New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-05
cause it is . question pressing for aolution.
trust you will give the views presented
your careful and earnest attention.

cause it is question pressing for aolution.
trust you will give the views presented
your careful and earnest attention.
STATE PEH1rENTIARY.
An act was passed at the last regular $685.
sion prohibiting the leases of the Pen,ten-
tisry from employing or permitting the
employment Of convlcts outside the walls
Of the Penitentiary. An attempt to enforce
the law developed the fact that there was
no appropriation for the support of the con-
victs within the walls of the Penitentiary,
and that the machinery and other appli-
ances for manufactures previously provided
with view Of rendering the Penitentiary
in whole or in part self-supporting, could
net be made available in their existing con-
dition without large outlay of money for
which there was NO authority Of law, and
even with such an outlay, would in all
probability fail to render the institution
self-sustaining for some years to come. The
State was thus confrt nted with the danger
of five or six hundred ccnvicts being thrown
spon it's hands without any provision for
their maintenance Or custody. This en-
ergency. unless provided against, may
arise, end the State be pnt to an ex-
pense which in the three years pre-
ceding the adoption Of the existing
lease of the Penitentiary, 1 am informed,
averaged $2OO0O per .annum for the main.
tenancs of prisoners. 1t seems to me that
thn oh ;ol
urged against the leasing out of
convict labor to private individuals
without proper restrictions with re-
gard to discipline and treatment can
not be urged against the employment of
convict labor upon the public works of the
State under strict discipline and under the
direct control of State officers. The con-
victs are now nearly all working on the line
of the New Orleans Pacific railroad, q work
Of great importance to the State. l
humanely treated as is prac icable under
the circumstances. Unless the State should
make some arrangements otherwise to
utilize their labor and made it self.sustair-
ing, ana convinced, all things considered,
that it is better to permit the present lessees
to continue working the convicts under their
existing lease. Some provision should be
made, however, to meet an exigency that
might be presented in the future by reason
of the convicts being thrown upon the
State.
/ regret exceedingly that the railroad in
telests of the State still remain in a most
unsatisfactory condition. The chief reli-
snce of the State in years past for the
supplying Of the great desideratum of rail-
road communication with Texas, has been
placed upon the corporation formerly known
as the New Orleans, Mobile and Chatta-
noogs railroad, now as the New Orleans,
Mobile and Texas railroad. To that COM
pany subsidies have been granted with
lavish hand. Had any earnest effort been
made by that company to carry out in
good faith the promises it held out
to the State, the people might
have viewed with more indulgence the in.
jury which the company, by barring the
way to other enterprises, has inflicted upon
the State. and the serious damage which
the large issue of bonds by the State to
this company has inflicted upon our credit
at home and abroad. While it is true that
the general financial stringency prevailing
tor the last few years all over the country
has affected more or lees every railroad En-
terprise, this fact is entirely insufficient to
account for the utter failure which the
New Orleans, Mobile and Texas railroad
has made to comply with any of its obliga-
tions to the State. As elsewhere mentioned,
most of the bonds issued to the company
are contested by the State, and are now be-
fore the courts awaiting decision. deemed
it no more than justice to the taxpayers of
the State to put in litigation the validity OF
all the obligations issued to the company
which still remained open to contest.
During the summer of 1875 number OF
prominent citizens of New Orleans repre-
sented to me that if the parties in interest
in a suit then pending in the United States
Circuit Court between the State and the
Mobile and Texas Railroad Company,
which eult it was stated could in no event
inure to the benefit of the State, but
which, while pending, retarded the efforts
of those interested in the completion of the
road, were submitted to the court, SO that
it could be promptly decided, company
could be formed in the State itself which
would be able to push the road to COM
pletion. Upon the advice Of eminent coun-
sol thoroughly informed on the merits OF
the case that there were no legal rights pos
sessed by the State which could in any
manner be concluded, the case was sub
mitted on briefs. A decision was subse-
cuently rendered vesting the title to the
road in the first mortgage bondholders, and
affirming the advice given by the counsel
for the State, that the66tate had no rights
which could have beon enforced by this
suit. Negotiations are still pending with q
view to an early resumption of work upon
the road. but am informed that much diff
fculty is experienced by reason of the i'm
practicable demands which those controll-
ing the road present. l recommend that
YOU authorize an investigation into all mat
ters connected with this railroad, to the
end that the exact status of the road may
be known.
THE TEXAS PACIFIC LAND GRANT.
When serving the State in the United
States Senate introduced Senate bill NO.
647, to aid in the construction of q railroad
hall