New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-03
(C0mmunicated.l
A "LQnd Grah.,s

EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:
Senator West declared in the Chamber of
Commerce that "Forshey's land grab had
beaten the canal bill" It was at . special
meeting called July 20, 1874, and presided
over by Hon. John NJ. Ssndidge. The canal
bill had passed the House and lay dead in
the senate. No attempt had been made by
Mr. West to revive it. On the contrary, he
had astonished everybody in New Orleans
who took any interest in the matter by
suddenly abandoning the Fort St. Philip
canal and becoming the most persistent,
devoted and successful advocate Mr.. Eads
ever had. The meeting was q crowded one.
Every effort had been made to secure for
Mr.. West sufficient support in it to make q
successful defense, 80 tar as applause could
help him. In the beginning be objected to the
presence of others who might speak in re-
ply to him, unless be could close the argu.
ment. To this Mr.. Sandidge said that he
had invited Mr.. Sypher and MIR. Sheldon to
be present, and hoped they would speak.
The meeting had merely been called to hear
what Mr.. West had to say, and after he fin
ished any one could address it. Mr.. West
then proceeded.
His argument may be summed up in his
own words, that he was not after canal
or jetties, but water, and believed the jet
ties would bring it. He then made the
charges of Gland grab" first quoted. He
showed by copies of the books in the State
land Office made by G w. K. Bayley, ESQ.,,
that Mr.. Forshey had entered for different
parties something under 1000 acres. Kisses
greeted this announcement. Mr.. Forshey
attempted to interrupt, but Mr.. Sandidge
preserved order till Mr.. West was ready.
Then he made Q very lame defense indeed,
except by showing that the land was not
within five miles Of the canal, was almost
worthless, costing twenty five cents per
acre, useful in small portions for orange
groves, and that he had entered it as q pro-
fessiOnal engineer for other parties and
would not do the same labor again unless
he was paid better.
Before touching on what he should have
said it may be we'll to notice the law on the
subject. The act of Congress of March 9,
lS49. gives to the State of Louisiana, to aid
in draining and levee construction, all
lands that may be, by surveys, determined
to be swamp, or lands subject to overflow.
1t is safe to assume that all lands south of
the head of the passes, and much north of
it, are of this character. Act No. 1O4 of
May 81, 1871, of the State of Louisiana was
passed to reorganize the land Office of
louisiana, and under these acts all trans
fers of swamp lands must be made. There
chasers in the State office. Any one can go
and buy. Any purchase is an advantage to
the State, for the money goes directly into
the State treasury.
Now the amount of land purchased by
Mr. Forshey cost less than $1,000. Yet MI.
West asserted before what is held up as the
most intelligent body that assemblies in
New Orleans this fact as the cause of the
refusal of Congress to give $40 900, 900 to i'm
prove our commerce. And Mr.. FOvshey, q
most devoted, conscientious and disin.
terested advocate of the canal not only was
as little able to see the fallacy of such an
argument as the rest of the audience, but
wasted time in defending his own perfectly
proper course az civil engineer!
THE land grab defeated the canal bill
No one then asked how? Mr.. Sypher was
too courteous to ask Senator West if it had
prevented him from putting the bill on the
calendar. No one else spoke. Professor
Forsey was busy in talking to individual
members. Stay back, whose strength had
been shown over and over again, had no
either Disguised, or said: "We!l, let Eads
try it; he can't make it, but We wish he
could" So the meeting adjourned, and
West was triumphant.
About year later the papers contained
q little item of the entry by g. w. X. Bay
Icy of some 1900 acres at the foot of South
Pass. Perfectly proper. There was the
land waiting for an occupant and doubt.
less in the opinion of the resident engineer
of the jetties it was needed for their ad.
vantage. There was no question of q land
grab.
Less than a month ago report appeared
that the United States wished site on
South Pass to erect certain buildings on the
swamp lands. The Secretary asked our
Governor for permission. but he was IN
able to give it. All the land of South Pass
from the head to the Gulf, had been con.
veye6 to j. b. Eads & Co., with tbs excep.
ton of $3.50 acres that he didn't want.
This looks like genuine land grab, and
if successful, sounds big enough to beat q
dozen canals. That company entered, July
6, 1876, 1905 acres, and paid cash for it
at two bits an acre. amounting to $3.50 10
Not very much for such stretch, but more
than FOrshey had. The company had the
perfect right to buy this; it is just what The
State asks; but here is the whole pass cold
and the United States must ask Eads fol
permission to put up it's buildings. And
more: If the jetties are successful, will
this little $3.50 10 prevent the collection Of
the half million dollars for the twenty feet
of water promised! Of course not. And &C
much the less would Forshey's little entry
SIC, 0O0, 900 for the canal.
But there is another thing to be noticed
BY the act of lS49 only survey was re-
quired to transfer swamp lands from the
United States to Louisiana. No survey has
lately been heard OF, yet the letter Of the
Secretary of War, of August H. 1876, states
that these lands were conveyed to the State
June &c, 1876. In ten days they were con
veyed to j. B. Eads & Co., the application
being made by G. w. r. Bsyloy, Esq. These
lands were determined to be swamp landt
by the report OF the surveyor general Of
Louisiana, approved by the Secretary O.
| the Interior. So were the lands that Forshey
entered. His entry was land grab thai
killed the canal" and Mr.. Bayleys in
vestigstions in the land Office gave Mr.
West the data to make the charge. Mr.
Bayley now enters all the lands on bott
sides Of whole pass. Does he do it to xii
the canal. DEEP WATER.