Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-03-13

I nave DEt ~ EtCtE% y "
ness. he would have read the law as it really
r is. without any stop atthe word free :" but
i be woula have continued on as follows: FOR
ever free as well to the inhabitants, or The
y said State as to the inhabitantsof other States
d and the territories of the Unified States ac'th-
out anu ta1. dtfv. snspost or toll imposed by
sail Siats.n Now who will fail TO- see how
fuivlu the attempt was. made TO mls'ead the
. EHouse. Under the law as read by the gen.
. tl.roan from jefferson, the 1avlgable rivers
n and waters leading into the river MISSISSIPPI,
and the Gulf of Mexico could not be stopped
but must remain forever free but when read
, as it reaIiy is, the law simply declares that
!, they shall be forever free from any tar. toll,
duuv or 17apot! Now, does this bill propose
, any tax. toll duty or irppost, upon inhabitants
Of This State. or any of the other States or
: territories of the United States3 II it does,
then the constitutional Argument is sustained,
but as it does nothing Of the kind, the oblec-
ton cannot be urged.
Sir. the Supreme Court Of Our State has
settled the coHstitntionall'y Of this bill. /
hold in my hand. not a newspaper extract,
but the full r. port Of a decision Of the ST.
prenle Court, upon a case precisely i'll point,
from which permit me to read.
Mr.. ALLEN here read at some length from
a decision rendered by the Supreme Court in
II case growing out OF the erection Of locks
or dams on BAYOU Black, which works had
been authorized by the Legislature. In this
case the Supreme Court held that 1.-THE Leg
%isiature of Louisiana has exclusive right to
control artificial and dry Bayous, situated ex-
cIusively within the limits OF the State. -
He then continued-l assert that this decision
is analogous and precisely in point, for Bayou
PIaquemine is both an ar iiciai and dry Bayou,
| ~ = :! "a. "A - -~~-.,~ ~F \ f'-trt
The Speaker here interrupted Nj. ALLEN
and desired to know what he considered a
dry Dayou.1 Mr.. ALLEN tepIied-I consid-
es that q dry Bayou which has no water in
1.-THE absence OF water | understand makes
Il Bayou dry, and i; this floor is dry then is
Bayou Plaquemme Il dry bayou. for | have
seen it not once bat often, as free from water
| except ia places. as this floor is! Yes, sir, in
the bed Of this Bayou there are places when
in ordinary seasons you can grow and gave n !
crop Of corn II that does not prove it TO be
| q dry Bayou l c~outeso my ignorance Of the
English language
That Bayou piaquen,ine is not a natural
bat all artificial outlet seems to be admitted.
and it is unnecessary for me to add others To
the authorities already :ecited by the gem
tienen from Orleans. Mr.. LAwaAsos,l
whose able speech en- yesterday leaves but
little for me to add in favor Of the n,easure.
Sir,-I am convinced that if we were to
talk till duomsday, and urge proof as strong as
holy wit in favor of this measure, we could
notcorvince those residing in The few parishes
OH the Mississippi river below Bayou piaa-
Hemine- Their fears blind them to all req
sou, and ] shall not address myself to them
upon this question bnt 10 those residing
above, to those Of North Western and East
ern Louisiana: in behalf Of my own c%oustitu-
entS; in behalf OF the people OF lbervi1|e, and
In behalf OF the people Of South Western
Louisiana do / speak. Gentlemen. this is an I
important question, and the people OF nine .
oil the heaviest tax paying parishes in the
State appeal to you in It's behalf, and | be. I
that YOU vii! not permit the untonnded fears $
and constitutional! scrupIes Of the few who t
oppose this bill: to sway your Judgment. but ,
that You will come forward and vote Tor it, q
and thus save the iairest portion Of OFF State
from overflow ami utter ruin, Pass this bill
and you not only save the Garden SPOT II L
the State from rain. but you reclaim Il terri
tory Whi:h Is now va!g1lcsss. but which j,
aiding millions TO the wealtt, OF the r
State. Is destined 10 be the rival Of that fair 1
spot. Defeat this bill aad You not only lose II
th's wealth and rum this ialr portion OF the n
State, but YOU jepoaEdize the prosperity of 6
'~ c-'"S t'i' IN itit I IA VI viz tttflt1
and OF the West, for as surely as tkst the a
runs down stream. uuIess this baye, Il
be closed, the workings Of time and that mt {
lar distant will direct the ~claaneG of the riy-
eT doWn this Bayou. And as Il getutation OF d
ne argument OF the gentle nan from Pia.ue- y
for whose opinion I always entertain O
great respect, and who Of all the opponents T.
q this blI! Is the only ono that has ate rnpted :.
IN argument against the bill upon its merits. Il
permit me to state some facts in relation u
0 this Bayou, which came under my person. y
j knowledge and proves the correctness Of
he securing theory; The gentleman from ~
,laqs7ent1ne, stated that the bed of the Mis- q
Iss!rpl is a stiff clay substance and that it is d.
impossible, combining the water and l~nereas- ..
~ the current. to cut through that clay
otsom. well: str, vt is well known that the III
ed Of Bayou pIaqnesnine ~ composed of the tn
anne clay substance, and also it is well y,
that frotn the water being confined to =.
narrow channel, the rapidity Of the current %
much greater than that of the Mississipp;, m
here Sir, true as the gentleman saws, from at
ae fact shat the sides OF the river is Of a. =,
andy soil, the current nlust and does cause il
} cave. this has also been the case with Ba- 50
Oh Plaquer1;ne, the mouth of which. eight
ears ago. was only two hundred and sixty
Is now over four four hundred feet. But. sa
r: in consequence OF the rapidity OF the cur "
mt IN bayou Plaqnemioe, the securing pro- ~.
sss has gradual cut through the clay bot Vi
m. aud | have found where it has done this re
OF nconcievable depth, permit this ha
securing process" t. go On in Plaq uenine, -
i'd soot4 the clay bottom will be washed ~
way entirely, and then farewell to the Is
'eaEaess OF Ne" Orleans-ouE pride and our de
'ast: transfer that process to the MISSISSIPPI ins
by closing the outlets and the same resnit -
to the bed of the river will be its effect: but. !,
iFfead OF running nile wealthy parishes, and VI,
anlh'|atlng the city Of New Orleans, YOU ca -.
III save those parishes. reclaim q rich and so1