New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-23

nection with my friend from Baton Rouge
mr.. Raganl upon the printing of the n emo
rial and bill in the journal. 1 do not care
so far as am personally concerned, whether
they are printed or not, although it has
been customary lately for bills of the most
trivial character to he ordered printed and
made the special or,icr of the day
for some future time, in order that
the Senate might have an opportunity TO
examine them. l could call the attention
OF the Senate to several instances where
measures OF less magnitude and importance
than this have been postponed day after
day, in order that the Senate might have
tine to consider their provisions. Many
bills that did not ask for dollar from the
State have been treated i'll that manner
This measure proposes to take sixty thou
sand dollars out of the treasury OF the State.
1t proposes TO tax my property, as well as
lie property OF every other man IN the
State, and yet the gentleman Mr.. Adder
son wants to rush it through III lights
session. | beg leave of the Senate to read
one other extract from the speech that
have already quoted
Now, sir, who, after listening to this en-
phatic' and uneuuivocal testimony OF these
intelligent. competent and ble-bOdled Wit
nesses; who that is not as incrcdulous as
~. Thomas himself. will doubt for !; mo
menJ that the Goshen Of Louisiana ''is 10 be
found in this Bayou Courtableau, some
where III the parish OF. st. Landry. WHO
VIII have the llardihood to rise III his seat
on this floor and assert that. excepting the
pine bushes, the entire region would not
produce vegetation enough IL ten years to
t:itten q grasshopper.'
Now. / am told by the honorable Senator
on my right MIR. Harris] that this bayou
has only three feet OF water in it i'll high
water, and loot and a half iii low water.
On tie other hand: am informed BY the
1aft Nv M.
it is very important stream, and that large
quantities OF cotton and sugar are brought
through 1t to this city. 1t becomes. there
fore, ACQUISITION of veracity between the TWO
gentlemen. have as much right 10 be
guided by the statement OF the Senator
from Concordia Mr.. Harrisl as have TO be
guided by that of the Senator from st.
Landry Mr.. Andersonl. Ii this bayou runs
through the district represented by Senator
Harris. it is reasonable TO presume that he
must know something about it, and If he
says there are only three inches OF water III
ii, as a matter Of course We must pay some
attention to his assertion. In view OF the
conflicting opinions between these two gen
tlemen. think it perfectly reasonable that
This bill should be postponed until tomorrow
in order that we may look into its merits or
dement's. Ii, on that day. l am satisfied by
the gentleman on my left MIR. Anderson
that this is an important matter to the peo
Z.
prepared 10 sustain it. If, on the contrary,
am convinced 10y the Senator on my right
Mr.. Harris that this bayou has only three
inches Of water in it. and that the State and
people viii not derive any benefit from its
Improvement. l shall vote against 1t. With
these remarks, hoping that l have purged
myself o. the charge made against ne 10y
the Senator from St. Landry Mr.. Anderson,
i leave TIE question to the decision OF the
Senate.
Nj Sypher: As | stated before. have
run steamboats, over and many times
on that bar, and l know great
deal about that bayou. ~ no
time in the year are there less than tour
feet OF water in that bayou for thirtytive or
thir:y-six miles above its mouth. with the
exception of the bar there at Little Devil
That bar becomes completely dry ut times.
| have seen boats Oh that bar OF the custom
noHse measurement OF SIX hundred tons.
The boats that run up there regularly Tor
four or five months il the year measure
from two hundred to two hundred and fifty
tons. Those are not small boats by amy
means: they would at least require more
than three inches of water to float i'll.
Mr.. Raglan: There has been ii great deal
said IL reference tc this measure. but very
little touching its real merits. ! renew my
motion 10 print the bill in the Journal. and
make it the special order of the day
for tomorrow. In support OF that motion
viii state that it has been the custom re-
Gently TO nave measures which involve the
pecuniarv interest of the State thoroughly
understood by the Senate before they are
acted upon. and l see no reason why an eN-
ception should be made i'll favor OF this
measure. which asks for sixty thousand dol
lars Of the public money.
Nj Lynch moved to refer tie hill 70 4
special committee TO he composed Of Sena-
tors Anderson and Harris.
Mr. Anderson moved to amend the no
ton by including Senator kelso
Amendment accepted
Pending that motion the Senate went mo
executive session. and atterward adjourned.