Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-06-26
IMMIGRATION EXTRAORDINARY.


ganize a substantial and efficient move
ment in that direction, our readers may
like to hear of one special undertaking 6
now on foot and having for its object the
Inauguration of the scheme under specia-
lly brilliant auspices. The undertaking is
noless than the chartering of the Great
Eastern, loading her with white people
in Europe and bringing her through the
ietties to N Orleans. At first glance
it seems gigantic project. To bring to
sew Orleans an ordinary steamship load
of immigrants destined to settle upon
Louisi ana lands would seem to be a suf-
tioicntly satisfactory beginning. Such 4
thing as that has never yet happened to
us, and to have it happen now would be
hailed on all hands as a most cheering
augury. We could easily content our
selves with as modest start as that, and
find therein abundant food for hope and
courage. But the idea of opening the
way in so conspicuous ard imposing a
manner as by means Of tho Great Eastern
possesses, we must admit, q singular tas-
cina,ion. The. monster vessel, which has
been overhauled lately, the side wheels
being removed and the whole propelling
power being concentrated in screws OF
vast proportions-this monster vessel
would of itself lend an indescribable
eclat to the enterprise. Imagine ship
more than twice as long as our river
steamer, the White, and large in proper
tion-imagine such leviathan as this
entering the Mississippi through South
Pass, where six years ago there was not
navigation for a fruit lugger, and steam
ing up to our wharves, a city of itself,
the most enormous vehicle in the world !!
The Great Eastern is $50 feet in length,
50 feet beam, 63 feet in depth and % 1eet
Graft She has capacity of not less
than $4,000 tons, though it is
thought that 27,OCO would more nearly
represent her carrying power AS orlgl-
naily furnished, she carried four engines
of collective actual power of 1O,ooO
horses, designed to drive the vessel at
the rate of sixteen and half statute
miles per hour. This power has proba-
bly, been increased somewhat iii the
changes that have been made, though
one would suppose that tho vessel was al
ready reasonably provided with machin-
cry.
However, this is the project now con-
templated by number of enterprlslng
citizens, and correspondence has, in fact,
been opened on the subject. The plan
is after ascertaining that the ship can
be secured, to advertise for propositions
from individuals or neighborhoods anN-
ious to make the experiment of introduce
inw immigrants, and then, ia case favor
able arrangements can be made. to pro-
cure in Europe the required number and
to bring them direct to New Orleans. AS
we have said, this would be lauL ching
the immigration enterprise with signal
and peculiar eclat. Such a spectacle as
that of the Great Eastern passing
through the jetties at South Pass,
steaming up the Mississippi river and, IL
nally, swinging into her mo"rings upon
our rive. front, would far exce"d any that
has ever been witnessed hcreabouts. 1t
would esta blish forever and beyond dis
pute the character of our deep watcred
outlet, and it would surround the immi-
grafton scheme with an enthusiasm and
a promise which would constitute the
most pow erful impetus ever lent to hut
man endeavo-. 1t only remains to be
said that in the event ot this programme
being carried out, the monster vessel is
already assured of q return cargo OF as
much American produce IS she can carry.
We are Of the opinion that to bring over
six or eight thousand immi grants and to
carry back $4,000 tons of cotton and
grain would make this voyage of the
Great Eastern the most remarkable one
on record.-N. O. Democrat.
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The CHINESE PENAL CODE.-The
studied harshness and c.uelty OF
the Chinese penal code is proverbial and
if the following extract is authentic it is
not surprising that the maltreatcd Chi
nese immigra makes no effort to obtain
the rights of American citizenship: "AI
persons Ienouncng their country and al
leciance or devisng the means thereof