New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-21
DAILY CRESCENT.
CFETCIaL JOURNAL
if THE CONSOLIDATED CITY or NEW ORLEANS.
OFFICIAL.
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DEBATES OF THE STATE CONVENTION
OF LOUISIANA.

DEBATES OF THE STATE CONVENTION
OF LOUISIANA.
TUESDAY, July &c. 1852.
| INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, LEVEEs, ETC.
| Mr. AVERY offered the following resolution
Resoiued, That the Committee on General Pro
| visions be instructed to inquire into the expedi
ency of providing for system Of internal i'm.
proyements and public works, and report
| thereon
| Mn HEBRON moved to lay the above resolu.
ton on the table, and the vote being taken. ii
appeared that AZ delegates voted in the afirma
tive and AZ in the negative and there being a
tie, and the President voting nay, the motion
| was lost.
| Mr. SHINES then offered the following substi
| tute:
| ss i'eSolced, That committee shall be ap-
! pointed by the Chair, Of - members. whose
duty it shall be to inquire into the expediency of
making some constitutional provision in refer
| enee to the liberal donation by Congress of the
oyeriiowed lands within the limits Of the State
| Of Louisiana, and report TO this Convention as
| soon rs practicable.'
| Mr.. SfMMs presumed that the object of the
delegate from NewOrleans was to awaken such
an investigation, as all had in view, on the sub
Ject OF the vast interests that had been created
IN this State by the magnificent donation of pub
lie lands Of which it had been the recipient He
would say that he had observed, with regret, an
indisposition on the part of the Convention to
give the prompt and decided attention to the
great interest of that donation which the SUBJ
ject assuredly demanded Delegates were aware
that, last year, the Legislature authorized the
sale Of one million Of acres of these lands He
now desired to show that the subject was of suf-
hcient Importance to awaken the attention of
this Convention, and to give us such a committee
of investigation as would do full justice to our
great and growing agricultural interests.
uo l,1cry +I,nt - Al,
gentlemen that the action which he desired the
Convention to take was n species Of legislation
But with all due difference to these opinions, he
believed and would assert that there was no
public interest which more properly called for
both the attention and protection Of this Con-
yention. He did not desire to engraft any thing
like legislation upon the Constitution but he did
think that it was nothing more than an act of
sheer justice for this Convention to make such a
provision as would prevent the splendid donation
OF lands which had been made to US from be-
coming bone Of contention, or worse instead
of blessing.
The large portion of the State that was inter-
ested in this donation laid this subject with pc
cullar claims before the Convention. From an
extract from the assessment roll for the year
1851, which he held in his hand, it appeared
that the parishes Interested We're assessed, in
that year, to the amount of $190, 1870 IS.
The amount Of swamp lands ap-
proved to the State ,and patented,
was. ..;;,:......... 6,547 ,654 50
amount sold III warrants at ST %
per acre was; .:............ 28,813. 67
Amount claimed by pre- enptions
was. ,................... 3,917.25
Amount Of cash paid for lands... 1888, AIS %
Amount of cash paid for pre-
emptions. .................... 4,87G Sc
Deeply interested as he was in the administrt
ton CT this subject, he votedsa few days ago
against the proposition Of the delegate from
west Baton Rouge. He was constrained to go
against it, for he thought it went too far. In
some features OF the gentleman's proposition be
was most anxious to concur, but when lie spoke
OF issuing bonds pledging the faith of the State,
he went against it at once All that he would
ask was Committee of Enquiry. The Conven-
ton reserves to itself the right to reject the
report of the Committee. But simple Justice
required that such a Committee should be ap-
pointed. These swamp lands must be applied
to the purpose for which they were most beniii-
ciently intended.
MIR. LoBDELL said that lis desire went no
farther than for proper protection to the ae-
llcultural Interests of the State, Congress had
donated 70 us upwards of nine millions of swamp
lands That donation was entitledt to protection
a "itt we WISH now
have some constitutional provision by which
that protection may be had. We wish some
constitutional provision not only to secure great
IeTees and the protection Of the lowands of
Louisiana, but also for school and other impor-
tant purposes. That donation was a trust fund
and he considered the State the trustee, and
this Convention was therefore called upon to |
take special cognizance of the subject We are
at present restricted by provision in the Con- |
bn q
this immense donation Of lands. The people of
the iowlands themselves could not accomplish |
the objects designed. If the State were to give
the proper help, it would be impossible for It to
sustain any loss i'll doing so. 1t was high time
that the important trust was attended to.
MIR HfBERT said that this was a subject which |
had engaged his attention for some years past,
and he looked upon it as one Of the highest i'm
portance, most especially to lower Louisiana.
the alluvial portion of our State-in fact, to
every part OF it subject to inundation, whether
rom the Mississippi, Red River or other streams.
In 1876 and AZ, he had the honor, when State
Engineer. of submitting two reports to the consd-
grafton OF the Legislature. In one of these he
strenuously and to the best of his ability, op-
posed the completion Of the &C Raccourci Cut
Dtf, then in process Of creation In the other.
le submitted plan to reclaim lower Louisiana
rom the annual disastrous inundations to which
i is exposed.
In his Report of 1916, among many reasons
Urged against the utility and eXpediency of the
iaccourci Cut off He used the following lon-
sunge, amounting, in fact, to SO many predic
ions since, unfortunately, Ebut too seriously.
Ter.tied
'' Lower Louisiana, composed of that rich and
extensive sugar district stretching from Point
{oupee to the Balze, including the city of New
Jrleans is, at every annual Hse of the Missis-
lpll river, in imminent danger of inundation.
very day leyees are extended higher and high
II up the river-natural outlets closed, and
very danger to the city of KewOrleans and to
III the lower country is increased Who can
aieulate the loss by an overflow to the city of
NeW Orleans alone? Instead therefore, of
hrowing suddenly large quantity of water
nto the lower Mississippi and elevating its level
~ opening cut-otfs above, we should. on the
ontrary, endeavor to reduce this level. already
90 high and too dangerous, by opening all the
utiets OF TINS river. We are every year con-
nlng this immense river closer and closer in
Is own bed-forgetting that it is fed by over
ooo streams-and regardless of q DANCER be-
omlng, every year, more and more impending. F."
In his report of 1847 he submitted a general
ystem for preventing, permanently. oyerfows
II inundatlons, and to reclaim the swamps and
owlands of Louisiana. He had given the sub
ect his serious and undivided attention. He
lad looked up every available authority upon
he subject consulting the opinions and expe-
'ience Of foreign engineers as well as those of
,ur country. After mature deliberation ha