The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-11-27
An IMPORTANT MATTER.

Sam. NJ. Gates, Esq, Secretary ana
Superintendent Of the Memphis Cot
ton Exchange, with copies Of some
important documents, to which we in
vite the especial attention Of our read
ers. First, ~ . pamphlet containing
the proceedings Of = callsd meeting of
the Exchange, held October 80, 1880,
to consider Il communication from Dr..
r. w. Mitchell, member Of the Ma
tional Boa,d of Healtl, and director Of
the river inspection service main
tanned by that Board during the past
season with . view to preventing the
introduction and spread Of yellow
fever in the Mississippi valley. The
Doctor was about closing his annual
report, and desired the Cotton Ex-
change to.state by resolution Of other
wise, whether the Inspection Service
has proved to be Of sufficient value to
the commercial interests Of Memphis
and the Mississippi valley t" warrant
the National Board Of Health ID main
taining it during the next season"
A committee Of prominent merchan is
and citizens Of Memphis was appointed
to prepare resolutions on the subject,
which were submitted and adopted
unanimously as the sense of the Cot
ton Exchange.
By authority Of the Exchange, the
Secretary has embodied the salient
points Of these resolutions in a memo
rial to Congress, intended to be signed
by representative citizens Of every
interested community and forwarded
to Washington. The memorial reads
as follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives
Of the United States:
We, the subscribers, citizens of the United
States, and residents of -, in the -- Of
--, and State of -, do respectfully rep
resent that,
Whereas, The Mississippi valley has been
repeatedly afflicted with visitations Of cpl
demic yellow fever, which have not only
caused great loss of life, bodily and men
tai suffering, and destruction of material
interests in the region aforesaid, but have
also injuriously affected the country at large
so that the evil is y National one, and as
such comes within the purview of the Ma
tional Congress; and
Whereas, During the past dangerous sea-
son of 1880 there has been maintained, by
the National Board Of Health, an Inspec-
ton Service of sanitary supervision through
out the valley from New Orleans to Cairo,
which operates to prevent the introduction
and spread of epidemic contagious and in
fictitious diseases, and during the past crit
ical season, has preserved confidence and
prevented panics and "shot-gun quaran-
tines," with their consequent interruption
OF business and commercial intercourse
and
Whereas, 1t is manifestly impracticable
for tho States OF for communities OF them
selves to maintain this service, which, to be
efficient, must be free from local Influences
and uniform i'll its operations without re-
gard to State boundaries; aud
Whereas, We believe such service to be
essential to the protection Of the public
health of this region, md especially to the
prevention of the introduction and spread
therefore, We, your petitioners. do ear
nestly pray for such legislation as in the
wisdom and discretion of your honorable
body, may be deemed necessary to make
said Inspection Service permanent, to en-
urge it's scope. and to increase its efficiency.
Two copies Of this petition have
been transmitted to the CHIEF by Mr..
Gates, one of which we shall circulate
u Donaldsonville, retaining the other
for signature by such citizens from
the country as may feel sufficient in-
terest in this important matter to call
and attach their names. We take it for
granted that every Intelligent mem
Der Of the community will heartily
indorse the statement and object Of
the memorial.
A telegram from Indiana Iepprts
that one Of the candidates on the
Democratic ticket for Presidential
Electors received majority in that
State, owing 10 the fact that in s.ver-
al counties the Republicans voted fol
an Elector who had withdrawn
short time previous to the election.
THIS Offsets the loss Of DemOcnltie
Elector in California aud places the
vote of the ELECTORAL College, at z2i3
for Garfield to l56 for Hancock.