New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-10
ORLEANS THURSDAY MORNING. SEPTEMBER TO- 1868
WHOLE NUMBER 442.

perpetual and insert s'fifty years.
ME. Campbell Mr.. President, allow me
to suggest to the gentleman making that
motion, that where this phrase perpetual
succession" is used it is in reference to the
term for which these parties will hold this
succession by this name. So the objections
to the phrase perpetual successionsa are
not well taken.
Mr.. Lewis: Mr.. President, / have been
examining this bill to find time when the |
canal should be completed. 1t strikes me
that it is very necessary that o time should |
be specified when this work shall be COM
pleted.
MIR. Wittgenstein: think the bill speci-
fes when it shall be completed.
Mr.. Wilcox: The time when this project
is proposed to be completed is stated in
subsequent section. That question will
Grafton.
The motion to strike out perpetual, and
insert fifty years in line seventeen, was
adopted.
Mr. Lewis: Mr.. President, I would like
information as to the general plan and
modus operandi of the bill. / never had
any particular objection to the bill. My OBJ.
ject was to obtain information that / moved
to postpone it the other day. have been
raised on the Mississippi river, and have
seen some effects of this river; and l know
that unless the outlets of this canal are
well fortified by proper locks, there is
danger Of the river moving through it in
stead of lying in its channel, making its
mouth at the Rigolets. There are 1lo miles
from this city to the mouth of the river
through its present channel, and it is only
twenty-five miles to the Rigolets. According
| to the plat laid down of this canal, which
makes for every foot of fall of the river
four feet fall in the canal. The result of this
/ mi hn hat 1nla 1r1n s5,1v,p
taken, if this canal is dug, the whole river
will be running there. and that part Of the
river channel now in front of the city will
be filled up and become a sand-bank. /
suggest this in order that the city may be
prepared. If this thing is gone on with,
the very first thing is to secure a lock where
this canal is to come out of the river. We
should see to it that this bill contains such
a provision, or such provisions as will guard
against the danger l have mentioned.
If we have this canal constructed without
adopting proper precautions upon this
point, we may, sir, ruin the city OF New Or
leans, instead of bene6tting it. If we pre-.
maturely and specifically act upon this
thing, it may do great injury. | want
something in the bill to tell what kind of a
lock shall be built / want the citizens of
New Orleans to say who shall be the en-
gineer, and what kind of lock shall be built
to secure the city of New Orleans.
Mr.. Wittgenstein: Mr.. President, I don't
think it is the duty ofthe Senate to build the
locks of this canal. ] think the bill provides
for that. If the gentleman will look at the
BILL he will see thatit says that locks shall
be constructed that will prevent anything
of the kind, such as overfiowing the city OF
New Orleans.
The first section of the bill has been read
and amended. now move the adoption OF
this section as amended.
Mr.. Lewis: desire, sir, that this lock
should be surveyed and designated by set
of engineers selected by the city of New Or
leans. The bill calls for lock, but what
kind of lock? l want the citizens of New
f Orleans to have something TO say in the
! matter.
Nj. Blackman: Mr.. President will
state that in my opposition to the bill an
guided chiefly by the opinion of members
t from the city of New Orleans. And l will
, say that the ideas advanced by Senator
Lewis should be reflected on by the Senate
, and maturely considered. As he states there
is great danger of lnundation to the whole
city by this canal project Instead of fur
nishing facilities for drainage tnereis DANCE
, that it may cause it to be inundated OF
J swept away. Upon a simple proposal tc
, uals into b canal company II
, is impossible to say whether the
project is feasible or whether it is not more
probable that the city of New Orleans will
! be inundated and ruined rather than bene-
: fitted. hold, sir, that it is proper, and il
is right that the Senate should delay further
: action upon the bill until the Engineer oi
t the State can be instructed to survey a route
and see whether this canal is to ditch the
Mississippi, and whether it will benefit the
, State or injure it. My opposition comes
) merely with that of the members from the
, city of New Orleans. 1t is their duty to in
) quire into the local interests of the city and
) see whether this project will be benefit OF
, an injury to the commerce of New Orleans
} | If they have acquired information iron
gentlemen who are well informed on suct
subjects, that it will not benefit the city i
: is proper that the bill should be defeated
f here or at least that that action should bt
! further DELAYED until the Engineer of the
! State can make survey, andreport whether
the project is feasible or not. II the State
: Engineer says it is a feasible plan--if it will
e reclaim hundreds of acres of land, which
f are now worthless, then it may be benefit
s But until we have some proof OF
at least some reasonable assurance that thii
: project, if cal ried out, would not prove al
n | injury inste ID of a benefit to the city, g.
b we'll as to the country through which it is
q proposed to construct it, ] must stand By
{. the members in their opposition to this bill.
| Now. sir, | move that further action upon
' this bin be po2tponed until the State En-
t gineer can make a survey of the route and
= give the Senate his opinion as to its feasi-
bility.
] The President: The Chair will state that
| there is no State Engineer.
Mr.. Blackman: The old State Engineer
} holds over until the new one is appointed,
under the constitution of the State.
Mr.. Wilcox; Mr.. President, l will read
t from the report of the State Engineer of this
! State for January 25, 1867. Speaking of the
= new canal, he says:
! ITO the New Canal l would particularly
) call your attention. Last SESSION recon.
mended the enlargement of the canal, with
] the hope of very greatly increasing the
trade and commerce of the same, and from
/ the past seasons observations / would al
/ the more advocate the improvement con
templated last year. Direct trade, and oi
very considerable Importance, would thus
be obtained with Alabama and Florida. In
tercourse with Mobile, Montgomery, and
Selma, ETC., would then be on more ex-
tended scale, and steamboats, of large Ca
p8eity would find ample accommodation
for the discharge of their cargoes. The
| city OF New Orleans by virtue of its size
|. will afford better market for the produc,
tions from those States, whilst her superb
ority as port of entry viii enable better
selections of foreign goods, to be purchased
J at rates more reasonable, and in varieties
more general than could be obtained else
where.
''In connection with canals would like
wise suggest the excavation of a canal COM
municating with the Mississippi river be-
yond and above the limits Of the city of
New Orleans, and below the town OF Car
rollton, thence continuing down 10 the rear
of the city to the "New Canal, on line
nearly parallel TO the river. At the juno
tion of the canal and the Mississippi locks
would be requisite Safe and direct COM
munications would thus be obtained with
the lake, and with the States of Alabama