The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-16
THE IMMIGRATION CONVENTION.

motion TO dispense with the reading Of The
minutes Of the previous meeting prevailed.
The COMMITTEES on bills and acts reported q
bill, of which the following is n synopsis:
An act TO organize and establish bureau Of
immigration: to prescribe the duties and
powers thereof; to provide for tho eN-
penaes Of the same, and granting certain
rights to immigrants.
SECr1oN /. Provides for the establishment
of bureau of immigration. domlciled In New
Orleans, for the purpose of protecting immi-
grants and the landed and industrial Interests
of Louisiana
SEC. g. The bureau shall be under the charge
of a citizen Of the State. to be designated as
superintendent of immigration who shall be
appointed by the Governor for, the term OF
four years: he shall give a bond Of ten thou
sand dollars and shall receive salary OF
$500 per ailIium
SEc 8. Makes It the duty Of the superin-
tendent TO adopt measures fol. tho profession
tion to the principal towns of the interior;
protect him from POPULATION and Incorrect
Information, and make such arrangements az
shall be conducive to his welfare. The second
clause of the section makes 1t the duty OF
every State officer TO aid and assist the super
intefdent in this duty.
SEo. 4. Makes 1t The duty Of the superin-
| tendent to publish IN the modern languages
| all the statistics relative to topography. pro-
ducts and resources of the State he can pro-
cure These statistics embody everything
! in the shape Of raw material and opportuni-
| ties for the industrial arts.
| Sec. 8. Directs the superintendent to open
books embodyiug the fullest Information Of
| The locality, characteristics and money value
Of lands, together with their resources and
| the opportunities they present TO those en-
gagged IN the industrial and agricultural arts
| In requires an entry. of all propositions made
| by planters and land owners, and propositions
| from those who desire to work upon The farms
and plantations of the State
| The second clause gives the bureau power
Of attorney from all owners whose lands are
Entrusted to It's record.
The record is made TO include propositions
| from colonists. For these propositions the
superintendent is allowed to charge one dollar
for every one hundred words, and two dollars
from any party for whose benefit an imni-
grant Is brought here.
SEC. 9. Authorizes the superintendent toap,,
point two agents for tho Northern and
| Western States, one for. the Southern
States, one for Great Britain and one for
| the continent to further immigration. He is
| allowed to fix their compensation, which shall
| not in the aggregate exceed $1,000 per annum,
and the Governor is authorized to issue Gre
dentials TO these appointees.
| Sec 7. Allows two clerks at salaries OIL $10OO
each and requires the superintendent to re-
port annually TO the Legislature and the Gov
ernor.
SEC. s. Appropriates $4,000, or as much
thereof as may pc necessary, for carrying out
SEQ. 9. Entities the immigrants who settle
upon State land for actual settlement to the
benefits Of the homestead law.
SEC 10. Repeats all laws conflicting with the
| foregoing.
After the reading Of the bill Gov McEnery
| moved to take 1t up section by section.
| After some discussion the motion prevailed,
but In view of the Importance attached to the
| address the convention decided to allow the
committee 10 report before finally disposing OF
| the bill.
Col. Danl bennett, chairman Of the COM
| mittee on address, then submitted his report
After reading the address, on motion it was
| received by the convention; and the following
| resolution, which excited various comments
was declared out OF order by the PRESIDENT as
the previous Endorsement of the convention
rendered 1t supertluous.
Resolved, That this convention cordially
and unreservedly and unanimously indorses
the statements contained In the address just
read, and believes that all the facts 1t contains
in regard to the valuable resources OF Louisi-
ana, and the Inducements which 1t holds out
to industrious immigrants, to manufacturers
and to men of capital and enterprise, can be
clearly demonstrated; and We believe that the
spirit of the address will meet with the ap-
prevail Of the most truthful and Intelligent
citizens In all parts of the State, and that they
will vouch for the correctness Of It's declara-
tons.
The following resolution was then passed:
RESOLVED, That the journals OF this city and
State be requested to publish this address
and be urgently invited to enlist in the immi-
grafton movement and to give 1t their active
support
spoke at some length on the facts contained
in the address. He stated, in answer to those
who might doubt its astonishing statistics
that in one particular only was 1t lacking. He
referred to the tonnage of this port, which IN
insignificance was second to none other. The
vessels. which Land at our docks are owned by
alien cities, and New Orleans cannot boast OF
over 200, 900 tons out of many millions.
Mr.: Greenwood, a member OF the committee
on address, said he was particular in being
informed of the accuracy OF the statements
presented to the convention, and had gone
into the calculation to satisfy himself that the
State could yield under cultivation all that The
address claimed.
The reading of the bill, section by section
was then taken up. Upon the question O
compensation some discussion arose.
| Mr.. Greenwood moved to approve section
as read.
A substitute was offered to strike out tn,
amount and leave it blank.
/ Gov. McEnery and Mr.. Greenwood spok
strongly in favor of the section as 1t stood
claiming a right to at least suggest tn
amount of compensation the Legislature
! should allow to carry out the provisions o
the bill, if passed.
and Lyons would not be pledged in their leg
/ islative capacity by the action OF the conven
| ton.
vote on the substitute resulted, 20 yeas, s.
nays.
/, The previous question being called on, tn
adoption of the section as it stood resulted Il
its passage.
By request Senators and Representative
We're permitted to abstain from voting.
: On motion the till was then passed as
whole, all difficulty being obviated.
| The Speaker read a letter from Lee Gran
, dali, president of the National Immgratio
) Bureau, at Philadelphia, requesting him t
urge upon the convention the importance {
G our State products having place 10 the E.z
position. building. accompanied with all neces
sary information on the resources and ayr
4 cultural wealth OF Louisiana.
s. Hon. G. II. Buck introduced the following
q which was approved:
= Resolued, That this Convention, compose
Q of representatives direct from the people, doc
| in the name Of the people OF every part OF u