The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-22


utter what was In my mind, and through fear
that might err In some of the statements /
should make, and because it has been my
misfortune, as well as that of other members
OF this body, to have reported in some Of the
papers In New Orleans language that
WE NEVER UTTERED.
We have been credited with sentiments and
opinions we never entertained. !, therefore,
thought 1t proper to put few Of my remarks
upon paper. When look OF the signatures to
that petition, and see the names ct many Of
our largest wholesale dealers In merchandise,
! cannot, arrive at any other conclusion than
that those gentlemen signed that petition
without examining the Importance Of this
question. To carry out the purposes and OBJ
lects Of the petition would be simply suicidal
70 their business interests. Should the pc
tition contained in this request be granted,
interior quarantine would again be estab-
llShed against New Orleans; and should such
state Of things happen, you might as well
close Up your places Of business until the first
o. December and discharge all your en-
plOyeS. Something has been said about the
number Of persons thrown out OF employment
by the
STAGNATION IN BUSINESS,
caused entirely by the quarantine. To give
employment to the unemployed In season
when there is comparatively little or no busi-
| ness doing, Is much more difficult thing to
do than in busy season, when we are receiv-
ing the products of the interior country; and
| to be able to relieve them we must help open
the communication with the entire surround
| ing country COntrtbutary to New Orleans. 10
do this, sir. we mustIprevent the Importation Of
| foreign yellow fever into New Orleans. 1t is
| useless for US to discuss the question as TO
whether yellow is contagious; there Is great
difference OF opinion upon that subject; or az
| to the manner in which It - transmitted 1t
| Is useless for us to discuss the point as TO
| whether we have now. at this moment. the
necf ssary climatic and atmospheric condi-
| tions favorable to the spread 81 the disease.
Those are questions We should not touch at
Is that we prevent the introduction of yellow
fever into the city OF New Orleans. The in
convenience and loss OCcasiOned by few
months quarantine against infected foreign
ports Is but
DROP IN THE BUCKET,
alongside Of the great commercial interests
OF the city Of New Orleans, Il you were to
exclude from your city the enormous and
valuable trade from the interior country. l
had expected to refer to some very valuable
statistical records, which were prepared sew
eral months ago. The statistics were taken
from the books Of the Custom House and re-
late to the value in dollars and cents Of the
foreign import trade In New Orleans during
the summer months, but, unfortunately for
me, they have been withdrawn from the Office
absent from the State. | carefully examined
them at the time and made additional calcu-
lations in connection Herewith. BY reference
to those records, / arrived at the fact
that the entire amount OF foreign trade
Of the profits arising from the foreign trade
coming to New Orleans in the middle Of sum
mer-was not equal to the business OF two of
our large wholesale grocery houses. Sir, the
quarantine regulations complained OF by the
signers Of this petition are as nothing COM
pared TO those In force at the port OF New
York at the request of number OF the
shipping agents Of New Orleans the Board of
Health made arrangements with the Collector
or the Port and with the Secretary OF the
Treasury of the United States to establish a
custom house at Quarantine Station, at which
vessels could unload and load, the arrange
ment having been consented to by the parties
in interest, but they suddenly abandoned it.
What do we see at the port OF New York?
Why we find that vessels have been COM
PEELED to return to the quarantine station and
there unload and load their cargoes, and that
the shippers have been compelled TO pay all
additional expenses. Had such been the case
herea
GREAT HUE AND CRY @m555
would have been raised against the members
OF the Board Of Health for the additional ex-
peDses incurred under such an arrangement.
II the gentlemen who signed the petition
would have examined this subject and shown
TO the board any other way by which the
which quarantine regulations could
be simplltied L am perfectly satisfied
that the Board Of Health would have
been perfectly willing to adopt any other ar
that I express the sentiments of every
member OF the board, do not care
to take the responsibility of importing
yellow fever into tho city OF New Orleans
Ii the great epidemic OF 1853 there may have
been d few sporadic cases in the months OF
May, June, July and August; that was before
the institution Of quarantine was established,
though in the month OF September yellow
fever was brought into the city and poisoned
the homes Of don't know how many. The
epidemic OF 1854 was considered but q small
matter alongside Of that OF 1853, but the record
shows that yellow fever WIS brought to this
port lie vessel from Havana landing some-
where in the neighborhood OF the French
Market, which spread around throughout
that section of the city. but our city not hay
ing the climatic and atmospheric conditions
necessary to the spread of the fever, 1t did not
become epidemic. Sir, propose to discharge
the fearful responsibility that has been placed
upon ms as q member Of this board, unmind-
full Of the
UNJUST CRITICISMS AND ABUSE
which. may be heaped upon me. / could say
O great deal more upon this subject, for my
heart and mind Is full Of it, but do not de-
sire to take up the further time OF the board,
and now move that your EXcellency ap
point a committee OF seven. selected by your
self from among the merchants who signed
the petition, to meet the Board of Health in
conference, in order that we may ascertain
from those gentlemen their desires In relation
to this matter.
GOV Wilt If the gentleman insists upon
my appointing the committee, I will do SO,
but I would respectfully request that the
committee be asked to make their own selec-
tons.
DIR. AUSTIN
spoke as follows:
Your Excelency very properly remarked to
the committee that waited upon you that the
members OF the Board Of Health were State
officers; that we We're appointed by the Gov
ernor and confirmed by the Senate, and that
II we had committed a wrong we were
amenable to the courts OF the State. / believe
in quarantine. | believe yellow fever to be
an exotic disease and | shall adhere to this
opinion until am convinced to the contrary.
Sir, believe in quarantine organizations.
Why, my dear sir, what would be the effect
il the demand contained In the petition pre-
sented to you yesterday was acceded to? Why,
every town along the Mississippi river
and the railroads leading to New
nraanc Uond quarantine against us Sir 1T