APPENDIX. From the New-York Evening Post of October 21. New Orleans Legislature--I never felt more gratification in acknowledging an inadvertent error, than I now do that into which I was on Saturday evening led by the imperfect statement which I copied from a New-Orleans paper, of the proceedings of the legislature of that state in relation to the grant to Fulton and Livingston-The following history of the whole proceedings, from the Orleans Gazette, will present a view of the whole ground and gratify many of our readers. From a New-Orleans paper. STEAM-BOATS. We understand that in addition to the following legislative interpretation of the existing laws on this subject, another has been passed for the further encouragement of the same system, incorporating a company, called the "The Atlantic Steam Coasting Company," with the exclusive privilege of entering the waters of this state from sea with vessels impelled by the force of fire or steam, for the space of twenty years, with the licence of the proprietors of the present grant-The object of the company, we believe, is to establish a steam ship between NewOrleans and New-York. It was by the same legislative munificence that we now enjoy the invaluable benefit of steam navigation on the Missisippi, and we hope that in a few years we shall be approximated within ten or twelve days passage of our eastern brethren. We hope in a few days to be enabled to procure a copy of the law upon this subject, when we will present it to our readers. The following letter from Gov. Claiborne, explanatory of the circumstances which led to the en actment of the original law on this subject, has been handed us for publication. New-Orleans, Jan. 25, 1817. SIR.In reply to your letter of the 22d inst. I can only give you the following statement In the summer of 1810, being in the city of Washington, I became acquainted with the late Mr. Joel Barlow, and had frequent conversations with that distinguished man on subjects of national interest. Mr. Barlow was a great admirer of the talents of the late Mr. Robert Fulton, and believed that the steam navigation so much improved by Mr. F. could be brought to still greater perfection, and that the day was not distant, when vessels propelled by steam would be employed, not only on all the bays and rivers of the United States, but also in the coasting trade. He made enquiries of me as to the difficulties of ascending the Missisippi, and particularly as to the strength of the current in high water. These being answered, as far as my personal knowledge allowed me, Mr. Barlow seemed to think that steam boats might be introduced on the Missisippi with a certainty of success. On this point I expressed some doubts, but accompanied them with a wish to see the experiment made. Mr. Barlow subsequently opened a correspondence with Mr. Fulton on the subject, and it resulted in an invitation from Mr. F. to me, that on a tour which I contemplated making through the northern states, I would take Albany in my way, and ascend the north river in one of the steam boats. In the fall of 1810, I went on to NewYork, and the morning after reaching that city, finding a boat proceeding to Albany, I took my passage in her. The captain having readily satisfied my inquiries as to the machinery, the force of the steam, and the speed of the boat thro' still water, my doubts as to the practicability of stemming the cur rent of the Missisippi were wholly removed. Returning from the northward, I passed several days in New-York, and was much gratified with several interviews which I had with Mr. Fulton and his associate, the late venerable Chancellor Livingston.Those gentlemen were strongly urged by me, to introduce the steam navigation on the Missisippi, with assurances of my entire conviction of its success, and the most liberal encouragement. They entertained no doubt as to the ultimate success of the experiment; but spoke of the great expenditure and heavy advances with which it would be attended. These they were unwilling to encounter, unless previously assured of the protection of the legislature of the territory of Orleans. I enquired as to the nature of the protection desired, and was informed-“ An exclusive privilege to navigate the waters of the Missisippi, passing through the territory of Orleans, with boats propelled by steam, was the only condition on which they would embark in this enterprise." Much conversation ensued on the same subject, and it resulted in a promise on my part to lay before the territorial legislature a petition from Messrs. Livingston and Fulton, requesting the exclusive privilege, and a promise on their part, that if it were granted them by an act of the legislature, one or more steam boats should be sent to New-Orleans, as speedily as they could be built. In January, 1811, I had the petition before the, territorial legislature, and recommended it to their early and respectful consideration. The act entitled "an act granting to Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, this sole privilege of using steam boats for a limited time in the territory," was passed on the 19th day of April, 1811. An attested copy of this act I immediately transmitted to Messrs. Fulton and Livingston, who, in fulfilment of their promise, did, in the winter of 1812, send to New-Orleans the steam boat "New-Orleans," and subsequently three others. Shortly after the arrival of the first boaï, a committee of five respectable merchants in the city of New-Orleans was assembled by me for the purpose of ascertaining whether the requisites of the law had been complied with, and further, to fix the rate of freight which under a particular provision of the law, the boats might exact. The committee reported favourably, and settled a standard of freight, which I handed to the agent of the boat for his government. Such are the facts, as far as related to my agency, and you are at liberty to use them as you shall think proper. I am, sir, very respectfully, W. C. C. CLAIBORNE. J. Lynch, Esq. N. Orleans. Extract from the Report of the House of Representatives of the sitting of Saturday, January 18, 1817. Mr. Jones introduced the following resolution, to wit: "Resolved, that the committee of commerce and manufactures be instructed to enquire into the expediency of repealing an act of the legislature of the territory of Orleans, granting to Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton the sole privilege of using steam boats for a limited time." On motion, ordered that the above resolution be adopted. The report of the committee of commerce and manufactures which had been ordered to lie on the table on Tuesday last, was then read, as follows: Your committee of commerce and manufactures to whom had been referred the resolution for the purpose of enquiring whether it would not be proper to repeal the charter granted by the legislature of this state in the year 1811 to Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, have examined the subject with due attention, and beg leave to make the following report: Messrs. Livingston and Fulton, after having, in the year 1811, obtained the charter which grants to them the exclusive privilege of navigating the Missisippi with vessels propelled by steam, have used the utmost activity and exertions in order to put it into execution. In the year 1812, the citizens of this state witnessed, for the first time, the magnificent spectacle exhibited by the steam boat NEW-ORLEANS, navigating the waters of the Missisippi. They soon were enabled to appreciate the manifold advantages which result from that sublime invention, so happily protected by the legislature of this state. The first of those advantages and the one which was most lively, was the facility and promptness of the intercourse between the most distant part of the state which that new means of conveyance affords, and next, the reduction which took place in the price of freight. Your committee owe it to justice and truth to say, that the privileged owners immediately complied with that part of the charter which made it their duty to shew whether the steam boat New-Orleans possessed all the necessary qualifications in order to enable them to make use of their privilege, and to establish a rate of freight, by one fourth less considerable than that which was customary between Natchez and New-Orleans. The annexed certificate signed by Messrs. Thos. Urquhart, William Donaldson, Jacob Trimble, B. Chew, and L. P. Seguin, proves that those formalities were complied with on the 19th of January, 1812. Encouraged by this success, the owners soon gave us another steam boat, and in 1813 the VESUVIUS appeared at New Orleans.-She was followed in 1814 by the ETNA. However, the company experienced very severe losses. Every one knows the New-Orleans was wrecked in 1814, and that the Vesuvius was in 1816 consumed W |