Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1857-10-10

number Of districts and of commissioners
and ngin sers, and the salaries Of .hoss
officers.
In sIl this rs ses Ri unconstitutional.
unfsithful and partisan SYSTEM Of legis-
lssion--.he vii! Of party settlag ssids
tbs will OF the people expressed IN shsis
constitution IN relation to their systsul
Of public works and improvements. and
the power o! Gubernatorai patronage
substituted for .hs right Of popular cleo
ton.
| Following in the same track OF 'egs.
ss.iou comes the act Of 1855, on the
subiaca cf internal Improvements. This
act divides tho Stats into four iataraa!
improvement districts, and provides for
The appointment OF assistant engineers
by the State engineer-an officer sp-
pointed by the Governor. II is liable to
the objections urged against the act. Of
1853 and 1854, and stands with them
in proof Of the u.ter disregard for the
constitution manifested BY the Demo
| cratic party.
! In the place Of the system Of pubic
| works. including al! the public works OF
the stats ordained By the constitution,
and the supervision Of those works by
single board Of officers chosen BY the
people, the Democratic party has created
and sus,ains Board Of Swamp Land
Comm issioners, and An ln.erna! I'm
provemen. Board, conducted indepsnd~
entity of sack 9th BY different officers
appointed By tbs Governor and his ap-
pointess.
The monevs appropriated for the pur-
poses OF the public works are entrusted
to othsr officers than those designed BY
the Constitution. Large sums hsve ID
many instances been injudieiously wss=
ted without any benefit TO the public,
and in some instances. corrup.ly applied
ior ,hs aggrandisenen, Of particular ia-
diyiduals. and to subserve private ends,
A striking illustration Of this last fact
is to be found in the expenditure for
rec aiming the lands on Cat Isissd.---
Cat Island or Tunica Village is body
Of swamp and oyesiowsd land in the
parisi, Of West Feilciana. It's superficial
area is about 37,i03 acres. Of THIS
number 5,4o4 acres became the prop
erty of the State, by The donation of
Congress Of swamp. and oyerflowed lands.
The Swamp Land Commissioner. Mr.
Mller-s friend or eo-speculator in land
with one Of oar distinguished {. 6.
Senators determined to reclaim the
and on Ca. Island. Thereupon be and
his co-opera.ors entered l4,20o Of the
Is, ,4o4 acres, before mentioned, at the
government price. The work Of reclaim
ing then went on necessarily for their
benefit. The amount expended on be-
half Of the State in the work is Sl4l 900
over dollars per acre as Estimated by
informed persons. Had The State with.
held from entry The entire quantity OF
State ,and-l5.404 acres and coatin-
ued the owner, the land after being re-
claimed would only have produced
slo,255 at the government price.
The conduct Of tho last Legislature in
ajscting the Representatives from Nav
Orleans from their seatA in the two
| Houses Of the State Legislature, was a.,
outrage upon the independent exercises
of the right Of suffrage and the right ot
| representation. The blow, in this IN.
stance, fell upon the citizens OF New
Orleans. But if = dominant party II
Legislature, may, Of their own will, and
without homes. inquiry and good cause.
constitutionalIy found, dismiss a repre-
sentative Of any parish Of tbe State OF
account Of his political opinions or those
of his constituents. from his seat in the
legislative assembly, there is an end 10
free representative government. TO free
dom of opinion and the independent
equal rights Of the citizen. A party that
could 50 far forget its duty to the Con
.titution, and to republican liberty, is
un worthy The confidence of every just
and niightensd mind.
| gu, the election from their seats in
tho State Legislature, Of the Representa-
,ives Of New Orleans, was bu: one OF
the series Of out,ages practised BY the
las, Legislature. Tho passage OF the
army bill ia an act without parallel
in the history Of thu madness and tyEar-
ny Of party in any State Of the Union.
At time Of perfect order and quiet in
the cisy-uhsn all excitement had died
away, and good feeling end harmony pre-
vailed among the citizens, the Lsg'slstura
passed an act to overthrow and supersede
| the po'ics power OF the city Of New Or,
leans guaranteed BY the constitution sal
to substitute in its stead an army Of
msrcsnaries 10 oveyaws and suhjugate
tbs people at times of sleetons-and to