The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-30
ProcrastinatiOn Prolonged.-Apathy
Triumphant.

IF last Saturdays railroad meet
ing. which would take up over .
column of our space, we will
give a brief summary of the de.
of the meeting. 4
The committee appointed on
the 18th inst, and instructed to
report at a subsequent meeting,
reported substantially . recon-
mendation to the Police Jury to
submit to the people of this par
ish the proposition to vote aid,
by a subscription of $4,000 per
mile each, within the limits of
the parish, to the incomplete por-
ton of the North Louisiana =
Texas, to the Trenton s. Fulton,
and the Pine Bluff & Alexandria
railroads.
Objection was made to this
proposition that the Parish lack
cd authority to issue bonds to
aid public works and substitute
for tho committees report, after
a lengthy discussion, was adopt
ed, appointing committee to
prepare a bill and submit it to
the legislature, ut its session in
January, authorizing the parish
to issue bonds for the purposes
we have indicated, and calling
upon the Police Jury to submit
the proposition we have just re-
cited, without further action by
the people, to a vote Of the land
holders, the aid proposed being in
creased to six thousand dollars
per mile for each mile of road to
be built in the parish. but not to
he given until ten miles of the
road to be aided shall be built
and equipped.
1t will be seen, therefore, that
the efforts, trouble and expense
employed to arouse an enthusi-
asm and active support for rail-
road enterprises in this parish,
have resulted in nothing but the
appointment of the committee to
solicit the authority of the legis-
laturc to the parish to issue bonds
of the parish for the purpose
stated. This action amounts to
a delay of not less than seven
months. The question arises,
where is the necessity for this
delays Candidly and without
prejudice, we cannot, in q matter
Of such magnitude and pressing |
Importance, sec any necessity for
the postponement. The law of
the State, as it now stands, is am
pie to authorize the several par
ishes to subscribe for stock in
public works, provided, only,
that the number and amount of
shares is fixed, and the means OF
paying the subscription, the rate
of taxation and time of payment
are set forth in the ordinance
making the subscription. Ifsuch
an ordinance is voted upon IA
vorably by majority of the
landholders of the parish, the aid
contemplated is effected.
The objection made to this
form of aid, by Chief Justice
Ludeling and F. P. Stubs, Esq,
both of whom addressed the
meeting very earnestly, was that
such a subscription amounted,
under the provisions of the char
ter of the North Louisiana &
Texas railroad, (for which they
were authorized to speak,) to
practical confiscatiOn.
Now, it will hardly be dis
puted that the Parish possesses
the right to regulate tho terms of
of its own subscription, and if it
sees proper, it can determine that
not more than ten per cent of
the subscription shall be paid
annually; and we presume that
aid of this character would be
acceptable to any railroad COM
pany desiring and needing aid.
But, suppose there are objec-
tions to subscriptions in parish
warrants OF certificates, is there
not q great Sovinu ~f +;,,o -