New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-24

NJ Edward Fontaine, witness before a

congressional COmmtteo ~
Eads in the interest, 1t 10 state1, "a W.
,a.tv scheme of tub -tossing-tO the whale
p pn1 n the CULTS bottom-declares that the
" sn"d horne out into the gulf by the current
# The Mississippi will be swept on TO the
s+word nv the force of the current OF the
crIf stream. This has been operative, anu
Etha r;ver's channel has been steadily de-
fected toward the east ever since the river Y,
! mouth was at Baton Rouge, more lnan
5000 years ago. The course OF tne rasui
from baton Rouge has ever been toward
the southeast, and the gulf stream mas
never ceased-a delightful summer OF 1ne
| sea-to sweep over the mud bar at the ba-
| Gze. But it avails commerce nothing now,
and will not when Fad jetties force al the
| mud now projected into the gulf by all Inc
rivers mouths into one spot and heap II up
at single point.
| Intelligent, honest people are very weary
of these fraudulent devices, designed 10 10
| prevent the opening OF a highway 20 tue
gulf and the Atlantic through the bailze.
| The fraud is too transparent. Eads is serV
ing, as he. thinks, his railway bridge anc
| railway companions that sank IN II many
! millions above its proper cost, with un1ai-
| tering fidelity. He can only keep his STU
| pendous bridge open by keeping the mouth
! of tie river open. He would roo the whoie
| West to enrich railroad ring. He would
| make wheat and corn valueless, converting
| it into fuel in the West, that ravenous
riches in the East may continue to absorb
| and monopolize continents wealth. How
| Congressman will vote on propositions hay
| ing reference to the commercial fortunes OF
this valley may be clearly anticipated. 1t
will be found that each Eastern bond
| holders representative will vote Tor that
scheme of improvement which Is most
nearly no improvement.
Eads will be supported by each New
Highlander, each tariti-monger, and each
Credit Mobilier swindler. Western men,
| having ordinary intelligence, unless they
be Eads partner, will demand ship canal
from New Orleans to deep water. Ii this
Congress deny the boon and resort to this
absurd scheme defined by Eads, within
twelve month the purpose to subordinate
forever the industry Of the West to the un-
restricted exactions of the East will be 80
plainly demonstrated that, in American.
legislation, twenty eight States OF this val
ley will become mint, and the East as
helpless as the West and South in former
years. There are seventy-two Eastern men
in Congress nominally representing this
valley. They, too, will stand by Eads,
since, in doing this, they stand by Boston
and the bondholders and railway monopo-
lists. But these Congressman. as such, are
doomed. As shown in voting upon Ques
tions Of currency expansion, the West and
South, in coming years, staDd side by side
in federal legislation, and there is 10 power
to cope with this of twenty-eight progressive,
powerful States.-MempAis Appeal
The Steamboat Bill.
The steamboat bill, which passed to-day,
is, IN its essential features, the same as the
revised steamboat code of last year. The
bill consisted of seventy-six sections, Of
which thirty three are existing law. This
l. -
Congress last session, but failed in the COM
mittee of conference. The new board OF
inspectors, however, which was appointed
about the time of the passage of this bill
in the last Congress, has practically acted
in accordance with it's suggestions, so that
no very radical changes will take place in
the existing steamboat regulations should
this new revised code be enacted.
The chief purpose of this bill has been to
remove some of the very onerous restric
lions upon steamboat business imposed by
the existing law. This is especially true as
regards the vast number OF patented arti-
cles which it is within the power of the in
spectOrs to require steamboat owners to
use. These inspectors, however, acting in
accordance with the spirit of this new bill.
have declined to exercise the authority
vested in them by the present statute.
Another feature of the bill to-day is the ad-
ditional protection against danger Of ex-
plosions offered by the provisions as to the
iron plates IN boilers. The bill eguires
that makers of all steel plates shall stamp
each plate with the name of his firm, and
indicate the tensile strength for which he is
willing to sell it. The inspector is also re-
qnired to stamp it. The rejection Of the
plates of any maker would naturally tend
to ruin his business.
There is further provision which def
nitely fixes the responsibility Of owners of
vessels for loss of life and loss or damage
to property by accident. The present law
in such cases, should the craft be insufficient
to satisfy Judgment. holds every stock
holder liable to the extent OF his private
fortune. The result has been that all the |
steam crafts on the Western rivers have |
either passed into the hands of irresponsi-
BILE parties or if held by responsible persons
have their ownership concealed by ficti-
tons names difficult to be traced This bill |
to-day extends the provisions of the COM |
mon law enforced upon the ocean and lakes |
to the Western rivers, and relieves griey. |
ance of which Western capitalists have |
long complained.-New York Tines, Nay IA. |