Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-01-29
Slidell Il Go. Denounced

ne proceedings OF great meeting held
III the parish Of Ascension, and sent to us
| officially for publication, appears in our col
| uml.s this evening. The lateuess OF the hour
prevents our doing more than directing il item
ton to the preamble and resolutions, which
are expressed n language of honest and bold
denunciation o: Slidei, Benjamin 4 Company,
the authors of the swinding bill which they
had passed for SiidelI's benefit, III connection
with what is called tn Hournas claim. The
documer5 speaks for itself and cannot fail to
make a sensation.-Ii7se Delta.
The following are the proceedings:
At mass meeting OF the citizens. occu-
pants of the Houmas Lands, held in the Parish
of Ascension, Jan, 18th, 1859, Romanta Til
Iotsou was unanimously called to the chair,
and Hon. VIM. 4. Boote and Simon z. Elesir
We're appointed Secretaries.
The meeting having been called to order
by the Chairman, the reading of a letter adj
dressed to Governor R. c. Wickliffe by DR.
Frederick w. Hart was asked tor. and alter
having the said letter read it was unania.ousiv
Resolved, That the said letter contains a tuII
exposition of our views, is endorsed by u.s.
and meets onr cordial approb baton.
The following preamble and resolutions
We're unanimously adopted:
Whereas, at the last session Of Congress
bill was reported to the Senate OF the United
States BY the Hon. J. P Benjamin, d Senator
Of the United States from this State, who is
Chairman OF the Senate's Committee Oh
Private Land Claims. under the title of a
bill to provide tor the location OF certain
at Ia nd n! la Nv tha Sta # Al
and for other purposes, and with bill subse-
quentIy became a law, to the great injury,
prejudice and wrong of the residents and oc-
cupants on the Houmas lands, and the great
benefit of the Hon. John SidelI, associate
Senator OF Mir, Ben lamln in the United States
Senate, W ho claims to be the owner OF 10000
acres OF said Hounas tract; and whereas the
said act OF Congress contem plates the eviction
OF three hundred aud sscentY two electors OF
the Parish OF ASCENSION, aid one hundred Or
more electors IN the Parish of lbervIIe, with
their wives and children from lands they have
long occupied, cultivated and improved, and
to which they contend they have an lncon-
trovertibie title
Resolved That the introduction OF this bill
and its passage through the Senate by. the
Hon. J. P. Benjamin is mischievosis iu Its
tendenci es, a direct charge against his moral
integrity, positive betra yaE of the trusts
contided to him, and a violation OF his Ga th OF
Office, intended to benefit bis colleague ] ohn
Siideil, and entail the ruin OF at Least FIVE
hundred families in the parishes Of Ascension
and Ibervile.
Resoloed, That our Senators and Represent
atives in the Legislature be requested and
earnestly urged to oppose the reelection OF
J. P. Benjamin to the Senate Of the United
States, to fl! the vacancy from this State in
that body on the lst March next, Oh account
ofthis act of unparalleled turpitude. by which
it is sought to aggrancize !; servant Of the
people, sworn to guard and preserve their
Interests against a.i assaiiants, by the ruin Of
five hundred free white electors, in the parish
es of Ascension and Iberv!I!e, in the State Of
Louisiana.
Replued, That petition be drafted to the
Legislature, to take such action In this n at
ter as it may properly do to have justice Sc
cured to the residents on the Houmas land;
and that 4 similar petition to Congress be
prepared, and sent to the Hon. Miles Taylor,
for presentation to the House of Representa-
tives, asking for such legislation as may De
necessary to obtain the repeal OF the Missouri
bill or of thai part oft referring to lard claims
in the Territory OF Orleans, introduced into
that blll With much sube1ety by J. t. DEN
jamn.
Resokvcd, That the thanks Of this meeting
be given to its Chairman and Secretaries for
their attention anu poilteness in conducting
Its business, and that the proceedings be pub
llshed in the Baton Rouge Advocate, True
Delta of New Orleans, Coast Journal Of Don-
aldsonvilie, Plaquen1lne Sentinel, Crescent,
OF New Orleans, Washington Union, and Ma
tional Intelligeucer.
RoMANTA TJlLorsos, Chairman.
y ": . R; rBs.nn BoorE' Secretaries.