New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-22

tivating piatitudes usual with those who
come to the House with the view of intro
ducing pernicious bills
But, sir. tell the gentleman from Caddo
that protest against the bill; will ask
the House to send that bill back to the
Committee on Railways for further refer
ence upon special inquiry upon certain
points for their consideration, and for the
enlightenment of this House, and for that
purpose, | shall, at the end of nv re marks,
offer proper resolution, when, trust, the
Committee on Railways will wake up to
sense of their duty, and try to understand
the origin of this bill, and present to this
House report compatible with their intel
ligence, and equally 80 with the intelligence
of this House. Without wishing to say
anything to affect the senslbility of the
gentlemen forming that committee. know
ing them, as | do, to be men OF intelligence,
aptitude for business and quickness of
perception, must say that by some negll-
gence arising from some cause | know not,
they seem to have forgotten the acts
of the sessions of 1868, 1869 and
1871, and they are more blamable
for such an oversight when they
were members of this House during those
very sessions, as the honorable Speaker of
of this House can testify, for he sat in the
chair which he now occupies IN nearly all
institute before the passage Of this bill is
that the Chattanooga Railroad Company
be called upon to render to the State an &C
count of Its affairs, so far as the interest of
the State lie, that we may know into whose
hands the millions of dollars advanced by
the State have passed, deluging our State
in a sea Of debt, and if Governor WarmOth
was leagued with any of the members OF
this House, and together eensplring with
~, Ia1I "a, e. tba
pany called the Chattanooga Railroad Com
pany, are concerned in the fraud alluded
to. We wish to know it, that we may drag
them before the public, that that public
may look upon them with the scorn and con-
tempt their unlawful and disloyal acts de-
serve. There is another important ques-
ton that | wish the committee to inquire
into, which is matter of Importance to the
State, and the result OF that inquiry will
either facilitate the passage of the bill be-
fore the House or utterly sink it into
the depths of infamy from which
it sprung. The points that l wish to call
attention to are, where are we to find the
stock costing the State $2,500,O00, which by
the act of 1871 was to be deposited with the
State Treasurer! Where are the bonds!
We're they ever placed in the hands of the
Treasurer? Are they there now! Has he
parted with them to any one, and if so to
whom! If the shares have been stolen by
those who ought to have guarded the inter-
est of the State, let us know it that we
may bring the culprits to justice.
If the shares are where they ought to
be, in the hands of the Treasurer, this
House will then say to the promoters of this
Central railroad that they must secure to
the State some guarantee that they are TO
degree liable for some of the money ad
vaneed by the State; that they must pre-
sent an honorable front to this House,
and not till then will this House recognize
that bill. IL is the fashion when bills are
being introduced in this House recommend
ing railways, for the promoters and sup
porters to speak OF the advantages to the
State in developing its resources, and we
are told that We are enemies to the best
interests of the State unless we vote for
this or that bill. We are told, as regards
this bill that it comes before us with prom
ises most disinterested-all for glory, all
for bOnor-and that they want no money
from the State. The member from St.
Charles told US during a recent de-
bate on this bill that it was an unusual
thing for railway bills to come before
this House without demand for money;
he therefore urged us to pass this bill.
Now, sir, l find it necessary to remark that
although the bill before the House does not
ask for money, yet it presents itself to the
House in a questionable form; a form more
questionable and more Objectionable than
even if a grant of money was asked from
the State for an honorable undertaking.
An honorable undertaking, without any of
the damning antecedents of the Mobile and
Texas Railroad Company, would meet, even
impoverished as we are, with a ready hand
to help toward the development of the re-
sources of this State by the judicious sup
MORT of honorable enterurise
| am for railroads here, there and every
where. We want them in the land. and |
am very much mistaken if Governor KEEL
logg is not the man who will encourage
every honorable enterprise of this kind,
and in his inaugural address he has fore
Swallowed the coming prosperity of this
State by the encouragement of every
species of honorable enterprise suggested
by men of capital, enterprise a1d unblem-
ished honor, and | hope the member from
Caddo will not misunderstood me, and be-
lieve that | am opposed to railroads. For
if | permitted personal interest to actuate
me in this matter, | would shut my eyes
and permit this bill to pass without opposi
ton, for it is proposed to run a railroad
through tract of country in which have
some interest, and such a road might en-
rich mo. But l have higher duty to per-
form. | am here to serve the best interests
OF those tnaU SenC me mere. stand before a
people who have struggled hard as party
to drive out from the State House the
man who sold the State for personal gains.
We have successfully beaten down the
men that he would set up to aid him in re-
newing his acts of spoliation; therefore l
earnestly and solemnly proclaim before
this house. before the people of this State,
before the whole country, this my solemn
protest against the passage of this bill, IN
til the matter is well ventilated, so that
we can reach the Mobile and Texas Rail
way Company, who have, for the large
grants and privileges made over to them
of nearly sI2,0OO,OOO, only built sixty-ive
miles of road. Again tell the member for
Caddo that am not opposed to railroads, but
it is necessary to know, before we pass the
Central railroad bill, that by so doing We a Q
not embarrassing any of our rights and
claims upon the Chattanooga Railroad
Company. Therefore it is, Mr.. Speaker and
gentlemen of this assembly, that at the
present stage of the bill l protest against
it's passage.
This paragraph is from the Washington
Chronicle:
The Louisiana Legislature THE Republi-
can hodyl seems to have adOnted the ad.