The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-03-13
ence shall be given bills required by the con-

The Chair ruled that 1t was not competent
| for tho Senator to make that motion. tnas-
4 much rs IT would be equivalent 10 motion
| to lay on tho table motion to indefinitely
postpone
The question recurring on the motion OF
Mr.. Parlanxe to indefinitely postpone, tho
| motion was agreed to.
The following Joint rule was taken up:
| Be Il yssolved by the House, The Senate con-
curing. That Immediately on the passage Ot
| this rule that the Speaker OF the House and
| the President OF tho Senate instruct all the
standing committees to arrange joint sessions
| Just as soon as practicable, and ascertain
wlnt Legislation is yet necessary to carry into
effect tho constitution, and that each commit
| tee be instructed to take steps to prepare or
| have prepared the bills coming under their
respective departments, and report tho same
| without delay.
On motion of Mr.. Robertson the joint rule
was adopted.
l Mr.. Perry moved to reconsider the vote by
which the joint rule was adopted, and on his
own motion tho motion to reconsider was laid
on the table, @"
| REPORTS OF COMMITTEES LYING OVER
The report of the Committee On Rules on
the following resolution
| BY Mr.. Walton
| Rcsolpcd ~ the .Se,,atc, That hereafter when
| u Senate bill is returned to the Senate from
| ths House Of Representatives. with amend
menta, tho bill and amendments shall be re-
| fcrrcd to the appropriate committee Tor the
purpose Of considering the amendments,
Was taken up, with the following amend-
ment proposed by the committee:
Strike out the word 'shall' and insert the
word may"
On motion of Mr.. Walton tho amendment
was adopted.
The report Of the special Joint committee
appointed to examine into the affairs and
condition OF the New Basin, Canal and Shell
| Road was taken up.
VIEWS or THE MINORITY or JOINT SPECIAL
COMMITTEE.
/ Mr. Harris submitted tho following rs the
views Of the minority of the special joint COM
mittee Oh tho New Basin, Canal and Shell
| Road: -
| New ORLEANS, March G. 1880.
TO the Honorable tho President Of tho Senate.
| tho bponker OF the House OF Representa-
tives. md General Assembly Of the State Of
Louisiana:
f;cuflemen- Your special committee np-
pointed to examine into the affairs and con
ditlon of the New Basin, Canal and Shell
Road, beg leave to make tho following mi
nority report:
your committee. accompanied by ID. 4. Ken
ner embarked on board the steam tug Fox,
Capt III. Cole and proceeded down the canal,
examining It's condition, and extended our
examination some distance into the lake at
the mouth. and returned to tho head OF the
basin on Wednesday. the eleventh instant.
| We found the whnrveg around the basin and
canal as far down as they are built. say with
In 200 feet Of the Magnolia bridge, on the
upper side, and about fifty feet on the lower
side in very bad condition and totally inade-
uuats for the purpose designed; In many
places they are unsafe, and In such general
condition OF dilaptdation as TO necessltate
their entire reconstruction. From Magnolia
to Claiborne street. a distance of 200 feet on
both sides OF the canal, no wharves have ever
been built We found d worry great amount
OF valuable landing space between Magnolia
| and Claiborne streets occupied by private boat
houses which have been built by permission
| or the lessee and are serious obstruction to
commerce. Tho basins or half moons are
filled UP with rafts OF timber and Of no prac-
tical use to vessels, both from want Of proper
depth Of water and being used for the pur
pose above referred to.
These are serious drawbacks to commerce
In themselves, but your committee must
make note OF sreater evils stlli. Whacn ls tht
occupancy for Indefinite periods OF time @
the wharves and landings by cargoes whlcl
have been discharged from vessels, and lef
without any control upon the part OF the les
sees Of the canal. to obstruct the landinR'
: are OF such u nature that the banks Of tn
basin and canal are inaccessible to the fir
department; and loss has already beei
suffered, and apt at any time to occur, by tn
inability or the engines to reach the mair
supply OF water In that region, which Is pro
cured from the canal. The harbor- master
living ut the lake, and leaving the masters
OF vessels and conslRuees to do The bes
I they can for themselves. it would appeal
as though the cOnsignees OF vessels plying IL
the canal were under no restraint with refer
ence to the disposition of the cargoes encum
bering the landing, and no police regulations
50 far as sanitary measures are concerned
= appear to be enforced The harbor-maste
has not been made to perform the duties
which devoive upon him. Lumber, wood
, shingles, stones and every other produc
brought into the basin are suffered to encum
Der the wharves In such manner as to great
ly delay the discharging Of other cargoes
All OF this retnrds the commerce OF this city
, through this waterway. This Is q great In
justice to the public. as well as to tho Graf
plying In said canal and the cause Of many
and serious complaints.
The canal Office. tolgates and keepers
houses are in very bad condition, and The
bridges In need Of extensive repairs; particu
larly the one at the ridge ana known rs thu
Black bridge, should be replaced by new
one. Many complaints have been made con
ce1ning 1t.
We find the water in the canal to be or In
adequate depth, and Obatructed to such aIl
extent as to render navigation tedious and
| dangerous.
We found q very dangerous brick pile In
the canal just below the Black bridge and
although the tugboat Fox was drawing but
5I feet, and kept In the middle OF the canal,
she was constantly striking her propeller on
sunken obstrnctions from the city to the
lake, giving evidence OF neglect in keeping a
channel VI such a depth as not to impede and
endnngcr navigation
We found the levets Of the canal very much
washed and decayed, In many places dan
gerous: III the event of a storm OF sudden rise
Of water the city would be In danger of tnun-
dation; and particularly bad ut the lake from
the lighthouse to the first bridge. This levee
was washed away some years since by a
Storm and the rotten condition OF the piling
and aprons, and the general appearance "
the whole line Of work justify us in assuming
that Ii will require to be entirely rebuilt to
give any permanent protection. m.=.
to the canal We find the mouth Of the canal
at the Lake End entirely too narrow and the
piles rotten and dangerous to vessels making
an entrance, the water 50 shallow that a
great amount of dredging Is absolutely ne