New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-01
that thew we're asserting something that was

that they were asserting something that wae
not true, they know better, they know that
the State has not given one single dime,
they only know that the >tate has agreed
to endorse bonds to the extent of S12, 500
mile within the limits of this State, with
a second mortgage upon the railroad ITSELF
Now, sir, was that donation to the COM
pany? Do not these distinguished
orators know better? Have they not read
the act of the STATE? No men should
come forward and make statements
other than of their own know
ledge, or falses statements. l say
that the expenditure of four millions Ut
dollars to give US direct railroad COM
munication between New Orleans and
Mobile shows we have some security. 1t
shows, Mr.. President, that if a corporation
is able to expend four millions OF capital
out Of their own pocket, without asking
the State or the city for dollar, that they
are responsible corporation, and good
for their contract. Have you not more
confidence in a company which says we
will build the road with our own money,
and require no help, but we do ask that
YOU do the same as all other States; that
when we bring you prosperity, and hold
out the hand of fellowship if we do
enrich you we expect you to remu-
nerate MS to some extent Therefore, this
system Of gratuity has been instituted.
Il is an encouragement, and nothing
more. This system of gratulty IN
this State is not new thing. / re-
member, Mr.. President, that when the
pol ha
CITY of New Orleans contributed the mod
crate sum of one and half millions to
build eighty miles of road in the State OF
Louisiana. A million and half to help
the company to build road from Alglers
to Brashear City, and the State contributed
seven hundred thousand. 1t is true, that
this company gave to the State and city Its
bouds, but what are they worth! what
are they worth to-day? You can not to-day,
sell one of these bonds for two dollars and
| fifty cents. And, to show how the State
and city has been treated, they mortgaged
the road to this identical company; to this
public-spirited gentleman, who is going to
give us a road to the State of Texas, and
who, upon that very mortgage, is the owner
of that road thus, in reality, defraud-
| ing the State and city ont of their interest
in the road. There you find two mil
lions expended in gratuity, indirect,
it is true, but gratuity nevertheless, to
| build eighty miles of road from one
portion of the State of Louisiana to the
other. Now, the gentlemen have argued
that a road from here to Texas can be
built for twenty five or thirty thousand
dollars a mile. Where these gentlemen
| get their estimate from | can not conceive.
[ have investigated the matter of cost of
| other roads, and found that that same
road. of which I spoke, cost, on an aver
age, s65 900 a mile from New Orleans to
Brashear City, and if there is any Senator
present who has never travelled over that
road, | would advise him to do SO. to find
out,what sort of road can be constructed
for $65 900 mile.
I am satisfied that this company will
build different road. The report of the
President of the jackson Railroad Com
panv shows the fact that that road cost
over $4,000 a mile from New Orleans to
Canton; and yet, after you leave the city
forty miles. you have piney woods aud
high, dry soil. Now, we have
| in this city another railroad
company, the oldest company in the
United States, and if we investigate the
status of that road, we find that that patri-
otto gentleman, who is TO build US a road
to Texas without any cost to the State
owns about three-tourths of that road.
| But the cost of that road built many years
ago when labor and material were cheaper
cost $4,000 per mile. That is road
which extends from New Orleans to Lake
| Pontchartrain. That road cost SO much
at that time because the land lying be-
tween the then limits Of the city and the
lake was morass, a swamp. And as
near as / can ascertain, the country IRON
here to the Teche IS precisely Of the same
nature; and, consequently, when you take
into consideration the increased cost OF
labor and material, you will be able te
form judgment as to the cost OF this
road. The chief engineer Of this company
who is presumed to know what he is talk
ing about. who. when he makes an est
mate knows what he bases it upon
SAYS that the first one hundred and thirty
miles, will cost more than one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars per mile, and tina
there are twenty-five to thirty-tive mile!
that will cost one hundred thousand dol
lars per mile. That disposes OF the argu
ment so far as the assertion is concerned
that the actnal subsidy paid by tina State
is enough to complete the road. There /:
another consideration that concerns th'
Senators from the low lands. They mus
remember that the company will build an
embankment from New Orleans to the
Teche, SO high and firm that it will op
crate as q protection levee against The
waters which annually come from thu
Mississippi river. 1t is to my own knowl
edge, that the parishes of Lafourche, Terre
bonnie, Assumption, st. Martin, and por
tons of st. Mary, from the year 1864 t.
1867, were almost deluged with water
destroying millions and millions worth o
property. Now, there is fair reason t.
presume that this levee will nat
urally prevent the recurrence
of such overflow. The road, Mr.
President, from here to Mobile, i
so far completed, that if any Senator has q
desire in month or two he can take 6
train and in few hours can land in Mo
bile.
Mr.. Blackman: 1 will bet you tn
drinks on it.
Mr.. Braughn: l have here said, and
call upon the Senate to bear witness
that in July next the New Orleans, Mobil
and Chattanooga railroad will be finished
between this city and Mobile, and an.
Senator who has desire to do so Cal
practically test it by ride on its rail
Now, Mr.. President, desire further to sa,,
that this road would have been complete'
already, had it not been for judicial in
reference with contractors and their EN-
| Moves 11non the road I hammered Il