New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-06
Heiu 0sisass Rspnhliesn.
DEHATEs OK TIE SENATE.
THURSDAY, March 3, 1870.


nature AT act entitled an act inCopora-
ting the Munroe and Fulton Railroad
Company, and granting State aid to the
same"
The message was taken up and read.
Mr.. Blackman: That Till was introduced
by myself last session. and was passed,
believe, with scarcely dissenting vote.
1t proposed to construct railroad from
Homer to fulton. Outside of the fiuan-
cial condition OF the State at that time, the
Governor urged the objection that there
was the Vicksburg and Shreveport railroad
running over part OF the ground covered
by this charter 1t was fully undero TODD
then, by the honorable Senator that repre-
scented the Vicksburg and Shreveport rail-
road company, that this should be com
mon road to point in the parish Of Bien-
vile, where it should then divergs to
point in Arkansas.
The Governor, upon misconception OF
the facts existing at the time the bill was
passed, vetoed it. am satisfied now, il
it had been returned to ihe executive
hands, and ne understood the interests OF
that section OF the State, and fully under
stood that it Was never contemplated to
run road parallel with the NickSburg and
Shreveport Railroad, he would not have
vetoed it. The honorable Senator from
Ouachita is here representing road in
which he is largely interested. If this
bill passes, it does not Interfere with his
road in the least, but it looks to a common
road to certain point (and so far benefits
his road), and from there Ii IS to dlyeTge
to an important point on the Arkansas
line. Another reason why the Governor
vetoed this bill, as he states, was that the
financial condition OF the State was such
that he did not deem it eXpedient |
to sign the bill. If that had been |
the reason that actuated the Governor |
it was equally true of other financial |
schemes. If he had vetoed them should |
not have said one word in favor Of the |
passage of this bill /; butEwhat do we see:
the people taxed for the construction OF
your levees ON the Mississippi river one
half of one per cent on their real and per-
sonal property to support the levees IN
which they are not interested one single
solitary cent. What next do We see? A
gigantic scheme called the Chattanooga
Railroad bill, which goes into the State OF
Louisiana twelve thousand five hundred
q mile, and granting to the company three
millions of dollars You tax my constitu-
aucy to construct railroad from the city
of New Orleans to the State of Texas.
and the interests OF North Louisiana are
overwhelmed and completely swallowed
up, and when l demand of the Legisla-
ture small part of the benefits which
how from the treasury, L am met by the
veto of the Executive. Why was it, | ask,
when various other schemes subsedising
roads, three millions Of dollars. that the
10 bor
raised financial condition OF the State.
, You have levied tax OF one-half OF one
per cent upon the people OF North Loui-
siana for the purpose OF constructing the
levies. Ny people never saw a levee.
Then, again, you have levied tax of one
half of one per cent to construct a railroad
to the State of Texas. 1t is grand scheme,
and will benefit that part Of the State
through which it runs, and hope 1t Will
soon be completed. Now, ask why the
Governor of the State refuses to sign this
bill. which is for the benefit OF North
Louisiana?
Mr.. Lynch: The gentleman states that
the tax is one-half of one per cent Il is
one mill.
Mr.. Blackman: That is one tenth Of
one per cent Whether it be one-tenth,
ore-fourth or one-half, the principle is the
same. We ask you to give Us the same
benefits which accrue to yourselves. We
simply ask you 10 endorse the second
mortgage bonds OF our road to the extent
of twelve thousand five hundred dollars
per mile. l consider it one Of the most
important WORKS of the S ate. 1t connects
with the Fulton and Arkansas road, NAH
ing strait line, by way of Memphis, to
st. Louis?
Mr.. Packard: I simply desire to say in
explanation Of my vote that this bill, like
other railroad bills IL the State, should
receive all the consideration that is due to |
it. And SO long as the State has been at
tackled of late with railroad fevers, let us
apply soothing sedatives that will insure ,
the well being of the patients, and let the ,
fever run. We can not treat one patient ,
very much differently from another. We | ,
have given the Chattanooga Railroad a {
big dose of powerful panacea under the t
ailopatbic mode of treatment, and L do
aot now propose to neglect the other pa
tents, or even to fall back upon the in +
ferior doses known as homeopathic by !
way of experiment. We have recently
shown by most generous contributions
that We. as Legislature, do not care
whether other railroads are running along
partly built and draining the country =
through which we are projecting our favor a
lite routes or not. Railroads are commercial :
and they are usually laid out /
where the public want them, and each | '
portion OF the State bear equally the bur
dens OF taxation, and should have an equal
share of the advantages resulting from a
The fruits of that taxation. If the people
Of that portion of the State need the Mon t
roe and Fulton Railroad contemplated in
his bill, returned By the Governor and a
hey pay their. proportion of the !
,aXaiicn OF tina enormous gTatu- /
ties given to railroad companies To- e
lated in other parts of the State. am
not able to see why they should not be =
allowed to have this road as they desire. :
II the Stale of Louisiana is going to
build railroads let there be an equal ii s
OF railroad lines in ali portions
If the State. Do not let one psrt Of the
state receive all the advantages OF THESE
yreat internal improvements at the ex-
)ense of other portions Of the State.
live al portions of the Safe fair dis
ribution of railroads. | an in favor Of
ne passage Of the bill.
The President Shall this bill become a
aw, Notwithstanding the Governors objec-
ions?
MIR. President, move to adjourn sine ,
lie.
The President: Shall this bill become a
aw, the Governors veto Notwithstanding!
The bill passed, the Governors veto
yeas 20, nays 8.
Dir. Packard: move we adjourn sine {
he.