New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-29
''REaULATINn COMMERCE. Il

REGULATING COMMERCE.
Galveston has closed her doors by
quarantine prociamaticns in our face very
dngenerously on two occasions last
year, and the second time this year. Her
first quarantine created an immense
amount of indignation both here and
throughout the State of Texas, because it
was not only unnecessary at the time, but
becauseit arrested large number Of peo-
pie who were then moving both to and
from this city on matters of urgent bust
ness. 1t was estimated that there were
five hundred people in New Orleans last
year who were then en- route for Texas;
and probably one-half of that number of
our people were in Texas, homeward
bound from excursions on matters of
urgent business. Large supplies Of goods
were in transit at the same time, and con-
siderable shipments of cotton due at this
port were diverted to New York and
Europe. Our weekly loss was estimated
at five hundred thousand dollars, and the
corresponding injury to our Texas friends
must have been equally great. Business
arrangements that had been perfected for
months ahead were demoralized, and the
trade and traffic of the Southwest was
thus measurably thrown out of working
order. The same misfortune, only on a
larger scale, will occur this year, if the
present quarantine is continued in force
until frost appears.
As we intimated yesterday, it is our
decided opinion that this entire proceed
ing originates out of commercial rivalry
on the part Of Galveston. This is just the
season when hundreds of Texans are pre-
pairing to visit New Orleans for the pur-
pose Of settling up their old accounts and
entering into new business relations. They
are indebted to our merchants, and their
cotton and country produce have either
been shipped to this port or to Europe,
and they depend upon the proceeds from
these consignments to make their annual
Many of them are not pre-
pared to 60 North. as their means and
time do not justify such expenditure and
delay, and they, no doubt, proposed to
secure their fall and winter supplies in
this market. Their detention in Galveston
will destroy this arrangement, and the re-
suit will be that their purchases will be
made in Galveston. The merchants Of
that place, having locked our customers
up from coming to us, can take advant-
age Of their necessities. and sell them
goods at an advance upon even the local
market. This is what was done last year,
10 great profit. and We verify believe it is
to practice the same speculation
his year.
If this is not regulating commerce be-
;ween the States by impeding it in the
interest of spectators, it looks SO much
ike it that Congress will probably be
solicited to appoint committee to inves-
igate the matter. If one community
AN arrest the trade and travel of two
,reat States in the interest Of a few local |
merchants, then the general government |
viii be invoked to interpose its constitu-
ional power to Gsembarrass the people |
# any such letters. Under that pro-
ision of the constitution which gives
congress the authority to regulate COM
nerce between the States, this quarantine
lificulty can be lodged in hands that will
reserve it from being exercised in the
interests of body of merchants instead
j. being limited to a strict application
there the lives of the people are con-
erned. This is not an argument to adj
ress to the traders who are profting by
be present injustice, for before the gen.
raj government can interfere they will
ave made their money and disappeared.
'ut it is suggestion which we throw out
Or the consideration Of the politicians Of
be country, and particularly that class of
politicians who believe that the States
hould be left to the control Of these
ocal matters. It is to their interest to
Din us in seeing that the principle of
ocal government, as involved in the ques-
ion of quarantine, is Invested of all faint
f speculation.