Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1852-04-03
Report on Public Lands.

" WHOM WIS fe1erred tnat part OF the Gov
ernor's Message that relates to the dsposa
of the Swamp and overflowed land, donated
to the State of Louisiana by the acts OF
Congress, dated March 2, ls49, and Septem
Der %, 1850, respectfully report:
REPORT:
The swamp and overfoWed lands belonging
TO the United States, within the limits of this
State, were ceded to the State by the acts Of
| Congress, approved March I'd, lS49, and Sep
tember 2sth, 1850, to aid the State in construct
ing the necessary levees and opening of drains
to reclaim the overAowed lands in this State.
| That, under the above grants, a large quantity
OF land has been selected by the agents of the
State, but not until the lists of the lands Sc.
lected by the agents have been corrected by
the registers of the different land offices in tho
United States, in this State, and the corrected
lists OF selections approved by the proper de-.
partment at Washington. The precise number
OF acres that will accrue to the State under
those acts of Congress, cannot be accurately
known. But from statements made us by the
selecting agent Of the State, we believe the
amount will be about six millions of acres.--
of this amount, a very large proportion, in fact
nearly all, is subject to overflow, and, at pre-
sent, is unfit for inhabitation and cultivation.
That considerable bodies of it is covered with
water nearly the entire year, and its principal
value is the cypress timber growing on it, and,
when land Of this last description borders on
any OF the streams of the State, much of the
valuable timber is cut and taken off for sale,
to the injury Of the property of the State
That portion of the swamp land liable to dep
relation, it will be the interest of the State to
sell as soon as the necessary township plats
are in a registers Office and the State land de-
signated on them. This will necessarily re-
quire considerable time. But in the meantime
the register can be authorized by law to sell
warrants to be located on the lands acquired
under these acts ceding the swamp lands, and
the money received in payment used in
strengthening the Fevees at the danrerous pla-
ces on the Mississippi river, where crevasses
taking place spread the waters from the river
over large area of Of the alluvon region and
produce such distress and loss. To make and
maintain good levees on the Mississippi river
is absolutely necessary for the protection and
reclamation of the lands subject to overflow,
and when these lands are thus protected and
rendered fit for inhabitation, so as to invite po-
pulatlon, the sale Of them will be in most in-
stances proportlonate to the confidence that
the State shall inspire in the character and suf.
iiclency OF the levces to protect them from dis
astrous oyerfiows that have pressed so heavily
on large portion of the State.
When we consider the area, population and
amount Of capital invested in the aluvia por-
ton OF the State, and the proportion that it
bears to the other portions Of the State; the
value OF its products; in favorable seasons, that
The volume of water is restrained by the leveo
from bursting its bounds; it is surprising that
The government has not years ago adopted
measures to etfectually protect their territory
and eitizense
There is no State in the Union that has with
n its limits a subject that so urgently requires
he prompt and energetic assistance of the Ge-
leral and State Governments as the protection
't the detas OF Louisiana. Congress, by the
grant of the swamp lands and lending skiful
md experienced engineers to carefully exam
ne the Mississippi river, and embody the result
IT their observations in plan for protection
future, has evidenced that they are aware of
he Importance Of the interests that are in jeo-
,ardy. But before we can avail ourselves of
he advantages Of the grants to the fullest ex-
ent that it's capable, we must have the means
o make very substantial and necessarily ex-
,ensive works. The disasters the Inhabitants
If the region most deeply interested have suf-
cred, in the last three years, added to the low
'rices at present of our agricultural staples for
lid our resort at this time to taxation TO- raise
he amount necessary to pay for the works.
Our main dependence for obtaining the ne
essary means to make the levees, was by using
he credit Of the State by issuing State bonds
0 the amount of three millions of dollars
he bonds to be divided into fve series; tho first
cries payable in ten years, with intervals of
i've years between each of the remaining Sc
les, to be in six per cent stock interest, paya-
lie semi-annually, and the proceeds Of the
ales of the swamp lands pledged for the pay
nent of interest and principal of this loan.--
These bonds would probably have found pur-
hasers at home: Persons deeply interested in
he protection of the alluvial region of the
State, or those who wish to use a part Of their
apital in free banking in this State. BY this
Measure the money of those persons, instead
# being sent out to other States or ,Europe,to
purchase stoeksto be placed in the hands of
'ur State officers to guarantee the circulation
# their issues and secure the bill holders from
oss, would have been exchanged for our State
ponds and used in making the necessary works
or protection from overfows, thereby greatly
Increasing the value of our lands, adding to
he amount of our products, swelling the rev.
,nue of the State, and then this money enter.
ng inlo general circulation.
But the restrictive clauses in our Constitu-
ion prevent our using the credits of the State,
,yen for the necessary purpose of protecting
he State, except in case Of war or invasion.--
Article Ia of our Constitution is as follows:
ssThe aggregate amount of debts hereafter
by the Legislature shall never ex-
iced the sum of one hundred thousand dollars
,xeepti in case Of war, to repel invasions or
suppress instructions, unless the same be au-
horized by some law, for some single object or
work to be distinctly specified therein, which
aw shall provide ways and means by taration
or the payment of running interest during the
ph O. tinaa fnr which snid debt ehai1 he cnnfran