New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-07
ale,&, 0rleans &epnbliea1l.
orr,ctsl JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
off,c,Al JOURNAL Of NEW ORLEANS
DEBATES OF THE SENATE.

DEBATES OF THE SENATE.
THURSDAY, February ., 1871.
AtExAspRIA HOMER AND FULTON RAILROAD
COMPANY.
Mr. Rlackman move that the veto OF
,ha hill to Incorporate the Alexandria.
Uomer and Fulton Railroad Company DC
returned to the Governor. Before the mo-
t;on ia mt. | will make statement to the
senate in reference to this bill. III 1868 u
bin was introduced, aud passed by the Gen
cral Assembly, incorporating company
which was to build Il railroad to traverse
.le country between the Red river and the
Ouachita. For some reason, which 1t is un-
necessary to + tie, the Governor vetoed tn:
bill. During the last session of the Legis-
lature another bill was introduced on the
same subject, at the earnest solicitation OF
NV constituents, who demanded that. il
possible, a railroad bill should pass the
General Assembly providing some way by
which thai section OF country ,iy;,
inD between the north of Red
r;xer and the Ouachita could be developed.
1t is a well known fact to almost every
Senator on this floor, particularly to those
who have had occasion to visit that section,
that its condition is worse than that OF any
other section Of the State, so far AS faculties
for TRANSPORTATION are concerned. Ii IL, IN
a manner. isolated. 1t is q beautiful coun.
try in a state of cultivation, productive ana
rich. is fast developing, and would develop
ten-fold if it only had the necessary trans
nortation to carry it's products to market.
The Legislature at it's last session. passed
various acts incorporating certain railroad
comnanies. one Of which was to build a
railroad from the city Of New Orleans to
the state of Texas. 10 that railroad com
pany the State not only gave twelve thou
sand five hundred dollars per mile
on it's second mortgage bonds, but
appropriated the enormous sum OF
three million dollars toward connecting
the State of Louisiana with the great
State of Texas. For that purpose. not
only did the Legislature lend the credit Of
the State. but it also placed Il one per cent
tax upon the real and immOvable property
of the whole State in order to pay these in
stallments. l refer to the Chattanooga
Railroad Company. Another bill was
passed providing for the erection of a rail
road to develop the country lying between
here and Baton Rouge. and on in the direc-
ton of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Besides
the passage of these two bills, ten millions
of dollars have been appropriated for the
purpose of protecting the river front from
overflow, thereby increasing the value OF
the property Of the State. In fact, every
section of the State Of Louisiana-the city
Of New Orleans, the river front, the section
Of country west of the Mississippi river, in
the direction of the State Of Texas-have
received large amounts of appropriations,
for their internal improvements, from
the State within the last three or four
wears with the exception Of that section
which represent. The same people who
row make demand for the passage OF this
bill have been taxed for the purpose of
building up these internal improvements
that have mentioned. They are taxed to-
day for all the levees, canals and railroads
made in every other portion of the State.
and they think it but simple justice that,
while they pay taxes for the purpose of i'm
proving the other parts of the State, while
they lend their money toward the erection
Of levees to protect the people Of the river
parishes from the danger Of overflow, they
should receive their portion Of the money OF
tie State toward developing their section OF
the country. Having the honor to repre-
sent those people on the floor OF the Senate
/ introduced this bill, and it was passed by
the General Assembly. The Governor was
of the opinion that the twenty ninth see
ton of the bill, which empowered the
company to construct branch roads
granted too great power to them
and he sent it back without his
approval. will state, in this connection
that it was a verbatim copy OF the othe1
railroad bills that had passed the General
Assembly, and which had become laws by
the approval of the Governor. 1t was no,
contemplated in the TWEEN, y-ninth section OF
the act, to give the company power to build
railroads anywhere in the State, as the Gov
ernor intimates in his veto message. During
the last summer campaign, when the Gov
ernOr was in that section OF the country, he
was waited upon by a deputation of the
citizens who informed him of the condition
of the country, and of the absolute and
imperative necessity Of railroad transpolta
ton. His Excellency then promised those
people that they should have this railroad
provided the bill was relieved OF that objec
tionable feature. have already introduced
bill amending and rc-enacting section
tventy-nine Of the act, which removes the
objection Of the Governor. That bill has
passed its first and second readings, anG
will doubtless become a law. AS the repre-
sentative on this floor of the section O.
country lying between the Red river ant
Ouachita, have a right to ask that thi.
bill should become law, in order that these
people may be enabled to develop that see
ton do not consider il necessary to say
ANYTHING more on this subject. This inca
sure commends itself to the justice an(
good sense of the Senate. l therefore asl
that the veto message OF the Governor bt
returned to him.
Mr.. Todd: 1t requires unanimous ccnsen
10 withdraw a message, and object to i
think he was right III vetoing it originally
He NAV have changed his mind, but l Lay'
not changed mine.
Mr.. Fish: There are quite number 0
Senators who do not know what this bill is
The Senator urging the motion that tn
Governor be allowed to withdraw lis vet
message has stated that there are feature
in the bill which are considered objection
able by the Governor, and which will b
repealed by an amendatory act which ha
already passed it's second reading 1t seem
to me to be a little contrary to the rule t
pass a bill amending an act before that &C
becomes law. There is certainly some in
consistency in it. / would prefer. however
to have this bill printed, in order that W
NAV see whether it is Objectionable or no;
If there are Objectionable features in it,
do not think we should pass it on the s;mpl
guarantee Of Senator that an amendment
shall pass the tGeneral Assembly and b
signed by the Governor. desire simply t
say that am not ready at this time to COZ
slider the question as to whether the Gov
ernor shall be allowed to withdraw the Vet
message or not l therefore move tina. til
further consideration OF this subject be pos
poned one week, and that the veto message
the bill vetoed and the amendatory &c
thereto, be printed.
Mr.. Campbell objected to the withdraw
Of the veto message. He WAS favorab l
disposed toward the bill, and suggeste
that the motion Of Senator Fish to postpon
be amended SO as to bring the matter o
at an earlier date than one week hence.
Mr.. Ray: am in favor of this bill b'
coming law, but it would be well for I'll
distinguished Senator from Claiborne I
consider whether the withdrawal OF th
veto would have the desired effect. Their