked,
| and obviates all the objections to the other
project. By the other route you have to
pass through Lake Pontchartrain in which
you have only an average of six to eight
feet of water. Vessels that come TO New
Orleans by the river can not come through
that lake. BY this route it is proposed to
commence the canal at Carrollton, and have
ship lock that will permit the passage of
any vessel that floats through to the Mis-
sissippi river. In a commercial point of
view the advantages of this canal are so evil
dent that it seems unnecessary to say more
upon that point.
Second. As to the drainage it affords,
say that if this canal is ever built, it will
form the foundation of q drainage system
far superior to any that has yet been de-
vised for New Orleans. You now have your
little bitches running through the city
which amount to nothing, with one to three
feet of offensive and stagnant water. doing
very little good in sanitary point of view,
but rather the reverse. This canal, running
from CarrolltOn to the rear of the city,
through all that low swamp ground, inhab--
tied, as Senator Ray has said, only by aliga-
tors and frogs, through which the streets
| even have not been opened, will be one humid
| red and fifty feet wide and twelve feet deep,
| with the privilege of deepening it hereafter
to twenty-five feet and widening it to three
hundred feet. Let gentlemen consider
| what will be the effect and advantages of
opening such canal from the rear Of the
city to the Rigolets, and they can arrive at
no other conclusion than that as drainage
it will be the most complete possible
success.
Mr.. Wittgenstein renewed his motion to
lay on the table the motion to postpone.
Mr.. Foute: Mr.. President, as other Sena-
tors have been indulged in remarks upon
this bill, desire to say few words.
Mr.. Wittgenstein: withdraw my motion
for the present.
Mr.. Foute: dislike, Mr.. President, TO be
compelled to differ with the courteous gen.
| tlemau who has thus addressed the Senate
| (Alr. Wilcox, but have had the map before
me, and have been unable to arrive at q.
practical conclusion as to what this bill pro-
poses. | think no hurt can be done by a
| nOsfnOnnU0pDt at m vub
sional experience as engineers, such as Mr..
| Surgi, MIR. BoUrier and others eminent in
their profession, who are familiar with
canals and with the work of draining of the
| city, who are not dreamy but practical men,
| be consulted We may do incalculable in
jury to the city by acting in hasty manner
| upon this bill. Gentlemen tell us there are
forty feet OF water in the Rigolets. When
was Il boy, sir, | was accustomed to YACHT
ing through those waters, and do not be-
lieve there. are forty feet of water in any
portion oft.
Look, sir, at the map. This canal is to
run through the heart of the First District.
1t is said that it will drain the city effectual-
| ly. We have draining system already.
Let us see whether that is defective, and if
so, how to remedy it. If there is to be q
canal let it run from Carrollton to Lake
Borgne, which is but twenty eight miles.
| By the route proposed you will never get a
| ship up there in the world. 1t is a practical
impossibility.
Mr.. Wilcox: it proposes to strike deep
water at the Rigolets.
| Mr.. Ogden: Mr.. President, l also have
| yatched there in my early days. Where this
canal will strike the Rigolets there is forty
feet of water. There ia no point in the
Rigolets that is less than forty feet deep. It
seems to me, sir, the argument of the Sena-
tor is std0oec in this respect. Laughter.
Mr.. Foute: | may be out of my depths,
Mr.. President. uaughter.)
Mr.. Bacon: You are not alone, sir, in
that. | don't think there is any man en-
gagged in the discussion of this bill that's
not out of his depth (Laughter.)
Mr.. Foute: If this canal is to be built,
Mr.. President, let the Dill be first examined
by experienced engineers. Let the topo-
graphical surveys Of the United States en-
gineers be consulted. The maps can be
procured easily. And, if after q thorough
canvass of the subject, the route and scheme
here proposed are the best, shall heartily
support It; but until that is done think
the matter should be postponed.
Mr.. Wilcox: l will state, Mr.. President.
that is no new scheme. It was urged
three years ago, by the parties that have
now drawn up this bill. There are many
things to be said, but do not consider il
| necessary. The great advantages to be
derived from It are too apparent to need
further argument.
The further consideration of the bill was
finally postponed, and it was made the
special order Of the day for Monday, at one
o'clock.
1.-THE remainder Of the debate Of Monday,
August 81, viii be published hereafterJ