New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-07
WASHINGTON.
A New Phase of the Canal Question
Statement of General Hebert and Pro
fessOr EOrshey,

l If0s
fessOr FOrshey.
| WASHINGTON, April 5. The following
| statements are authorized by Ex-Governor
| p o. Hebert and Professor C. G. Forshey:
In response to Senator Vests telegram
| to New Orleans, and in pursuance of their
| duty as representing the Chamber of Com
merce of tina: city. they have to say:
"That but for the manner in which their
names are introduced into that dispatch
| they would have left Senator West to the
people OF Louisiana with the bare an
nouncement Of his detection from the advo
| cacy of the canal and the espousal of the
| Eads .jetty plan. He knows his own relation
| to that people, and they know best by
| what measures to treat fact so astounding
in the face of the past history of Senator
Vests authorship OF the Senate bill for the
Fort ST. Philip canal and his recognized
championship OF this measure, so dear to
every inhabitant of that State.
But Senator West has taken the liberty
to impute to Messrs. Hebert and FOrshey
statements before the Senate committee in
association with those of Mr.. Eads, the re-
suit OF the inducing of the committee to
view with some favor the plan of Mr.. Eads,
and, with proper self-respect they object to
the manner of Senator West presenting this
influence. The engineering arguments and
unwarranted application of General Hum
phreys opinions they will not review fur
ther than TO recall special attention to
them. Their own remarks before the COM
mittee have already been given to the pub
lie, and they refer to them with entire con-
tidence in the verdict Of any jury of sci
entists, practical engineers, or men of intel
Hgent brain, at home or abroad.
Believing the Senate committee form an
entirely competent jury, they have to deny
that up to this moment that jury have
voted in favor of the Eads scheme.
This they understood to have been the
status of affairs in that committee. Its
labors in the great matter OF transportation
were wise and its voluminous reports; and in
dividing out its work, the parts apportioned
among the members were naturally those
indicated by localities; and thus Senator
West found means to give the shape and
direction which the improvements at the
mouth of the Mississippi should take. Had
Senator West been true to his antecedents
in this respect, he would have reported the
Fort ST. Bhilip canal in preference to the
Eads scheme.
Ex-Governor Hebert and Professor For
shey further report that they consider them
selves improperly dealt with By Senator
West in the premises. They have been avoid
ed by the Senator, and though the professor
had, by direction of the president Of the
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, been
instructed to report directly to Senator
West for introduction and guidance in
prosecuting his mission, the Senator re-
ceived the mission with apparent earnest
promise of aid, but never paid the professor
any attention whatever, or offered or gave
him single introduction.
The same is true as to Governor Hebert
Senator Vests pretext of being very busy
had lasted for weeks, and they had been
invited to appear before the House COM
mittee when Captain Eads had recovered
Il 20 Lao o,A
shey were invited with him before the Sem
ate committee, General West escorting them |
to the committee room from his own office, |
announcing them in general terms. West |
appeared heartily to espOuse their views,
and to suggest the line of questions and an |
swers. They were entirely satisfied with |
Senator Vests manner and sincerity at the |
doubt whether it was even then justified.
He has avoided them ever since, and only |
on Professor FOrshey's going to call on him |
after two days repudiating the rumors of |
his detection did he learn the facts in per. |
son, and he reported them to Governor |
Hebert, the latter being too indignant to |
join In the inquiry. They recognize the |
full right of any member of a legislative |
body to be guided by his best judgment in /
matters of legislation, but deny his right to
keep those depending on his consistency in |
the dark as to extreme changes, especially |
in a measure like this, that had been two |
years prominently before his people as a
leading and vital matter, and in which he |
has led in their unanimous wish
They view this detection as astounding 20 |
and repulsive to the people of |
Louisiana. They further feel confident that |
the scheme of a contractor, blinded and !
crazed by the stupendous amount of money
and by the adulation of a
swarm of admirers such sums always at
tract, will not be able to induce Congress to
turn aside from the guidance of their legiti-
mate advisers in all such measures-their
hOnored corps of engineers-thus leaving
the stranded commerce of the Mississippi |
valley to await this utterly condemned and
impossible experiment.
of Secretary Richardson's
Resignation.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-With refer
ence to the reports in circulation that
Secretary Richardson intends to re-
sign, that gentleman to-day said that
whatever may be his intentions IN this re-
gard he has communicated with no one, and
that when he does make up his mind to re-
tire from the Treasury Department he will
take care that it is Immediately made pub
lie, and that the present rumOrs grew out of
the well known fact that he has been
pressed for two or three years to 90 into
private business.
MIR. Richardson said to-day that the Pres
ident has never communicated with him |
upon the subject Of his retirement from the |
treasury.
Agricultural.
The House Committee on Agriculture |
instructed their chairman to