New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-20

0G8t0 A0V00 CO0V0nG1Ous
At eleven o'clock yesterday several ger
mission, assembled in the Chamber Q
Commerce. In consequence OF . misundel
standing there WAS not . full meeting 70
nearly three quarters of an hour.
At . quarter of twelve O'Clock Mr.. Tobia
Gibson called the meeting to order.
Mr.. Gibson read tho call for the meetin,
previously published in all the papers, ami
also some correspondence on the subject
He stated that delegates from the Chambe
Of Commerce and the Cotton Exchange hal
been accredited to the convention. Th'
Merchants' Exchange was to be heard from
All had been done that could be done I.
make the convention . largo and enthusi
astic one. There had been many obstacle
inthe way. First it was difficult to inducl
tho State Legislature to take any action h
| petition Congress. Then 1t Was difficult K
induce Congress to move in the matter. Mr.
Gibson here read . letter from Representa-
tive Aorey. It was expected that the sui
committee would visit New Orleans, but
nothing had been heard Of it. His brother
Representative Gibson, had tried to brina
the matter before Congress, and introduced
| bill. which Mr.. Gibson read, appropristine
| IS, 250, 900 for Arkansas, Tennessee, Missis.
sippi and Louisiana levees. and out of it
Louisiana is to receive 81, ,50O, 900. Mr.. Glib.
son closed by saying that his efforts were
devoted entirely for the good of Louisiana
Everything that he had belonged to New
Orleans.
Mr.. John Chaffe was then elected tenn.
porary chairman and Mr.. T. Upper tenn.
pOrary secretary.
On motion the chair appointed Messrs.
Thomas J. Foster, E. J. Gay and Lewis
Bush committee on credentials and q re-
cess was taken.
After the recess the committee on Gre
dentials reported the following named gen.
tlemen entitled to seats:
Copcordia-Messrs. William F. Ogden,
G. Spencer May, p. Wingate Chase and p.
Sield.
Iberville-Julian Ganin, j. B. Levert, P.
0. Hebert, e. j. Gay.
O'Rouke, A: c. knight, Robert Hare,
Mckinley Gibson, John B. Moody, Tobias
Gibson. F. Celestine, A. Veret. L. A. Su-
thon, II. C. Minor, William Price, L. O.
Aubert, J.. N. Cage, John j. Shsffer,
Jefferson-F. H. Hatch.
New Orleans Cotton Exchange-John
Cha6e, Louis Bush. R. p. Buckner. Samuel
Cranwell, Emory Clapp.
Tensas-Dr. r. Chew, j. w. McGill, G.
C. Goldman, A. P. Brown. Albert Bondu-
rant, w. B. Krumbar.
DR.. Henry ]. Sanders, George G.. Walker.
Chamber Of Commerce.. Tupper, j. N.
Ssndidge, c. g. Forshey, T. Gibson.
MadisOn-W. r. Stone
St. John the Baptist. A. Freret, B. La
place.
Ascension-John Burnside, Henry No
Call, E. Yale, D. F. KeRner, james Teller.
John Chsffe, Esq, was elected permanent
president, John Sandidge, Esq. vice presi-
dent, and Mr.. T. Topper permanent score
tary.
The following named gentlemen were ap.
pointed committee on resolutions: Emory
Clapp, J. H. Acklen, K. J. Gay, T. Gibson,
b. Lsplace.
Short addresses were made by DR.. B.
Chew and W. F. Ogden, Esq.
Tho following memorial, submitted by
the delegates Of the New Orleans Cotton
Exchange, composed of John Chaffe, chair
man, Samuel Crsnwell, Emory Clapp, Louis
Bush and +. T. Buckner, was unanimously
adopted by the conve ntion.
To the Honorable the Ser ate and House Of Repre-
sentatiyee OF the United States:
This memorial of the people of the State
New Orleans, the nineteenth of April, 1876,
respectfully represents:
That your memorialists have had under
consideration the House of Representatives
bill No 1873, introduced by the Hon. Ran.
dali L. Gibson, making appropriations for
rebuilding the levees, and reclaiming the
alluvisl lands subject to overflow on the
Mississippi, under the direction of the Sec.
retsry of War, and would respectfully
urge upon Congress and the President of
the United States the passage of this bill.
The magnitude OF the work to be done,
and the number of States Immediately in
terested, places it beyond the reach of local
authority, and puts it within the legitimate
domain Of the national government, in the
same manner and precisely upon the same
principle ss the improvement of the mouth
of the Mississippi river has been wisely rec
Ognized a. . national work.
The Mississippi river is tho great outlet
OF the vast products of the West. The
prosperity of the commercial and sgricultu-
raj interests of the Union are 80 intimately
connected with it's nsvigsble condition and
that OF ifs tributaries, it seems almost
to point out the enormous in
terests involved.
The people of the United States, East,
West, North and South, are concerned in
)essening the expense of transl ortation of
Western products to the seabOard-in af-
fordiDg protection to the immense agricul.
tural interests subject 60 destruction BY
o seI fow-and in Strengthening the bond Of
union between all the sections
which this great river 90 happily unites.
The foods which take place every year
bring destruction to vast sections connect
ed With productive plantations, entailing
lncalculable loss, and often endangering
oven the city OF New Orleans. The loss to
planters and the country at large, by the
overflow which took place in 1874 is not
Overes stmated st Ga, ,00O, 900, not to mention
the lOes in the years following, which is SO
great that it can not be estimated, and the
suffering brought upon the people of the |
DverhO we'd districts, which caused . spon-
taneous ontpouring of sympathy from tho |
whole nation.
It is not our province to discuss the con-
aicting theories Of distinguished engineers !
- to tho effects of various systems pro-
posed in the construction of such works 40 |
she levee system of tie Mississippi river.
We shall be we'll satisfied by the passage |
If tho bill presented by the Hon. Mr. Glib |
ION, and We would again respectfully urge |
2pon Congress- the passage OF this bill, |
making appropriations commensurate with |
he importance Of the work.
The people Of Louisiana are powerless to |
meet this great emergency in their own |
3tate. Other Southern States appear to be |
imiiarly situated, and our only hope of |
10 in the prompt action Of the
GENERAL government in this great national |
york.
II the work be done by the general gov
I'm ment uillions Of acres of the most pro.
luctive lands on earth will be redeemed,
md win in . very few years be under sue
essful cultivation, adding to the wealth of
be nation hundreds of miiliOns OF dollars.
Nov therefore, be it resolved by this con-
'ention, That copies of this memorial be fur
ished to our Representatives and Soma
or, and to his Exoellency tho President of
he United States.
Reeoloed, That the "press" of this city
nd State be requested to give publicity to