New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-21

aid them, they come back at the end Of
three years and say they want more time,
while we are standing here starving!
Is it any wonder, gentlemen, when such
q report as that was made that both
branches of Congress Immediately came to
the conclusion that all hope Of getting any
work done on the Fort st. Philip canal this
year was out of the question. will come
to what they did do, and will show you
the motives which prompted them. Why.
it was the inevitable conclusion in both
houses of Congress, and / heard it first
from the other end of the capitol. The ad-
voeate, the Trainer, perhaps, Of this bill that
passed the House Of Representatives took
occasion to say in his opening remarks that
the difficulties in the way OF adopting the
canal system arose from the fact that the
engineers had not had sufficient time to
make all the necessary Dor Dgs and examl-
nations. He admitted that himself, and we
are without any recommendation from the
engineer corps today that the money of
the United States should be appropriated
for this purpose.
That proposition struck my colleagues in
stantly. There was not man on That COM
mittee however favorable he might be to-
ward the canal, however anxious he might
be that this obstruction should be- removed;
there was not a man on that committee
that had the same anxiety on the question
that had. had to watch them, l had to
see what were their disposition, and TO en-
deavOr to 80 shape and control that DISPOSE
ton that it might inure to our benefit.
ask you to look for q moment at the
composition of that committee. One Senator
from Ohio. Ohio is State amply provided
with both railroad and water connections.
by other routes than the Mississippi. Little
OF the produce of the State of Ohio comes
| TO your port. From New York little or
nothing comes here. New York can afford
to stand still and absorb the commerce OF
the nation almost; and although her Senator
might not be an obstacle in the way at pre-
viding for the necessities and interests Of
other ports Of the country, yet you must
see that he would not feel constrained to
exert himself as l would, or TO take risks
that would probably be instigated by great
necessities. Two from Virginia, or rather
one from Virginia and one from West Vir-
ginia, both Interested in d project dear to
their cous 5ituents-the opening Of the great
Kanawha outlet to the sea; one from Geor
gia, looking to the inaug uration of that
work to the accomplishment OF which his
State has been looking for the last twenty
years-the Atlantic aud Great Western
canal-the communication OF the waters of
the Tennessee with the waters of Savannah;
one from Florida. mostly concerned in the
proposed ship canal across the peninsula,
and one from Oregon, with no interest in
common with US, except that which binds
all citizens of this country. He would have
been satisfied if something had been done
at the mouth of the Columbia; one from
Minnesota, more interested, besides myself,
than any one else, and quite earnest in your
behalf, and yet not accountable particu.
larly to his constituents. And, with myself.
YOU have the composition of the committee.
Do not understand me to say that these
gentlemen were not anxious to accomplish
something and contribute thereto, but there
are others subjects dearer to them than
this. They are responsible to their con-
stituents, and it was question with them
whether they could 60 home and say, that
Louisiana had carried off the prize, and
have them respond: What did you do for
the Ksnawha! --H
found instantly in that committee that
that was the objection. A proposition to
spend money in one quarter was Immediately
saddled with proposition to spend money
in another; and / wa met with the objec-
tion-an objection which seemed tG me un-
answerable that the engineer corps had re-
commended nothing. and wanted more time
before they would recommend anything.
Let me impress upon you this idea, that the
Senate Committee on Transportation never
allowed themselves to form an opinion;
they never presumed to form an opinion
or, like you have done here, with the lights
before them, with all the intelligence fur.
nished by the engineers and with all the
testimony before Them, they never came to
any conclusion as to whether jetties would
open the mouth of the river or not. In sub
hitting the report in favor of jetties, you
will observe they made no recommendation
in regard to that, each member holding
himself free. It is the parliamentary
usage, when q committeeman votes in COM
mittee for proposition he is bound to sus-
tain it in the House or Senate. But they
lett themselves here free and open to con-
viction, if the ingenuity of any man in Con-
gress could devise some project that would
put men to work, such as would
send the glad tidings through the land that
at last something had been done to remove
the Constructions at the mouth Of the Missis-
sippi river. found it exceedingly difficult
even to get the committee to sit together
on this subject 1t did not interest them
particularly. Gentlemen here have little
conception of the multifarious duties of
members of Congress. 1t was most difficult
to get the committee together to consider
the question, and after they did meet and
consider it it was still more difficult
after such report to induce them
to vote upon this one project in preference
to all others.
NOW, WUdU was LILO tCllOh Va INC IAOuSO
committee! They probably came to the
Same conclusion In the House committee,
which was probably actuated by the same
motive and came to the conclusion that it
was not advisable to appropriate any
money of the government to enter upon
this experiment. In the meantime they
were captivated by the proposition of an
individual who sought to make the Missis-
sippi find it's way untrammeled to the sea.
hoF ovl xx,.th nv,< vnn1v.np
us, his proposition looked so plausible that
it met with the support of both the House
and the Senate committees. What was said
In the House, and why this different action
occurred do not know and never had any
particular faith that the Eads' project
would be successful. l thought it weak
ness. thought it had one weakness in the
fact that the officers of the government,
upon whom Congress relied for Information
and advice as to how best to use and utilize
the money of the government, had failed to
sustain it. thought, then, that ali hope of
getting anything done this session of Con-
gress was gone. But the ingenuity of some
Congressman, actuated, l AIN convinced, by
their subsequent course, and by such op-
portunities as l have been enabled to OBJ
serve, actuated solely by desire of getting
back to their constituents and claiming the
credit of having had passed this miserable
abortion of bill-a bill, which after exam
lining it, don't think any of you would
vote for, anxious as you are for the securing
of this outlet.
There is little bit of local history that
want to 60 into before proceed any fur
Their.
Sometimes the Washington dispatches
came pretty near the truth. l think, usual
ly, within the last two or three years, the
news from Washington has not been very
reliable, but now and then they come very
near the truth foak IN 90 Y