New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-23

favor OF improving the Navigation of all tha
bayOus in the State, if we commence at one
I believe, however, that the navigation A
these bayOus is humbug. Most of them
have only three inches of water in them in
hirh water, and an inch and
hIf in low water. have heard
great deal of talk in this Senate chamber
about the present heavy taxation, which ia
almost crushing the people of the State I'm.
der its weight. This has been the whoe
tenor of the remarks of the Senator from
Claiborne MR. Blackmanl and Senate.
Hunsaker, since the beginning Of the pres
ent session. l am sorry that the Senator
from Carroll is not also here tonight TO cast
his vote against this bill. l believe that
those gentlemen are correct in their views.
think the time has arrived when the taxa
ton of the people Of the State should be re-
duced. They are burdened with load which
they can hardly bear. There is no people
that Gods genial sun shines down Upon
that pay such heavy taxes as do the people
of this unfortunate State. There is no
city on Goods green earth enjoying NUM-
cipal privileges that is taxed SO heavily az
the city of New Orleans. /, for one pro
pose to reduce the taxation of the people |
do not propose to make appropriations Of
this kind unless know them to be founded
in law and practice. l am willing to weld
almost anything to the honorable Senator
T..
enabled to give a good account OF bis stew
ardshp when he goes back to his consti-
tuents. | want to make his fame as bright
as POLISHED brass. | want him to go home
with record so bright that his con-
stituents will return him here again and
will continue to return him, and when he
shall have "shutf1ed off this mortal
coil continue to send his descendants
here until the ''last syllable of recorded
=; s,,,f I In tnr
bill of this kind simply because he asks me
to do 40. venture to say that this bayou
is not known to single man outside OF the
parish of st. Landry. l hope the Senate
will be more decOrOus and dignified than to
pass bill of this kind in the hasty manner
proposed by the Senator from st. Landry,
/ now move that the further consideration
of this bill be postponed until tomorrow at
one o'clock, and that it be made the sDecia.
order OF the day TOR that hour.
Mr.. AndersOn: am glad to see that the
Senator from COncordia MIR. Harrlsj takes
such an interest in our welfare. The people
that ship their cotton through this bayou
probably do not know the Honorable Mr..
Harris at all. They are generally wealthy
men, and seldom, if ever, vote. Only a few
days ago | received large petition from
that country, asking me to request the Gov
ernor to offer reward for the apprehension
of Il murderer who had murdered one of
the gentlelnans constituents. l suppose
he was as ignorant OF that circumstance as
he was of the existence of the Bayou Coul
tableau. am actually representing por-
ton of his district without his knOwle'i5c.
Now, the Bayou Courtableau is we'll known
to most of the Senators this floor. and
all the merchants of this city are well
Iuaincd with its location. 1t is also we'll
known to the honorable gentleman who
presides over this body. The west
ern portion OF Louisiana is GER
family the richest and most productive
section in the State Of Louisiana. 1t also
has IL large voting and taxpaying popuIa-
ton. The parish that l represent has
voting population Of six thousand and the
Senatorial District nearly twenty Thousand,
and they pay large amount of taxes.
This work is of vast Importance to them
and it is but inst and right that the State
should comply with their moderate request
am perfectly willing that the interests Of
the treasury should be guarded in eyery
conceivable manner. The gentlemen whosa
names | have inserted in the bill are men
OF means and can give bond for hun
,rcd thousand dollars If they are required
to do SO. They are gentlemen OF the
highest reputation. and are above doing
anything wrong. They will expend this
OF them as | said before is we'll known to
the old members OF this Senate
as the senator who occupied for two years
the seat now filled by Senator Daigle. |
refer to Mr.. Offut. do not see any neces
sity for postponing this bill. If it is TO be
defeated. let it be taken up at once and
laid upon the table. l shall have done nv
duty to my constituents in presenting i.
and advocating its passage. If the Senate
votes the bill down now, l will take my
seat and never mention Bayou Courtabeau
again this session. | will state, for the in
formation of the Senator from CencOrdia
MIR. Harris]. that Bayou Courtableau is
formed by the junction of Bayou Crocodile
which rises in the parish OF Rapides, and
the Bayou Brut, which runs from
the parishes of Avoyelles and Ra.
pides. 1t then empties INFO the
Atchafalaya river. Boats run between that
bayou and this city twice week. They 90
down the Bayou COurtableau to its 0uth,
then up the Atchafalaya river, out into tie
Mississippi and down to this city. Tley
bring freight from the parishes of st. Landry,
Avoyelles. Lafayette and Calcasiel. and
from portions OF the parishes Of st. Martin
plantations there, and the country is well
known to he rich and productive. l nope
the motion to postpone will not prevail.
Mr.. Pinchback: After listening to the ear
nest appeal made by the gentleman from St.
Landry MIR. Andersonl and the eloquent
remarks OF my friend from COncOrula Mr.
Harris l feel that l cannot better express
my sentiments on this bill than By quoting
from speech which was delivered by the
Hon Mr.. Knott. of Kentucky, in the House
of Representatives of the United States. on
the st. Croix and Superior Land Grant In
his opening remarks, he says
If l could I've actuated by any conceiv-
able inducement to betray the sacred trust
reposed in me by those to whose generous
confidence am indebted for the honor OF a
seat on this floor; if l could be influenced
by any possible consideration to become
instrumental in giving away, in violation
of their known wishes. any portion OF Their
interest in the public domain for the mere
promotion of any railroad enterprise what
ever. should certainly feel a strong incli-
nation TO i've this measure my NEST earnest
and hearty support, for l am assured that
its success would materially enhance the
pecuniary prosperity of some OF tine most
valued friends have on earth, friends for
whose accommodation would be willing to
make almost any sacrifice not involving my
personal honor or my fidelity as the trustee
OF an express trust. And that fact. of itself.
would be sufficient to countcrvail almost
any objection l might entertain to the
passage Of this bill not inspired by an I'M
peratiye and memorable sense OF public
duty"
That is just the position l take on this
bill. quote further:
But. independent of the seductive IN.
fuences of private friendship, to which
admit am, perhaps, as susceptible as any
OF the gentlemen l see around me. the
tut as n,,prn