The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-03-11

| ing alone, and l 90 not want to see tn
amount increased. | would state in refe
t ence to tais bar, that recently a steambo;
I employed in the inside trade struck upon
: and not having certificate of inspectio
all the freight shipped on her Consisting
2 twenty thousand dollars, worth of cottol
3 besides many other articles) was lost, an
the lives of the passengers, who were CON
, ing from Opelousas and Washington to til
city of New Orleans, were endangered.
is very important to the people Of that Sc,
ton that this small appropriation should b
made These people are taxed, and pa
their taxes promptly, for the building {
railroads, etc, in other portion of the State
and they think it but just that the
should receive their pro rata share of TIL
benefits to be derived from the distribution
of the public money. | now move to la
the motion of the Senator from Bato
Rouge Mr.. Ragan on the table.
/ Carried
Mr.. Sypher anI very familiar will
the section of the country which asks fo
this appropriation for the improvement o
the navigation of Bayou Courtableau.
have run boats over the bar referred t.
many times, and have often run them agains
it. know very well where the obstruc
tions are which are referred to by the Sen
ator from Orleans Mr. Barber). know
called Little Devil y and it is a littlt
devil sure enough. If we make any appro
priation at all, 1t should not be for less thar
sixty thousand dollars, for it will take
every cent of it to do the work properly
Mr.. Hunsaker: l have no doubt that
this bill should be passed; but | have
heard the cry so often lately that we should
protect the taxpayers that am getting a
little that way myself My high regard
for the gentleman who introduced the bill
almost warrants me in voting for 1t without
any other consideration; but when I sec
the money of the people attempted to be
voted away in this manner, feel it to be
my duty to ask the Senate to pause for a
moment until they can examine the charac-
ter of the bill they are voting for What
guarantees are given to the Senate and the
people at large that this work will be car
ried out? am not a little surprised that
the great champions of the tax payers (Mr
Lynch and Mr.. Btackman) have not yet
said anything on this subject. So far as
am concerned, am not prepared to vote
for such an immense subsidy as this be-
fore know what am voting for. | have
not yet read the bill.
Mr.. Anderson: If the gentleman will
let me know the exact amount of taxes
that this bill will take out of his pocket,
I will settle it Immediately. [Laughter1
~ Mr.. Hunsaker: do not belong to that
jovial class of people who have so many
representatives on this. floor. I represent
the laboring classes, and they are deeply
interested in all measures of this character.
desire, in all seriousness, that when I
am called upon to vote away such an
amount as this, to know to whom | am
voting 1t, and what the circumstances of
the case are. do not wish to be under
stood as being opposed to the bill, because
am convinced that gentleman of the
high reputation of the Senator from St
Landry [Mr. Andersonl would not become
the champion of any measure unless it
was good one but have never seen the
bill before, and am not prepared to vote
Upon it at present. | do not approve of
this indecent haste.
Mr. Anderson: In answer to the re-
marks of the Senator from St. James [Mr.
Hunsakerl in reference to the indecent
haste with which this bill has been acted
upon, Il will state that it was introduced
some. fifteen days ago, referred to the
proper committee, and reported upon fav-
orably. A similar bill was passed some
years ago when we had the closest Legisla-
ture that we ever had in this State. A
glance at the names attached to the petition
will convince any Senator that this is no
"iob;" that it is an honest measure, and
that the performance of the work is neces-
sary to the people of Western Louisiana.
The honorable Senator from st. Mary MFR.
Sypher] is we'll acquainted with the naviga-
ton of this bayou. He planted on several
plantations in the parish of Rapides, just
subsequent to the war He had to ship
all his produce through that bayou, and
received all his return freights by that
ronte. There was so much difficulty in
getting through this bayou at one time
that he bought small steamboat to get bis
freight through on account Of the enormous
expense that be was obliged to bear. This
is msritorious bill. The work is actually
necessary to the people Of that section.
Bayou Teche was cleaned out last year at
the expense Of the State, and the obstrnc-
tons are now being cleaned out of the
Bayou Vermillion. The section in which |
these bayous run does not really need
those improvements as badly as the people |
represent need the improvement Of this
Bayou Courtableau. There are sugar and
cotton plantations for the whole distance
of one hundred and. thirty miles above the
month of Bayou Courtableau, and many
,f the planters have not shipped pound of /
heir produce of last year because of this |
BAR at the mouth Of the bayou. Many of
hem have lost large amount of money
IN account Of theirbeing Obliged to keep
heir produce on hand. The passage of |
his bill would be nothing more than an
sct of justice to my constituents, as we'll /
IS to the constituents of Senators Kelso and |
Harris. am willing that the bill should
provide who shall do the work and how
t shall be done. have already placed
he name Of William Offnt in the bill as
,ne Of the commissioners, gentleman well
Known to all the old members Of the
Senate as man of sterling honesty and
integrity. | propose to add the names Of
wo other gentleman who are just as honest
md honorable as he is. hope the Senate
viii grant us this small appropriation. I
We do not come here and ask for two or
hree hundred thousand dollars. We only
SIX for what Is right and proper. The
honorable Senator On my right fMr. Black
nanl has got a railroad running clear up
nto Missouri, to which State aid has been
,iven. Other gentlemen have had State
i'd granted to railroads and canals in va
ious portions Of the State. This bill is
for the purpose of bringing the
,roduee Of that section to this city easily.