Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-07-23

question we proposed to meet b.
the appointment of a Scientiti
Commission, under the joint au
thorityz Of Louisiana, Mississippi
Arkansas and Tennessee.
We can see no other way 0
doing it efectnally, and we thlnl
thatnone other can ur will be found
We admit that commission nigh
be appointed by any one of tn
States named and its entire expense
borne by the State appointing it
Or each State might appoint :
Commission. This, however, woulc
create Unnecessary expense ano
trouble, which would be-, besides
the least objection to it. The Com
missioners, not acting in conjunc
ton, might recommend different
systems, and the adoption Of one
system of defense by one State, and
Of a different one by another tate:
might neutralize the power Of both.
SO that, in the end, nothing Of any
practical utility would be accom-.
pl shed. Hence, the necessity o1
united and harmonious action by
the four States directly concerned.
We urged the Legislature OF
Louisiana to take the ;nitiatory
steps to the formation of such a
Commission, but that Interesting
and enlightened body was so intent
upon looking after the temporal
and spiritual welfare Of the elegant
natives about the headwaters Of the
Nile, that the banks Of the Missis-
sippi escaped its observation. The
tendency Of public sentiment since
since our well meant but fruitless
endeavor to call attention to the
subject, has been towards the idea
suggested. A Levee Convention
was held on the 18th inst. at
Vjcksburg, for the purpose Of con-
sulting Upon the best means to be
adopted to secure protection from
overt1ows in tue lower Mississippi
Valley. The Jour States we have
mentioned We're in part. represen-
ted; thus indicating that public
opinion begins clearly to recognize
the necessity of joint action by the
said States in the premises, in Or
der to secure the great object in
view. A COMMITTEE was appointed
to report upon plan Of permanent
organization, and report with this
Object in view was made, which,
after discussion, was unanimously
postponed for further consideration
at meeting which it was resolved
to hold at Vicksburg on the second
Monday in November. Now, to
to show the necessity of some such
Commission as we speak Of, it will
be only necessary to quote from
the proceedings Of the Convention
the following:
DIR. Mutt, of Louisiana, offered
the following resolutions:
Resolved, That whereas the lcvee
system, after the experience of thir-
tY years has utterly failed to meet
our wants, that it has proved inope-
rative for good but operative: for
evil, endangering the pubic safety
that it is the sense of this meeting
that some other plan or plans Of
protection than that Of levees be
devised:
1st. That the upper OF: lower
section of the: Mississippi river
be tured for the purpose Of straight
ing the river within its. banks.
I'd. That the process Of straight
ening the Mississippi, by making
cut-offs, is onr only safeguard
against the ovettows to which we
are annually subjected.
DR.. n utt advocated his resolution
in a spcech of some length. j. L.
Alcorn, OF Mississippi; differed from
the views Of DR.. Mutt, and after
speaking for nearly an hour, offered
the following as a substitute for
DR.. rs resolution
Resolved, That we have unaba-
tedconfdence in the Levee System,
when organized upon a basis of in
telligent principle-and that our
movement upon the question of
cut-ofs is only Looked to as auxiliary
to the chief reliance.
Resolved, That we cannot too