Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1852-02-14
Tho Lesee Appropriation Dill.

WpdrYesday In discussing The Bill pfovtd
M fef The I'd enhancement to the fafiH'
Or Point Eoaptu. the anfa of twehlysbv'
thousand 1oliara, ,vl,iei, that Parish phi'
Tor the eonAtfuelioi, aud keeping mp Of
ievee during The Iaat high waief. I'll
| discussion was participated IA Ny man.
Senators, aud wns ut last referred 10
Committee. We can see TAO justice what
ever In this claim, We hfe ~ \ loes Y
,pfeeive what right tho people 81 TIA
| Parish have to expect tile State TO mais
and keep ~ their lavee.H for them, I1icst
living there knew beltsre they purchased
their property, tlat Il avas liable to he 10
undated, unless q leyee suilicieht to keel
off tho river was built, aud. taking Il viii
these disadvantages, | ?iey should be pre-
pared aud willing to abide the consequent
ces.
II IL raid that Point Couple tl,o,,ld
hive this money returned, because 1t was
expended for the use Of other Parishes
This is the mefest iallaey imaginable
Was the levee not essential to them
Could they lave doae without II Ills
protection which II afforded to others was
merely incidental whether others had
been behind them OF not, they Were
bound TO NO TO the expense. And this IL
II strikes ts, the proper position TO view
il from. Suppose the lands haek Of them
had been entirely vacant, wonld# not the
levee ptill have ,,een built Unadestioh'
ably and il went do 20 urge that some q
of the lands protected by this leeee belong
to the State because they are not he'
eauae they ARE u%uihhabited, Of any rate
aud worth but littleAeeftainly bot enough
10 authorize the State TO pay The while
amount OF the coat Of the tevee,
The mere matter OF twenty-five tl,ois'
and dollars la, Ia Itself, u tfifing aud paltry
affair but Il ID establishing a precedent
which we think pefnteiens. Aud the eff
ieets were seen at enee, for the Senator
nom Conoorjia moved to amend the tese.
luton, by aiding u hundred aud eight
thousand dollars, pa,d by his pariah for
The eaoe purpose. Aud he stated that
the damage TO that parish was eauaed by
the breaking OF other levees ont Of the
Parish, II Point Ceupee Ia entitled to
twenty-five thousand, clearly Connosaia
IL entitled totnet hundred thou and---thefe
10 no difference IN the principle. whatever
there may be IN the amount,
Audit Coneofdia aud Point Couple are
entitled to the aggregate eum Of ono hun.
bred and thirty thousand dollars. whatiwill
West Baton Rouge do and 1berville ?
and Jefferson. ! aud indeed all the Parishes
along the River' Why Of course thei,
representatives would BIO bltnd indeed to
their interests IL they did not introduce
precisely similar Bills; aud where would
tho matter stopg
We never have entertained n doubt
that all persons protected by levees should
be bonna TO assist Ia keeping them up,
and II the Bin now before the Seuate pro,
vided for the payment of their pro rata,
by the Parishes protected, we imagine
there would be no opposition to 1t. This
would BIO but the sheerest not Of justice
But when II comes TO making The whole
State pay for il, we think the matter is
being carried altogether too far. The
people oftle high lands are taxed enough
now, Ia all conscience. without imposing
such an additional buf,hen upon them.
That a general system Of buying should
be adopted by the State, there can be nc
dispute about. It's prosperity implicitly
demands Il. But the system should be .
general and enlightened one--not one
which Is cramped and coniined--partial
ii its provisions, and unequal in its opera,
tons.
Iet a fund be raised by the sale Of the
lands belonging to the State aud apply il
TO internal improvements. But DO moi
have M apology for q system Of this mag
nitudo Inflicted upon MS. The effecl
OF it will only be to defeat the other Bit
when ii comes up. There Is already {
strong opposition againstit il. The passag,
OF this Bill will only aggfevase It.
& -ZT