Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-02-20

~ ~vYrsn. AND OTHER tsE.-The re.o-
luton introduced by DR.. Hawkins, in the
House. providing for a geological survey OF
the. State il one of the most coran1eudabIe
Legislative propositions we have had occa~
sion to note during the present session. lEe
appropriation Of $4,000. which Is proposed
to be taken from the Swamp Land Fund.
will hardly be missed from the plethoric
purse of that Department., and should the
resolution pass, as we doubt not it Will, in
both Houses, so much will be pIucked from
the grasp of those who are rapidly sq1ander-
ing the sum total. Instead Of being sunk in
building a mile or two vi ievee here, and
d~igcing a ditch there, for the benefit OF sonlt
individual who has entered a thousand or two
thousand acres OF Swamp Land, and made
the Legislature believe that the State will
be an immense gamer by doing work to in
crease the value Of his land, this money vii!
be productive OF information which We
do not think can be oveT-estimated. Ill regard
to the mineral resources Of Louisiana, and
will in all probability deveIope more wealth
than all the Swamp Lands. are at this time
worth. The Importance OF such a survey OF
the State is generally admitted by all, and
we trust that a law authorizing it, will soon
be put in force. The matter is to be placed
under the control Of the Governor, and we
doubt not thai he vii, cred;tab'y acquit him
self Of the trust.
Another cor1mendable movement, IN our
opiuion, is the institution OF an enquiry into
the propfiety Of aboIishlng thu constitutional
provision against lotteries, and the sale Of
lottery tickets. What greater absurdity can
be imagined than that the newspa pers should
be closely watched by enthusiastic District
Attorpies who haven't much else to do, to
see that the law is not violated by advey-
Using lotteries, while in New Orleans, the
law, so lar as the sale OF tickets is concerned
is no more regarded than the idle wind. The
law is really 4 dead letter, and as such, ought
to be abolished. Through the action oil a
futile. not to say ridiculous attempt to stop
gambling in lotteries, hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars annually 60 to en"icE. the myrni-
doris Of Spanish power in Cuba, which might
be kept at home, and that without the slight
est detriment to tie morals of the comulu-
nifty. a State lottery would turn a large
stream Of coin which now goes out Of the
country, into the Treasury. and relieve to a
taxed people. People will venture their
money in lotteries despite all the acts Of our
Legislature 70 the contrary, and we SIZE moth
ing IN the prohibition contained in the constl-
luton, hut a measure Tor the especial benefit
Of Spain, and ONE Of our sister States
A measure which has passed the House,
We do not commend, is the bill allow
ing sheritIs, when they have Seized property,
claimed by a third party, to demand from
the plaintiff, Or his attorney. an indemnity |
bond in thrice the value OF the property |
seized. VIII any lawyer deny that MINER
nus cases may occur i'll which the plautiF|
may be unable to give such i bond. although
his CAIN may be just, and the intervention
Of the third party entirely jnvalid7 In The
event of the bond not being given, lie Sher-
if may release the property from seizure,
and subject the plaintiff to the liability OF
'osing his debt. Besides this, there is no pro-
in the bin for the appiaisement Of
peope'ty, and this matter seems left entirely
to the discretion of the officer. We would
no OBJECTIONS to the bill, if it were
properly modified, mt in its present form
we think it can hardly fail iii many instances
20 wolk un~ jnstly.