New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-03

of fifteen newspapers, bearing an ominOus
resemblance to subsidizing the press OF the
District.
8. 1t has created many new bureaus, large
~ increasing the number OF corporation Of
iicers and the rate of their salaries.
9. 1t hired thousands of men, carts and
wagons, many of them from the adjoining
States. at extravagant cost, just before the
election.
TO- Two elections have been held within
year (Only one being necessary, at an ex-
pense exceeding 100000, including registra-
ton and advertising.
II. Contracts involving enormous costs
have been made, unlawfully, before ap-
preparations were made for carrying them
out.
L. 1t has altered grades without dis
erection or fixed plan, and has laid down
much pavement and gutter, evidently de-
signed to be only temporary, and some OF
which has already been replaced.
Is. 1t has cut down, filled up, narrowed
and ''par1ed" streets without consulting
the property owners, frequently against
their expressed WILL and generally to the
absolute detriment and deterioration of the
real estate of the city.
IA. 1t has filed up. narrowed, walled and
otherwise manipulated the canal, both by
itself and in connection with the sewers, so
iniudiciously that not only has some of the
most costly works ION Seventeenth street.
proved palpable failure. but we are ac-
tually threatened with inundatiOn and
pestilence.
u. In brief these so-called improvements
are carried on without judgment or coher-
ence, hastily, at wrong season OF the year.
and on scale OF recklesSness which threat
ems the real estate of the District with
burden amounting to cOntiscation.
Finally, the transactions of the board
have been kept secret, and the citizens have
had no opportunity of access to its records,
or official information concerning its con-
tracts.
Your memorialists are convinced that the
above reasons tlnany of the abuses emu
merated in which are either analogous or
precisely similar to those which character
lied the recent misgOvernment OF the city
of New York; will stand the test of rigid
scrutiny; and they therefore pray that the
memorial and accompanying papers be re-
ferred to a committee of your honorable
bodies, that our grievances be inquired into.
and such redress granted as may seem just
and proper.
NEW SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION.
One of the most noticeable of recent de-
yelopments at the capital is the interest
manifested by Congressman and other pub
| lie men in Mr.. Albert Brisbane's new system
of transportation, which he is now seeking
to introduce. 1t is to be carried on by
means of hollow spheres moving through
pneumatic tubes. The spheres are to be
made of cast iron. and the tube Of wood
with metallic rail or plate as a road -bed
on the bottom. 1t will be seen that the
spheres are intended to roll, the estimated
velocity being nearly hundred miles pei
hour. aud the cost of transportation one
fifth of that of railroads. All the Congressman
who have seen description of the system
and who are intelligent enough to cOmpre
bend the scientific principles upon which it If
based, are enthusiastic in its praise. Mr.
Brisbane intends to construct, at his OWL
expense, tube from the government print
Ing office to the Capitol. distance of about
half mile. He asks that the government
reimburse him for the cost of the tube wheI
he shall have demonstrated by it the truth
of his theory.
The great advantages promised in this
new scheme OF transportation are clearly
beyond all that has ever been hoped for il
a similar line and if the theories of the
enthusiastic protector are fully realized, Il
will prove, indeed, the .randest accomplish
ment of the present century. 1t will do fol
the exchange of products what the mag
netic telegraph does for the exchange o
thought; it will. for all practical purposes
of transportation, annihilate space. ant
place the industry and commerce of the
world in possession of the means of univer
sal and rapid communication. By it thu
temperate and tropical regions may bt
brought into close proximity, and theil
products exchanged in their natural state
The mountain regions of the world will bt
penetrated, and their now inaccessible
treasures reached; the deserts crossed, ant
the outlying regions of the earth, at presen
severed from intercourse. opened to rels
ton with the great centres. RAD.