New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-27
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SOCIETY
RECEPTION oF THE ENGLISH DELEGATION
SPEECH OF HON. W. NJ. BURWELL
DIR. RUTHERFORD IN REPLY

DIR. RUTHERFORD IN REPLY
The members OF the Mississippi Valley
Trade Society, lately arrived frol0 England
met a delegation from the Chamber of Com
merce, General G. 7. Besuregard presiding
yesterday.
The following gentlemen compose .he
commissions:
DR.. j. H. Rutherford, Newcastle on Ty ne
president Of the Industrial Bank Of the
Ouseburn Marine Engine Works; E. Van
sitart Neale, NJ. A., London, barrister q,
law and general secretary Of the Co-opera.
tive Congress Board; J. Thomas, Esq, presi-
| KAY. ESQ, of the Manchester Cooperative
Wholesale Society, and John Il. Cleave-
land. secretary Of the deputation.
A few remarks were made, General
| Beauregard responding, and the assem-
blage was then addressed by Hon. w. NJ
Burwell, as follows:
! Gentlemen of tho Cooperative Assoc;a
| ton of Great Britain-it is now more than
| a century and a half since there was formed
| al association 'tO develop the resources of
! the province Of Louisiana and the country
bordering on the Mississippi" 1t held the
| exclusive privilege of trading to the Missis
sippi. 1t was subsequently SO enlarged as
| the French East Indies, China and the
| South seas The stock in this company
rose to fabulous prices, fuctnated, fell,
| and ruined thousands in its failure. The
protector, John Law, fed into exile.
This mania of speculation crossed the
| English Channel, for your countrymen
| were also interested in developing the re-
sources of "the country bordering on the
Mississippi" and common loss bofell all
who dealt in the delusiva and dishonest
scheme.
Today, gentlemen, you appear as the
| representatives Of the Mississippi Trading
and Cooperative Association, having the
same object of developing the resources ot
Louisiana and the country bordering ON the
Mississippi.
There is a wide difference in theory, gen.
tlemen. between the Mississippi scheme OF
John Law, in 1920, ard the Mississippi
scheme which you represent in 1875
The first was based on the expectation Of
metallic wealth in province where the
precious metals Of gold and silver have not
been found in quantity, but where the
valuable metal of lead and the mineral of
coal, salt and sulphur have been discovered
merce was anticipated with the South seas
and with Asia, but NO mention was made Of
the interest of agriculture, which 50 far
surpasses the productive value of the
mines. The scheme. based upon promissory
values, was failure. The colony of Louisi-
ana became subsequently charge upon the
crown of France and was given without
money consideration to the crown Of Spain.
This last power delberated upon accepting
this empire as gift, and was at last deter
mined to accept the gratuity by the con-
sideration that the Mississippi would make
we'll marked boundary between the
dominions Of Spain and Britain, then con-
tending tor the mastery of this continent.
Will you, gentlemen, allow me TO present
to you comparison between the Mi ssissiDpi
country of that day and Of this! You may
compare ''the resources of Louisiana and
the country bordering e on the Mississippi as
they were offered in premiums tn tho Mis-
sissippl schemes of John Law, and as they
are offered to the combination of capital
and industry represented by the Co-opera-
tive Association Of England.
BY the treaty Of cessiOn Of 1903, the
Uaifed States acquired the Territory Of
Louisiana, which contained m ore than 600,-
OCO square miles, with an extended sea
coast and eeaports, with = system Of river
Transportation extending over more than
20, 900 miles of navigable water. The pop
ulation did not exceed $4,000, owes one-haif
Of which was of color. The wealth and
production were insufficient for Che nain-
tenance of the government over the colony.
After the expiration Of the sixth decade
from this census. the same territory pre-
sented the following result: From this
province have been organized nine States
of the Union, and four or five Territories,
OF embryo States. The aggregate popnla-
ton ef these States may be estimatet az
4 - L. md b..
productions OF agriculture and msUufac-
lures at $4,000, 100000.
The value of taxable property in tlis
region, even after the stagnatlOn OF indus
tries, and the destruction nccasiOned IN
one portion by terrible civil "aE. may
safely be placed ct the fum stated, wh,ie the
exportable value OF cotton, corn, tobacco,
sugar. rice, cereal grains, aud other pro
visions can not be- less than $3.50. .O00,00
annually.
You will learn elsewhere the value of the
expor,able products Of the upper valley.
Ii is our especial duty to welcome yOn to !
the natural mart Of all these commodities. !
and TO the heart and home Of tho cotton !
plant. You will find the principal products
of this great region open to export com
merce, apd may deal in corn OF cotton with
out any export tax whatever.
We ccntine ourselves to consider the !
staple of cotton as an interest in which you !
are especially concerned. The receipts OF
cotton at this port have varied from one to |
two millions Of bales. We have shipped to /!
England, even since the war, something |
less than 100000 bales, and since last s=p-
tember have sent nearly 100000 bales to !
your market and mills. These have been
worth something less than $50 ,OOO, ,00o 1t !
has supplied you with 10, 600 bales per week. |
Besides this . large part of this cotton was
shipped On your yessels, and the freights
on this cotton and tobacco shipped to your |
ports can not have been less than <6. OOO OOo. !
You will fud in the receipts and expendi-
lures Of this cotton money . largo demand !
for the commodities which you represent,
and you may by the economy of direct
trade which you represent do much 70
counteract the rate Of duties imposed upon
the introduction of foreign goods under
our revenue system. You will ascertain, !
moreover, that our labOrers in the cotton
field depend upon the use of manufactured
fabrics, and that you may receive from
them in direct exchange q specie staple
without equal a. medium of remittance.
We regard your relations with this great
cotton centre as OF paramount Importance
to your people and government. Your sys-
tenn of cotton manufactures is an anomaly. |
1t is not usual tor communities to base their
industries upon raw material which is not
within their own entire control. and 1t Is
proof Of the ability and confidence Of
En- ngiand that she should have built up on
industry which employ SO large an amount
of capital investment, and the subsistence