The weekly Louisianian., 1874-08-01

81: 20.
I free and open to conviction, il. BY
the Ingenuity Of any man in Con-
gresa some project; could be devised
'Fthat would put.men to work and
would send the glad tidines
throughout The land that something
had at last been done to remove
tho obstruetions~at tAe~meutA II
'tths : Mississippi Ra,er: That /, ii
what they were for professionally.
found it exceedingly difficult to
ever get that committee to sit to-
gether on this subject; it did not
interests them particularly Gen:
uemen here have little conception
OF the multifarious demands and
calls upon the attention of q member
OF Congress at-this day: It was a
most difficult matter for me- TO- Get
them together to consider this quee-
ton and after. they did meet and
consider it was out of the question
upon such q report from the enei-
neers, to induce them to vote for a
dollar for this one project in pre-
ference to oil tho others.
Now what was the action in the
House Committeea They prsbably
came to the same conclusion. The
Committee of the House, probably
actuatod by the same opinion. came
to the conclusion it was not advisa-
be to appropriate any of the money
OF the government to enter upon this ex-
pertinent. In the meantime they were
captivated by the proposition of an indivi-
dual who sought to make the Mississippi
find its way untrammelled to the SEQ. He
came before us and without convincing us,
his proposition looked SO clear and 80
plausible that it met. with the support
of both the Senate and the House Com
mittees.
Now, what was the vote In the House.
and why did different action occur?
l never had any particular conf
that Mr.. Eads project would be approved.
by Congress. I thought possibly they
might adopt that, but its weakness lay in
the fact that the officers Of the government
upon whom Congress relied for informa
ton and advice rs to how best to use and
utilize the money Of the government
failed to sustain it I thought then that
all hope of getting anything done at this
session Of Congress was gone. But tho
ingenuity Of some Congressman, actuatcd.
I I'M convinced by their subsequent course
and by such opportunities as I have had
to judge Of their motives, simply by the
desire of going back to their constituents
and claiming the credit of his great meas--
ure- passed q miserable abortion of a bill,
Which, after I dissect it tonight, I don't
think one of you would vote: for. anxious
as you are to have the Mississippi opened.
Now there is q little bit of local history
that I want to go into before I touch on
the character Of that bill. Sometimes the
Washington dispatches como pretty noaz
the truth. / think you will all recollect
that in the last two or three years the nows
from Washington has not been entirely
relinble, but now aud then they have
come pretty near the truth. I took occe-
sion to say to somebody connected with
the press that the Louisiana land grab had
killed this bill That's what's the matter. It
sfectually crippled it and Ill show you
how 1t crippled it.
I think it is now something like two years
ago that my attention was called in this
city bya gentleman 70 the fact that un-
der this resolution and the action Of the
engineer corps here, q speculation was
being gotten up in the lands of Louisiana,
80 that when that canal came to be built,
persons had bought the land at a triflinR
cost expected to make very handsome
proftout Of it. .'s
Well I don't know that that alto
con be taken exception to-
It may be . legitimate speculation
but I would not like to be engaged,
II q speculation, the results and ef-~
fects Ct which would produce the.
consequences that 1 shall disclose.
to you When I was down here
winter with this committee, I
took occasion to call the attention
of the Governor of the State to that:
fact, and although his message WAS
then written, he interpolated at my
suggestion, q recommendation that
the State should interpose her au-
thority to prevent the buying up Of,