The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-02
LOUISIANA INTERESTS.
GEN. RANDALL Il. GIBSON ON THE
LEVEE BILL,
The Brazil steamer subsidy ana the Pa
PIfIC Railroad

CHIC Railroad.
| We had an interesting interview yesterdav
with Gen. Gibson. the Representative in Con-
gress from the First District of Louisiana We
wished to obtain his personal views as to the
cause OF the failure of the passage OF the Bra
lillian steamer subsidy and the Pacific Railroad
and levee bills in Congress. and the reason
why also, the harbor appropriation bill was
not more favorable to New Orleans.
| Gen. Gibson made lengthy expose Of these
matters in which our State is 50 deeply inter-
ested beginning by saying that he had OBJ
served that in various States the Congressman,
on returning home,
| FOUND WELCOME WORDS
| the people not asking them what hey had done
for their State or district. but what they had
done in the interest of the country at large For
1t was with the cry of reform and retrench-
ment In national affairs that the Democracy
had gained the success which has crowned their
| efforts
| Gen. Gibson here broke the thread of his dis
course to say that he wished it were the custom
here, after the adjournment of q Congress. TO
call mass meeting Of the people, before whom
their representatives might appear and give an
account of what they had done during their
term OF office. Resuming Gen. Gibson said
that the first thing the Louisiana delegation
was confronted by was. the contest of the seats
of three members from this State, and he dwelt
upon the difficulties and labor attending the
seating of Robertson, Elan and AckIen. And,
said he, If the people generally were better ae-
quainted with the manner Of conducting BUSH
ness In the House OF Representatives. they
would be better informed Of what
THEIR REPRESENTATIVES,
do and have to do. The presentation even Of 4
bill is attended by great difficulties. members
being entitled to INTRODUCES only one bill each
when their State is called the rotation rule going
into operation at the beginning Of the session.
Another difficulty il the five minutes rule fre-
queDtly adopted. which will, at times, greatly
interfere WITH the purposes, Of legislator.
After conversing on similar general TOPICS
we asked Gen. Gibson why 1t was that the bills
mentioned had met, with dsfeat The main
cause, said he, was the determined opposition
of some OF the leading Democratic represen-
tatives particularly Southern nembers) to the
policy Of granting subsidies; They maintained
ocratic prin .ipies, and that their purpose was
to reduce. as they had donr the expenses of the
government from $25 900 900 to $50 900, 900 annu-
ally, thereby relieving the people from the
oNERoUs TAXATION
under which they were suffering. The Louis
lana delegation had found opposed 10 them
such men as Lamar and Singleton Of Missis-
yanta. Beck Of Kentucky, Sunset Cox Of New
York. and others, who have been for many
years in Congress, and command general alton
ton whenever they take the fl lor.. The defeat
Of the Brazilian steamer subsidy. he thought
was in great part due to the animosity Of
Speaker Randall for anything John Roach. the
prime mover in the matter, was connected with
and 1t Was killed by being returned to the Sem
etc with the objection that all bills max
in the House. The defeat Of the Pacific Rail-
road bill, notwithstanding the support CT Tom
Scott. backed BY hia millions and a lobby, as Il
is called, comp mDrfaing many OF the first men In
the country. was also due to the determination
OF the Democratsto reject the Republican system
OF giving away the peoples money or fndorsfng
ha
was strenuousiy opposed also BY the Demo-
cratic mem bers, 1t being claimed that it was un-
constitutional and had the character Of sUeciai
legislation,A The Louisiana members all strove
to carry 1t out successfully, and Il was only
were not only necessary to protect thtF
lands Bordering or the Mississippi river but
that Il had been demonstrated that the levgeg
actually served to maintain deep channel fu
the river. and to remove snags and other OH
Siruct1OnS from Its bed that the strong opnesl-y
uon was modified And that was why the name
OF the standing committee, which had been
created at the request OF the Louisiana delega-
tion under the title Of the Levee Committee.
Improvement of the Mississippi River" In IL
IustratiOn OF the character Of the opposition Of
Southern members to the bill as originally un-
derstood. Gen. Gib.on related q Conversation
which be had had with one Of the most distin-
guished member OF Congress. a representative
from virginia. Who claimed that he would have
Just as much right to ask Congress to pass d
bill TO level the Allegheny mountains, because
the freshets that came down from these mourl~
levee building. Gen. Gibson said, however. that
ne had hopes that the 3 IL. as 1t was now UNDER
stood. would pass at the next session of Con-
gress.
Regarding the harbor appropriations he
thought that considering the Observation-Disclosures
the Representatives from Louisiana "a had worried
we'll, for 1t shOu be remembered hat the mat
ter OF appropriations for the harbor Of New
cation of Red river and other streams came To
the COMMITTEES. at the eleventh hour, and even
then without the recomme mendation Of the chief
engineer OF the United States army. Tt was NOT
the result OF government survey. hut Of d sur
vey made at the request Of the Mayor Of the
city OF New Orleans, and therefore ft did NOT
carry with 1t that weight which accompanies the
reports OF the chief engineer. AS it was fbe
measure should be regarded as q very import
ant ONE. for 1t Is the first time that the harbor
priafion.
Among the difficulties which had to be- con-
tended against was the impression that was
created by the title OF the report that the appr0-
priation was for the purpose OF repairing the
in front Of this city Now that tEa
matter has been brought properly before Com
gress, Gen. Gibson ~ fought there was proba-
bility that next year g further aDpropriation
is important, Is shown hy the fact that 1t would
@ have required an appropriation Of about $780,
goo, 900 to carry out the recommendations Of the
United States engineers, whereas only about
s8 700 were appropriated.
, Gen. Gibson then spoke generally Of what
the Louisiana delegation had ACCOMPLISHED
namely, the securing Of the establishment of
the mint at New Orleans. with an approprfa-
tion OF $780, 600 notwithstanding strong opposi-
10n and Influences, thsre being no fewer than
eight cities seeking to secure he establishment
Of mint for thet tr local benefit; the modifica-
ton Of the Eads Jelty contract; the harbor ap-
Dr0prIation and the provisions in the Wood
tariff bill relative to sugar
Before closing, Gen Gibson took occasion to
say again that the antagOnisn to the defeated
was, generally, attributable to the op-
position of Southern MEMBERS particularly TO
the policy of subsidies, which they strenuously
aHuaFaa n a fno oiF.1a ~
Democratic party.