The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-06

The Attitude or LOulslanm's scnIawag
senator Towards Ills Constituency.


shan be an open channel Of eighteen feet
Of ,oater 10 and from The sea through the
South Pass" raised the alarm among
our merchants and business men, some
Of whom Immediately drew up and sent
the following telegram:
Ngw OnLBANs. Aug. 4. 1879.
Hon. H. T.. Gibson House OF Representatives.
Washington, d. O.;
II would be 2 great tmigforiune to tho com,
to The river nnd harbor bill should prevail
eant,le community Of Naw orleaas gan be haard
from. WIN. g. BLACK,
.4t8. President Cotton Exchange.
ltIal THoS. A. ADAMS.
ill President Bonrd Of Underwriters.
President N q oane, .,n4a ard I Banfing m Co.
President Merchants Exchange.
On Saturday morning the DEMOCRAT
sought and obtained the views OF several
Of our prominent business men on tho
subject, TO learn that the proposition
disaster by the blocking up OF the
trade through tho mouths Of the Mis-
sissippi, IL the amendment were finally
adopted. With some OF these gentle
men the amendment IL u m nystery, since
there cannot be any good reason to
withdraw the dredge boats from South
west Pass. where, on Thursday, there
were nineteen feet Of water at O'Clock
p. m.
In the opinions OF others the amend
ment would simply leave tho South Pass
as tho only channel, Southwest Pass
filling In meanwhile, at n time when the
through the jetties is not fully estab-
lished.
OTHERS STILL,
while admitting that there might be
eighteen feet on the bar OF South Pass,
which would make the amendment i'm
operative and necessitate the
withdrawal Of the dredgeboats from the
Southwest Pass, claim that 1t Is In evi-
dence that there are only sixteen feet
OF water ut the head of the South Pass.
which, It IL believed. Mr. Eads is not re-
quired by his contract to deepen.
There are others who express them
selves
IN SEVERE TERMS
against Mr. West. and even suspect that
the object Is to withdraw the dredges
from the Southwest Pass to lend them
TO Mr.. Eads TO be used Mt the etties--
for the completion Of which money is
needed thereby enabling MIR. Eads TO
ornment as soon MS 30 feet are obtained, |
OVER THE BAR.
Our merchants. who are shrewd men,
dwell particularly on this point, besides
that the words whenever and so long |
as there shall be an open channel Of is
feet Of water TO and from the sea through |
the South Pass" are ambiguous. and |
they are at n loss to know whether IL is
that the shoal at the 'head"
Of the South Pass, which is reported to |
give only 16 feet OF water. Is included In |
the meaning Of the amendment as being |
u part OF the Pass.
We refrain purposely to give other
opinions In this matter, inasmuch as
they were uttered
IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION,
and we do not feel authorized TO publish |
them authoritatively. Furthermore, d
memorial Is In course Of preparation by
our business men which will set forth |
fully the exact condition OF affairs at |
the mouths OF the Mississippi and their
opinion regarding the damaging opera
tions OF the amendment npon our com
merce IL IL should be allowed TO become |
u law.
MAJOR HOWELL.
Tn an interview with Major Howell, |
or the Engineer Corps, having in charge |
the operations ut the South west Pass
our representative was informed that, |
having nothing to do with South Pass, |
which was under the supervision OF |
Capt. Comstock, he could say nothing |
OF the condition of the ietties officially |
In his opinion, however, IL would be II |
risky experiment to abandon the work |
on the Southwest Pass bar, which is
kept at depth OF from
Is a N at a.
and Is IL safe channel TO the sea, with
out any bar or impediment at the head |
Of the pass.
The soundings, he added, were
made ut the South Pass by Capt.
Comstock. assisted by Capt. Brown,
and were transmitted direct to Wash
lngton. AS far as he had heard, no
had been made by the United
States officers in the jetties for several
weeks, but he understood, however,
that Captain Brown would proceed to
The jetties in day or two to attend
TO the matter. t
From other sources our reporter
learned that on the outer bar OF the
cities there were twenty feet Of water,
with the exception Of about forty five
'eet, which showed depth OF less than
,wenty feet.
This gentlemen, we are informed, Is
1ot in the city. but in Washington, and
therefore, our reporter could not obtain
he information desired, regarding the
exact condition of the jetties. and par
that OF the bar at the head OF
south Pass and its bearing on the con-
,ract between Capt Eads and the Gov
ernment.
THE MEMORIAL.
The undersigned, vitality interested in
he commercial prosperity of the city of
New Orleans, beg leave to represent to
he Congress Of the United States that
We view with alarm that amendment to
The river and harbor bill which requires
hat dredging at the Southwest Pass of
The Mississippi river shall cease when
ever and so long as there shall be an
open channel Of eighteen QS) feet of
water to or from the sea through the
South Pass Of the Mississippi river"
We respectfully call attention to the
'act that the wording of the amend
mont fave re the cOnSfrucfiOn that hac