Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-06-08
For he Batgn Rouge Gasette,
PUBLIC MEETING.
or the Inhabitants Of the Parish OF
West baton Rouge,

At an Assembly of the inhabitants of the par
ish of West Baton Rouge, held al the Court House
of said parish on the 2Jth May, 1850 In accordance
with previous tptiee. Col s. NJ. u CLARK was
H. VI Favrot and William Markham, Secretaries
of thenieeting
The Chairman then proceeded 70 state that the
object Of the meeting was to provide son,a means
to protect the Parish from the overilews Of the
Mississippi River.
After which 1t was moved and secotided that
committee Of six be appointed by the chairman to
submit resolutions 10 the meeting--
Tile chair thef, appointed Messfs Vim W
Lennon, VIM. Jones Lyle, villeneuve Leblanc
Jesse Hart, Richard Wall and w b. Robertson
members Of said committee.
The committee having retired reported through
their chairmaiNIr. W. w. Lennon, the following
preamble and resolutions, to witt
Whereas large portion of the most valuable
cultivated lands and almost the entire body Of the
uncultivated back lands of this Parish are now
rendered utterly vsueless and become tax upon
the proprietors BY reason Of The repeated efevas-
ses which of late years have occurred at a point
near the upper boundary of said parish, known as
the Baudin Tract, the greater part Of which land
is no longer the property of individuals but has
been abandoned by the ierner pfoprietors;--a
whereas ii is well known to this meeting that
these erevasses have not only stopped the emigta-
tion to this parish which was rapidly bringing in
to value and cultivation oi,fv vacant lands. but have
occasiolied the abandonment Of such settlements
as had already been made, the ownets Of said set
Elements being obliged TO LOOK elsewhere for
rity and the means of a livelihood -=-and whereas
il is certain that unless prompt and sufficient
measures for the future securing Of these levees
be adopted that this decrease of the population and
wealth of our parish must continue and augment
to such degree as to oetason the abandonment
of not only the whole interior, but also Of pof-
ton Of the finest front lands Of this parish and the
injury is not only confined 10 this parish alone but
extends to Fausse River, Ind Bayou Grosse-Tete;
Therefore lie II resolved
lst That 1t is recommended to the Police Jury
of this parish to lay special tax Of $1,000, for the
construction Of evees OH abandoned lands in this
parish.
2nd. That in as much as the special tax reconl-
mended 10 be laid in this parish is not sufficient TO
erect safe tald reliable levee. and that a large
amount will have to be raised by private sub-
scriplion in the parish hawe therefore invite the in
h abtants Of bayou Crosse -Tete and Fa,lsse Xiv
er to assist by subscription in raising the neces-
sary means for the accomplishing Of the work SO
important for their as well as our own security.
For this purpose Messrs J. Harvey johnson,
Ursin Daigrc, Charles Slack, Alex Otard and
Isaac Irwin of Bayou Crosse Tete, and Mess1s.
e. Baudre, Jas. Mediation, Rnifin s Sterling and
Emile Tanneret OF Faisse River, are respectfully
requested to solicit subscriptions for this purpose,
TO be paid on or before the lst December next,
and to make report to the President of the Po-
lice Jury of This Parish by the tst day of August
next, stating the amount subscribed
Sd. That copy of these resolutions be laid
before the Police Jury of this parish by the Sec
retaries of the meeting.
The above Preamble and Resolutions being
TO the meeting were on motion unani-
mously adopted.
Col. VIM. D. Robertson then submitted to the
meeting the following resolutions which were
adopted.
LIST. Reso',ed, That the Levees of this State
are by their nature public works, that the present
system requiring the front proprietors, at a ruin
pus expense, to make and keep them up, is one
rous, oppressive and unjust.
I'd. Resofpei, That 1t is the duty Of the State,
through It's Legislature, TO adopt general system
Of leveeing the Mississippi river and other wa
ter courses of this State by raising general Lev
GO Fund for that purpose.
3d. Resolsed, That in view Of the importance
Of the subleetofthe great overhows of the Msss-
sippi river and other water courses Of this State
and the great injury resulting from the same, that
Il is recommended 10 the inhabitants Of this State
who arc Interested ia the matter, to hold Con-
yention at Pla1uetninc on third Monday of Janu-
nary. next, for the purpose of taking the matter
into consideration and recommending 10 the Leg
stature the adoption Of stich general system 10
embrace the whole alluvial lands Of the State, as
may by mutual consultation be deemed most eff
,ient for The purpose, and that each parish be re-
10 appoint delegates to attend said
Convention.
On motion of Col 8. M. D. Clark it was
Resoisea That the respective Police turics Of
his State be, and they are hereby respectfully re-
auesed, TO ask Congress TO grant TO the State the
Public Lands III this State, that have been in mar
ket ten years and are iinsold, for the purpose of
raising fund by the sale of those lands, to pro-
ect the alluyial portion Of the State from over
flows
On motion Of Dr. Lyle, it was
Resolved, That copy Of the proceedings of this
meeting be furnished by the Secretaries to each
# the newspapers in the city of Baton Rouge,
with q request that they publish the same in
French and English, and that copy be furnished
oeach Of the members ofthe committee on Crosse
Tete and Fausse River.
The motion for adjournment being then in or
Ter was made and carried, and the meeting ad-
ourned sinedie.
SAMUEL NJ. D. CLARK, Chairman.
!. i. Nv, Il. Mssn"ss' Fssao4, Secretaries.
GEORGIA GATEcHIsM. following