New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-14

ignored, ana the city 0eleSatIOn put up IN
it's place. have listened for three sessions
to talk about this eternal city delegation,
and am tired of it, Upon the principle that
is sought to be established now, we could,
with great consistency, move to refer any
and all bills which are to have their effect
in the country to committee composed OF
the country delegation.
Now, do not see that city lite makes
men more honest or more respectable than
does country life. 1t may give them more
polish; they may walk straighter, or
swing cane more gracefully, hut /
have yet to learn that it promotes a
tude than the associations Of country HE
do. Upon these grounds / oppose
the course whichit is persistently attempted
to follow in referring everything to the city
delegation. Probably there are members
from the city Of New Orleans On all these
committees, and they can impart such
knowledge to the committee as may be
necessary; and if there are not city Senators
on this particular committee, there are
other men in the city who can and will give
lis all the information desirable.
Mr.. Fish: ! shall state very briefly the
objec, had in view i'll making this sug-
gestiop The city OF New Orleans is not
represented in the Committee on Corpora
tons, with one single exception that of
Senator Todd, who, on account CT their
beng 10 new apportionment. was voted
for by very few OF his con
stituents in this city. He comes from
been annexed. With that single exception,
say, there is not single representative Of
the city OF New Orleans on that committee.
This is matter in which the people Of the
city of New Orleans have an exclusive in
terest. The people OF the outside country
have nothing to do with il; they have not
a cent of tax to pay for the support OF this
great work ofpublic improvement. Further
more, the Committee on Corporations is
already burdened with an extra amoun, OF
labor. The members of il, with the one
exception that i have mentioned, are
all members of the majority, who
have assumed to themselves nearly al
Of the standing committees. TIE members
OF the Committee on Corporations are mem
bers of so many other committees and have
SO much other labor to perform that IL is
reasonable to suppose that they will not
have time to give proper attention to 40
important measure as the one low be-
fore the Senate. FOR these reasons
l ask that this bin be referred
to committee composed Of members from
that portion of the State whose interests are
supposed to be involved in tie bill.
Mr.. Lewis: l contend that, as | an ciii-
zen of Louisiana, l have as much interest
in the prosperity OF the State. and of the
city Of New Orleans, as any Senator from
the city. believe that New Orleans is the
pride and hope Of Louisiana. and that any
thing beneficial to the city OF New Orleans
must ultimately, if not Immediately, benefit
the whole State. The gentleman says that
there is no member on that committee from
the city OF New Orleans except Mr.. Todd.
Suppose there is not. Mr.. Todd was elected
by majority of this Senate as a member
OF that committee; and that committee has
a right to protest against the icea OF being
ignored by the city members.
Now, might say with great truth, that
from the city, or at least u great
many of them, know less than the country
members about the construction OF rail
roads, or the construction OF any great me-
chanical project. If there IS any special OF
particular knowledge necessary for this
committee t. ascertain, i, can i've had by
proper communication with the cti-
Zeps Of New Orleans, and that
communication can be had iust as well by
the proper standing committee as by g con-
lnittee composed of the city delegation.
With all due respect to tie gentleman. |
must express my opinion tia. this talk
about the city delegation has been carried
too far. A disposition has been shown by
tAc c!t. IucLlptFS ~ t'tht RON i-c proper
standing committees such things as t!iey
prefer TO have themselves. think j. Is
time that this play Should cease
delegation should manage everything
relative to the city, then let us abolish all
the present standing committees, and ap-
portion two new ones over IN their stead.
one composed Of the city delegation. and
one composed of the country delegation.
and let us refer all bills in which the city is
to the city delegation. ard al
bills III which the interests OF tie people OF
the country are involved 70 :he country
delegation. The gentlemen from the
city may know good deal about
but they do nOo know much
about cotton or canals or drainage. or any
thing OF the kind: and. consequently they
will be Just as Incompetent TO take care u
some great scheme OF mechanism as any
other member of the Senate. They know
everything about count ing room books ana
such things. and they know more about that
particular business from which they gain
their livelihood than the countrv:memb
DO; but Of any great scheme OF industry or
public Improvement, | am OF opinion they
know as little as anybody else. therefore
ask that this bill be referred 10 TIE appro-
pirate standing committee.
Mr.. Campbell: / merely wish 70 say 20
the Senator who has just taken his seat
that. although l admit that the country
have much more intelligence and
honesty than the Senators from the city.
vet, at the same time, rcprobates as we are
by nature and by action, we still think that
when any measure is brought forward in
which the people of the city OF New Orleans
are exclusively interested, we ought TO he
consulted. We think that We are the proper
persons to whom this bill ought t. be re-
erred. For this reason, ] hope that il will
De referred to q committee composed of the
,ity delegation.
Mr.. Fish: 1t seems that Senator Lewis
8 unaware that there are some measures
hat come before the Senate which are not
II a strictly local character, as this bill is
say this with all due respect to the Sen
tor.
The iill was referred to tie standing
Committee on Corporations.
Mr.. Campbell having moved 20 refer a
isolation offered by him, in reference to
he sale OF explosive materials, to a com
nittee 70 be appointed by the President,
aid that his object in presenting the resol-
ION was not to obtain an appointment on
he special committee therein pro-
ided Tor. He con; idered that life |
nd property was rendered unsafe by the
ale OF articles as burning fluids which, |
we're actually rs dangerous as sunpowder. |
ie remarked that a fire had occurred a !
cw nights since where five or ten thousand |
ollars worth Of property was lost 10y the
se OF these unsafe burning fluids. He said |
hat i was a matter that Senators from the |
ountry should not laugh at notwitistanh- ,
ng .helr superior Intelligence.
he attempted Assassinaticn Q: Eing ,
William.
-r Liter'e reproduccs.. from the 4 rc,.i..
he following account, appending
o = an editorial note. stating tina. the
J. ~.