New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-29
ON CARONDELET STREET.

The publication of the decision of the
| United States Circuit Court in the famous
Rob Roy case has elected much comment
on the street. The Rob Roy, barge and
cargo came out of Ouchita river in 1864,
the cargo consisting of about 100 bales
of cotton, The trip referred to was her
second. The cotton she brought down
on the first trip was all bought directly
from the Confederate cotton bureau. The
second cargo was partly Confederate and
partly private. 1t was all purchased by
q well known house here, who obtained
permits from military and naval authori-
ties authorizing the transportation of the
staple through and within the federal lines
At the mouth Of Red river, General
Candy ook possession Of the boat, barge
and cargo, for violation of the non-inter-
course act and the treasury regulations
issued Hereunder, and turned the same
over to Governor Flanders then supervi-
sing agent at New Orleans. The estina-
ted value of the property seized at the
the date of its arrival here, was
not less than $500, 600, but considerable
time elapsed before the libel against it was
filed in court, and during the interval cot
ton fell rapidly, SO that when an opportu-
nifty arrived for its release under bond,
the appraised value was found to be only
$350,000 The evidence produced by
Government concerning the confederate
character Of the cargo was not nearly as
ample in the lower court as in the Circuit
Court. The Judgment of the District
Court was in favor Of claimants, after
very laborious and careful investigation.
The United States having appealed, the
agents of the Treasury Department had
the good fortune to lay hands upon
the correspondence of the Confederate
Cotton Bureau, located at Shreveport.
Amid q variety CT curious information
relative to transactions of New Orleans
and other cotton operators of the war
time, there was found ample evidence
concerning the Rob Roy's cargo and
how it was bought and paid for.
This, with other new testimony, was
produced before the Circuit Court, and
the result was announced in yester-
days papers. The amount involved,
and the standing Of the interested parties,
and of the counsel engaged, has rendered
this case one of the most interesting of
all those that hare grown out of the war,
and from time to time has attracted great
deal of attention from our cotton mer-
chants. Whether an appeal will be taken
to the Supreme Court of the United States
has not been announced.
Our merchants have pretty much made
up their minds that there will be no ma
terial change in the tariff law, which now
weighs SO heavily upon our foreign trade.
A reform in this matter would do more to
help our shipping interest than the bill to
protect sbip-builders now before Congress.
Every sort of honest industry is best fos-
tered by law makers by letting it alone
and giving it fair play with its natural re-
sources. There is one good thing in the
early abandonment of the tariff by Con-
gress. Merchants can make some reason
ably certain calculation upon their fall
trade. such as would have been impossible
had the discussion been prolonged far into
the summer.
. We visited the 'Board of Brokers' last
night, in the hope that some animation in
securities might result in whole string OF
items, and thus compensate for the heat of |
the room; but everything was dull. The |
board, making virtue of necessity, |
will adjourn on the thirty.firs instant for |
the summer. In reviewing the bids and |