New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-10-21
SPECIAL MEETING.

October IT, 1870. }
"A special meeting of the Council was held
in accordance with the resolution offered by
Mr.. Shaw, to receive the report OF the dele
CATION appointed by the Council TO repre-
sent the city at the National Commercial
Convention at Cincinnati.
Mayor Flanders called the Council TO
order at P. NJ, and presided over the
meeting.
There were present: Administrators j. r.
West improvements, Alfred Shaw tAc-
counts, l.. I. Delassize Public Buildingsj.
III. Bonzano (Assessments), Z. W. Pierce
{Police), and J. S. Walton (Finance).
Report of tie Cincinnati Delegation.
The delegates were received within the
bar, and their chairman, M. w. NJ. bur
well, presented their report, as follows:
To the City Council of New Orleans:
The undersigned, appointed by your hon
orable body delegates on behalf Of the city
to the National Commercial Convention.
which held its session at the city Of Cincln-
matt from the fourth to the seventh of Dc
tober, 1870, respectfully report:
That they met Il large and respectable
assembage of delegates. representing
the most important interests III the Union.
The object of the convention was to Obtain
concerted action in Congress i'll behalf OF
certain measures of Importance to the con
stituency, and as an incidental though use
full agency, the restoration OF Il social and
business intercourse between the territory
of every section of the Union. Inpursuance
of this object, the present title OF the con
yention was adopted unanimously, and with
enthusiasm. The Louisiana delegation voted
upon the reasoning that they were sincere
in their purpose to support the Union, ana
that it would be inconsistent to solicit
national aid and intersectional intercourse,
while maintaining separate and sectional
organization.
They are gratified to add that these declar-
atoms were accepted in spirit OF cordial
welcome by the whole convention, and
manifested itself moreover in the most un-
cquivOcal manner, by the hOspitaiities OF the
citizens of Cincinnati and the attentions of
delegates from the more Northern and West
ern States, as well as the unanimous adop-
ton of resolutions recommending the re-
4 moyal of political disabilities Incurred during
the late civil war. These amicable and con
fidential relations were established, as they
will be secured. by the reciprocal interests
represented in the convention. 1t was the
object of those who instituted these cOnven-
tons to array and interest those reciprocal
interests against those antagonistic political
elements which divide and distract the
country. There are many indications that
the moderate and substantial interests of
commerce, manufactures and agriculture
will reinstate the harmonies OF the Union,
and obliterate the sectional lines which
once divided us.
To this state of harmony may be attribu
ted the fact that every measure III which
the State of l. uisiana and the city of New
np1a MT flp
ton of the convention i'll such form as the
delegations united in asking. 1t viii he
proper to confne this report to measures OF
the character indicated.
REMOVAL OF DISTINCTIONS AT THE MOUTH
OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
A committee, appointed at former SEES
sion, united with Il committee appointed at
the last session, and the two brought
together much practical and scientific
knowledge of the subject committed to them.
This joint committee reported through their
very intelligent chairman, Mr.. Clinton b.
Fish, of St Louis, the following resolutions
Resolred, That all Instructions to naviga-
ton at the mouth of the Mississippi river
shall be removed at the expense and under
the direction of the government
l. BY continued and conclusive expert
ment to be made by dredging.
2. That the government of the United
States should (if the same be found practical
BILE by preliminary survey) open ship
canal on the left bank of the Mississippi
river, below Fort st. Phillip, into the Gulf
of Mexico :such canal to be constructed and
maintained at national cost and admins
tered by national authority, to be adequate
to the wants of American commerce, free
from any charge or impeachment, and to con
stitute part of the national highway to tue
ocean.
7roI Hl,of Il TIM
sisting of one member from each of the fol-
lowing cities, to wit: New Orleans. Vicks-
burg, Memphis, Cairo. st. Louis. Keokuk,
Dubuque, st. Paul, Louisville, Cincinnati.
and Pittsburg, be appointed by the prcsi-
dent Of this convention, whose duty it shall
he to confer with the government author-
tics respe citing the prosecution OF the work
of deepening the channels of the rivers
mouth by the present agencies or other new
appliances; the survey for ship canal. and
to awaken q general interest in this much
needed national work among the people of
the Mississippi Valley.
The committee offered, as part of their
report, communications from Benjamin
Buisson, the venerable and respected eng in
Ger of the State of Louisiana, and Captain
c. w. Howell, an able officer of the engineer
corps of the United States army, now in
charge of the steamer Essayons.
These resolutions were unanimously
adopted by the convention. 1t was not the
intention of your delegates to interfere
with any present or future means employed
by the federal government to improve the
navigation of this national highway. The
resolutions, it will be observed, only add to
the means of performing this duty. The sug-
gestion Of a canal connecting the Missis-
sippi, at point near Fort st. Philip, with
the Gulf of Mexico, near the Isle Breton,
has received the sanction of science and of
legislation. 1t has been indOrsed by resolu-
tons of the Louisiana Legislature, the
memorial OF the Chamber of Commerce of
New Orleans, the surveys and estimates of
federal engineers made by order of Con
gress. 1t has received the approval OF
such authorities as Buisson, ex-State Engi-
neer of Louisiana, Of Governor Hebert and
OF H. Montague, and of William H. Chase
Major United States Engineers and of
many OF the most eminent merchants OF
New Orleans, who have defrayed the ex-
pense OF examining its merits. These con
siderations Justified the deliberate inquiry
whether this canal should be constructed ut
national expense, and maintained under
national superintendent, free to all COM
merce Of the Mississippi.
TO ABOLISH ALL TOLL CHARGES ON THE
NAvIGABLE RIVERS OF THE UNITED
SrATES--WHARFAGEO ON NAvIGABLH RIVERS.
These kindred propositions are intended
to relieve river commerce OF the burdens
which now place that interest under such
signal disadvantages with respect to the
competition of railroads, built, in many
instances, with the national aid, and sus-
tanned by the capital and enterprise OF great
cities. The first proposition was introduced
by the Board Of Trade of Cincinnati, and
vile canal in free commerce. In this meas
IRE New Orlaa 10 6aanlv interested.