The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-05
n WEST AND CROOKED.
The Attitude ef LsuIsiana's scalawag
senator Towards MIs Constituency.

The announcement by yesterdays
telHgrams that 'in the river and harbor
bill, Mr. West substituted an amend
ment TO the clause approprlating $780,
900 for the Improvement Of the mouth
of the Mississippi river 50 as to provide
that tho appropriation shall cease to be
arailabte, whenerev and os long as there
sltaH be an opfn ci,an,tsl Of eighteen feet
Of Uater teand from. NE sea through the
South PtiSk.sNi'faised the alarm among
our merchants and business men, some
Of whom Immediately drew up and sent
the following telegram
EEw ORLEANS, Aug. 4. 1915.
Hon. u. H. Gibson. House Of Representatives.
Washington, BIC.
II would be u ereht misfortune TO the com
nesroe 81 New Orlenns i Mr.; Vests amendment
10 the river and hafbor bill should prevail.
Delay tho fnatter if possible until the mer-
eanteeommunity OF New Orleans ean be heard
from. WIN. 9. BLACK,
President Cotton Exchange,
TII0S. A. ADAMS,
II. Fresi1eni igerq i,a ,.,t 9. lu,,nderwriters.
President n o. efo, fassl eomaf ana i.anking Go.
F,J. ODBNDAHL,
President Merchants Exchange.
This morning the DEMOCRAT has
sought and obtained the views of several
of our prominent business men on the
subject, to learn that the proposition
has filled them with approximations OF
disaster by the blocking up OF the
trade through the mouths OF the Mis-
sissippi, III the amendment were finally
adopted. With some Of these gentle
men the amendment is a mystery, since
there cannot be any good reason TO
mil Vt.,tse, tf.P /.
west Pass, where, on Thursday, there
were nineteen feet Of water ut O'Clock
y. IN.
In the opinions Of others the amend
ment would simply leave the South Pass
as the only channel. Southwest Pass
filling In meanwhile, ut u time when the
existence Of eighteen feet OF water
through the ietties 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
mediately operative and necessitate the
withdrawal Of the dredgeboats from the
Southwest Pass, claim that 1t is i'm evil
dence that there are only sixteen feet
OF water at the head Of the South Pass.
which, it Is believed, Mr.. Eads Is not re.
ouired 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 jetties-
for the completion of which money is
needed thereby enabling Mr.. Eads to
obtain the $500, 900 10 be paid by the Gov
ernment as soon as ~ feet are obtained,
OVER THE BAR.
| Our merchants, who are shrewd men,
dwell particularly on this point besides,
| that the wordg 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 y are ambiguous. and
| they are Mt 81 loss to know whether it is
understood that the shoal at the "head"
of the South Pass, which Is reported to
give only 16 feet Of water. IL included in
| the meaning OF the amendment as being
part OF the Pass.
We refrain purposely to give other
opinions in this matter, inasmuch as
| they were uttered
IN PRIVATE CoNvERsATIoy,
and we do not feel authorized to publish
| them autboritatively. Furthermore, a
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 upon our COM
merce If it should be allowed to become
a law
"a The Memorial.
The undersigned, vitally interested in
|
| New Orleans, beg leave to represent to
| the Congress Of the United States that
we view with alarm that amendment to
the river and harbor bill which requires
that dredging at the Southwest Pass Of
the Mississippi river shall cease when
ever and 80 long as there shall be an
open channel Of eighteen 0S) feet Of
water to or from the sea through the
South Pass of the Mississippi river"
| We respectfully call attention to the
fact that the wording OF the amend
ment favcrs the construction that has
been put upon the contract for the
lefty Improvement of South Pass, name
| 1y: That the channel to be obtained
under that contract Is to be through
South Pass to the sea, and not from the
deep water of the Mississippi river to
the sea. With dredging at Southwest
Pass, we have an assured open channel
from the port of New Orleans to the sea
Of from eighteen TO nineteen feet. This
we cannot afford to sacrifice for a chan
mel giving only eighteen feet Of water,
and not specified as extending from the
sea to the port Of New Orleans.
We now have q measure OF relief at
the hands of the General Government
from the Instructions at the entrance to
our port. This measure Is certain; we
can guage our business efforts by It. We
ask that it be left us untrammelled by
dependence on the South Pass jetty
work. or that it at least be left US for
such reasonable time as may be required
to give us confidence in the work at
South Pass.
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