New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-01


passed, title adopted, and notice of con-
currence ordered to be sent to the
Senate.
Mr.. DeGrange, of Orleans, called up
House bill No. IS, an act to establish a
public park for the city of New Orleans,
and to provide means therefor.
On motion, the bill was considered as
engrossed, and constitutional rule sus-
pended, bill read third time by its title,
and finally passed, title adopted, and bill
ordered to be sent to the Senate for con-
currence.
Mr.. Lee. of st. Bernard, in the chair.
MIR. Demarest, of s.. Mary, called up
House bill No. 1O5, an act for the relief of
the Orphans Home Society Of Louisiana.
On motion the bill was taken from the
Committee of the Whole.
Bill considered as engrossed, constitu-
tional rule suspended, and bill read a
third time by its title and finally passed,
title adopted, and bill ordered to be sent
to the Senate for concurred.
Mr.. Dupart, OF Terrebonne, called up
substitute to Senate bill No. II, an act to
create the Lafourche and Terrebonne
draining and land improvement company.
Bill considered as engrossed:
Constitutional rule suspended and the
bill read a third time by its title,
finally passed, title adopted, and notice
of concurrence ordered to be sent to the
Senate.
MIR. Evans, of Jefferson, called up House
bill No. POT, an act to facilitate commerce,
by providing for the construction Of addi-
tional basins on New Canal.
On motion, the bill was considered as
engrossed.
Mr.. McMillen, of Carroll, as chairman
of the Committee on Ways and Means,
submitted the following report:
Rooms OF COMMITTEE on WAYS AND MEANS.
New Orleans. FEBRUARY % 1905
To the Honorable Speaker and Members Of the
House of Representatives:
Your Committee on Ways and Means ask
bill entitled an act to provide for the opening
of the Southwest Pass at the mouth OF the
Mississippi river, to keep the same open, to
establish line of tow-boats between the
mouth of the river and the city of New Or
leans, 70 appoint commissioners and to issue
the bonis of the State to carry into effect
the aforementioned objects. This bill was
originally presented to the Senate, but tor
the reason that it Contemplates the raising
Of revenue, it WAS withdrawn by advice OF
the Senates Finance Committee, with the
view of it's introduction in the House, where
all bills for raising revenue must originate
The purpose of the bill is to deepen the
channel of the Southwest Pass of the Mlss1s-
sippi river, SO that Gessels drawing twenty
feet of water may at all times pass in or out
without delay.
For this purpose the bill provides for the
issue of five hundred thousand dollars In
bonds bearing interest at the rate of six per
cent per annum, in gold, and running
twenty-five years. These bonds are to be
placed at the disposition of board of com.
missioners, to be used or sold by them to
pay for the work of deepening the SAID
channel. Two of the commissioners, well
known and responsible citizens Of New
Orleans, are named in the bill; third is to
be appointed by the Governor, and they
give bond of ten thousand dollars each tor
president of the board is to receive salary
Of five thousand dollars, and each of the
two assistant commissioners salary Of
three thousand dollars. The board are
authorized to build or buy, and run fOu!
towboats and to charge seventy-tive cents
per ton for towing vessels across the Dsr
through the Southwest Pass, and up the
river to New Orleans, and TWENTY-FIVE cents
per ton for towage down the river and to
| the waters of the Gulf. All additional
charges for any purpose are expressly
| forbid.
The iateness of the period at which this
| bill was brought to the notice of your com
| mfttee prevents anything like detailed ant
complete presentation Of facts and reason
which induce them to recommend Its I'm
mediate passage. The main facts are, now
| ever, well known to all the members OF you
| honorable body. Vessels drawing more theI
seventeen feet of water are practically eX
| cluded from the Mississippi river. Mer
| chandize and produce outward or inward
| bound, to the value of ten or fifteen million
| of dollars is constantly waiting for favora
| BILE stage of water to pass the bars at tn
mouth of the Mississippi. On the fifth o
February, there were detained inside tn
| bar sixteen vessels, of about twenty thou
sand tons burden, having on board nearly
slxty thousand bales of Cotton, worth neari
| six millions of dollars; some of these vessel
though drawing less then nineteen feet, hat
been detained with their precious
cargoes more than thirty days. At the sam
date there were inward bound vessels de
tanned outside the bar aggregatlng IN ton
mage more than eleven thousand tons, witt
cargoes Of unknown value, but when ma i
be estimated at four million OF dollars. IN
detention of that date was OF ships and pro
duceworth more than twelve millions OF dol
lars. taking which as moderate estlmat
for the entire year, the loss to commerce Il
interest alone amounts to nearly mllllol
of dollars, or twice the sum called for b.
the bill now presented. The loss in wage
of seamen, decay Of vessels, insurance an.
deterioration of cargoes must be Sill
greater. The want of an adequate channe
of ingress and departure drives from GU
port the competition of the larger class G
Shipping, thereby greatly increasing tn
freight on exports and imports. 1t is tn
want of sufficient and permanent
outlet that binders the Mississippi river fror
becoming the receiving and the distrlbutln
channel of all the imports used IN Its grea
valley, as we'll as the transporting and dls
charing channel for all the eXportable pro
products of the vast territory which
drains, The river is especially the naturs
outlet of all the millions of bushels OF sur
| plus Western grain, but it can not now fulh
this. its natural and obvious function To-
the reason, that the larger sort OF ships
. which alone are fitted for the cheap Cal
riage of grain by sea, can not cross the pa
with less then twenty feet draft. me add
ton of the four feet to the depth of the pre-
sent channel would be so great benef
that it would be felt at once by every occt
pant of farms lying upon all the counties
tributaries of the Mississippi, no less tina
by the growers of cotton. Every needles
expense or delay in getting produce to NAL