The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-16
Railroad Mass Meeting.

III Monroe on September -, 1871, tt
consider the railroad interests Of Qua
chita parish, DR.. r. b. Blocker, o
Trenton, was called to preside, and I,
Richardson selected as Secretary.
Judge II. w. Richardson being re
questeI, explained the object of tho
meeting.
| On motion OF Capt. G. w. McCranie
The Chair was authorized to appoint e
tons. The Chair appointed the follow.
ing gentlemen Capt. McCranie, Judge
Richardson, l.. NJ. Kidd, II. G. Cobb,
Capt W. W. Fisher, Judge Ray and J
Hoffman.
Rev. Mr.. Lawson being called on,
addressed The meeting. He exemplificd
in an able manner, the great interest to
be derived by this section in the con-
struction of railroads, exhibiting Il
thorough knowledge on the subject of
his remarks.
The Committee returned and through
their Chairman, Capt. McCranie, pre-
sented the following preamble and res
olutions:
WHEREAS, The material interests of
our country imperatively require the
extension and increase of means of
transportation, and experience having
demonstrated that railroads are the
only entirely reliable and practicable
means for said object; and
WHEREAS, Enterprises of such mag
nitutle as the building of railroads can
not be successfully prosecuted, in the
present condition Of our country, with
out the aid of municipal and parochial
assistance; therefore,
BE II Resolset1, That this meeting do
recommend to the Police Jury of the
parish Of Ouachita to submit an ordiS
nance to the property owners of Qua
chita parish, according to the forms of
law, taking the sense of the people up
on the subject of subscribing one hun
dred thousand dollars, in bonds of the
parish running for thirty years with 8
per cent. interest, in sums of 500, $500
and $1,000, to the Trenton & Fulton
Railroad Company, to be issued as soon
as said company shall be organized, at
the rate of $4,000 per mile through it's
extent in said parish, after the compile
ton of each mile of said road. And we
Police Jury do submit an ordinance for
the same purpose and on the same
terms voting a subscription to railroad
running from Alexandria, La, to Pine
Bluff, Ark, as soon as the company for
building said road is organized, for the
same amount.
1Sesolred, That we recommend that
books be opened for private subscription
to said enterprises Of the citizens of the
parish of Ouachita, and that we pledge
ourselves to use the utmost exertions
to swell said subscriptions to the sum
of 100000.
Resoleet', That in our opinion the
city of Monroe should subscribe stock
to said railroads to the full amount of
the parish subscription or such other
amount as the Council may deem pro-
per; and that we hereby call upon the
City Council of Monroe to submit said
subscription to the property holders of
the city in the manner provided by law.
Ieesotred, That We further pledge
ourselves to use our efforts to increase
both parish, city and individual sub
scriptions, as the work progresses and
the demands and necessities Of said en-
tcrprises demand.
Resolved, That rs the constitutional
limit of the State debt has been reached
and no assistance can at present be eX-
pected from the State to said railroads,
that we do recommend that a petition
be presented to the next session of the
legislature of the State asking for re-
mission or transfer of a certain portion
of the State taxes to the parishes and
towns through which said railroads run,
and that it is a matter of justice to this
section of country that said transfer of
taxes should be made.
Icesolred, That this meeting regards,
with unqualified regret, the slow pro-
gress made by the North Louisiana &
Texas Railroad Company in completing
its line of road to Shreveport, and that
we urge the directors of that company
to avail themselves of every opportuni-
ty to push forward the completion of
said road without further indefinite
promises and negotiations to complete
said road.
Ieesolcec1, That there be held ut Mon
roe, on the 25th of October, grand
railroad mass meeting, with the pur-
pose of aiding and constructing all pro-
jected railroads passing through the
parish of Ouachita, and that the citizens
of the parish are requested TO use their
utmost cXertions to have full atten-
Judge Ray presented Il minority re-
port in these words:
Iagree with the report of the COM
mittee on condition that the authori-
ties submit that the same amount on
the same conditions be given Tor the
completion of the North Louisiana 4
Texas Railroad to Shreveport.
ROB'T RAY.