The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-06
IN Animated Debate Over the Or.
dinance Concerning the New
Basin-Its Final AdOp-
tiOn by Substi-
tute.
rurther Consideration Of the Report
OH the Executive Department.
FIXING The Salaries Of the Attorney General
Auditor, Treasurer and Secre-
tary Of State.

THURSDAY, June B.
The Convention was called to order at II
o'clock, President Witt In the chair, and
Auhty-nine members present.
REPORTS or COMMITTEES.
The COMMITTEES on Agriculture reported an
ordinance as substitute for number Of or
dIDances referred to 1t. This ordinance, which
provides for the establishment and malnte-
nance Of an agricultural bureau, was ordered
10 be printed and went over under the rules.
THE NEW BASIN CANAL.
The ordinance reported by the COMMITTEES
m State Lands, relative to the New basin
eal,al, was taken up and read, as follows:
Art j. The New basin canal and its appur-
tenanees shall not be leased or altsnated from
lie ownership end management OF tne state :
mar ton on the measurement tonnage OF all
vessels entering therein. ,,.
! n excess of ten cents for every hor 9. mule or
animal twenty cents for every e-horse ye-
kIes and twenty-f cents for every double
Actual residents at the Lake End and along
The road shall be exempt from toll
BIC. i. The depth of water In the canal shall
tha bar ct its mouth KEEP ldredged to that depth.
SEC 3. The repairs 10 the oanai and ,aDDufts-
! nanees shall be made under the direction OF the
board of state Engtneers. and By. order OF the
GGyarnor; all such works to be paid for out OF
ihe revenues Of the canal and arpurtenances.
bae. .. The. full control ard management OF
the canal and appulten anees shall be vestnd In
4 etlperfntendent, who kha be- appointed by
he Governor upon the Recommendation OF mas
ters and owners OF vessels and MERCHANTS doing
bisiness on the eanat. He shall hold office fur
mo years. with salary not to exeeed fifteen
hundred dollars per annum. and he shall be al
iuWed Ave assistants who shall not receive more
.A. 1frll In fc rrcr rtftf lnn
BIC. I. The towage shall be done by steam
turboat. Towage shnll not exceed twelve and u
haIf cent? q ton. TO and frnm the lake.
Bic. 8. The superintendent shall give bond In
The sum OF ten thousand dollars fpr the faithful
dlseharge Of his duties; said bond to be secured
y GOOD and solvent security y, ". o.na,
& Treasurer. who shall set 80 much. Of 1t az ~
\ improveme and repairs to the canal and ap-
puItana neee
BaC. To- The superintendent shall be removed
/ yths Governor Tor good and sufficient cause.
Delegate Leake offered the following as 9
substitute for the ordinance:
ARTICLE l. The New Basin Canal and Shell
f ssss d spa asnated The GENERAL Xssamby q
til first session after the ratification OF the con
ltItution, shall provide BY law for superin-
/ lie datinn. of captains and owners. Of
vessels plying In said canal and merchants DO
Il inE business on It's banks. to manage the same.
ina shall enact such laws for III. regulation,
maintenance and management OF said canal
And shell road prODided that dues shall not Ex-
csed ten cents per ton On the measurement and
tonnage 81 Hll vessels entering therein.
Delegate Thompson opposed the substitute.
Thu canal was one Of the most important
xater routes lii this section; through 1t the
product Of sections, bordering upon no less
than fourteen navigable streams, were
brought to this city. It was the medium
through which the commerce Of this city,
With the parishes OF st. Tammany, st. Hele-
iii, Tangipahoa and those adjacent, was con-
Quoted. He then read statements showing
| the receipts derived from the canal and the
Nuns expended for repairs from the report Of
HE committee OF the House OF Representa-
lives Of 1877. Abiding to the minor ty report,
heeaid that he would leave the Convention to
Judge Of the two reports. The members
Nha signed the minority report were not pres
Mt during the investigation. Extracts from
fhe lease OF the canal were quoted In order
oshow that the terms Of the lease had not
heen complied with. A great deal Of the
talic which should have come In through
ais source had been driven away and forced
come to the city through the Mississippi
nver At . heavy loss. The ordinance WAS not
htended to abolish the present contract or to
the lessee. but simply t., provide that
20 canal should revert to the State at the ex-
RratOn Of the lease. He expected that the
neepts of the canal would amount to 100000
annually; from this amount $4,000 would
hve to be deducted for repairs.
Delegate Benham offered an amendment
2pvtding for the appointment OF q board OF
NJ persons, who shall assess the value OF the
~ and sell 1t to the highest bidder He ar
~ that 1t was good policy on the part OF
Mhtate to sell it's interest In all public works
NA ANulU fhn do ff,f hn nj ita
hts,
Delegate OFT favored the original article.
aaoer Its provisions the people Of his section
ssna be protected from imposition and the
pAs from swindliDg. He did not want the
aRsature to have, anything to do with the
Y1lal No relief could be procured from that
WY % had been too we'll discovered In the
Delegate Pardee was In favor of remitting
n Rnole question to the Legislature.
n,eiegate Stone was q member OF the COM
1--WE aluee who had examined into the condition
w ny canal. The committee had not exam
M ~ me canal from the st. Charles Hotel
tasy nad gone on In boat and had carefully
81 aepected 1t. 1t was found to be utterly unfit
- me purpose for which 1t was built. 1t
sas v miserable state of unrepair. There
H. M no sufficient depth OF water, as required
n aease. there were no accommodations for
INV NV, There was no proper towaRe facilities.
k su uade OF New Orleans had been greatly
ny tiAS Ilhlltt5btuRuIO VI CtaAdl. HS
s ~ mad been long enough prtye upon In
Saa matters both BY Democrats and Rrpub-
hh ..ss. lApplause The Convention was here
i III sae purpose OF stopping 1t and making it
MIN ph9esible In future. No false sentiment
" sssa make me keep silent when such things
NH s.,1sio,ught to light 1t Is unpleasant, but
6ss s Always characterize such Jobs as they
peagate Breaux reviewed the history Of
S ssssnal lease, and showed how the State had
MI iii ueceived by magnificent promises which
b I'M never been fulfilled. He. thought the
Fssef should now be so fixed as to place
~ nNto "a the power or the Legislature to make
sslch bad bargains ia future.
u hss,e9ate Mcconnell favored the substitute
II - .use 1t prevented the Legislature from
Sn. aeain leasing the canal, but at the same
y M M 4 gave that body q supervisory control
aMs ~ Sutherlin advocated the adoption
4 ~ original article. He reviewed at length
4 asoors OF the committee, commended that
7 paseent contract had not been faithfully
isssAseed BY the lessee, and insisted that the
6sssance as reported, covered the subject
'. n esely, securing the interests Of the State
as otecting the people directly Interested