Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1859-01-29
The E4VccS.

" '"N"''~' H"V btSH ~pfootHteG,
ia the last five OR SIX months, through,
the press of the State, in relation to the
projections Of our low lands against owe
flows. To US, appyxf e, 'af>ct ~ = i
system OF prot G upou which ai' par
ties may unit without doing injustice
10 inc pecu''F theories of any.
Inc leVees f the State set'n from the
beginning Il ave been CONSTRUCTED on
the pf'ne.p't that a planter Of s'na''
force a"o '''n i means adopts III throw
ing a brush le s*u' - .elt To
protect his crop. TIE ices have gen
orally been made high enough, aud
broad enough to answer for the present,
allowing the future to take care Of itself.
During the highest freshets the CONT OF
the levees in numerous places, for weeks
at a time, is but a few inches above high
water mark. High winds Or violent
are liable to make numerous treVa$ses,
and people who live behind these trail
enbankments are kept constantly in
dread of foundations and ruin, until the
waters receue.
What would the low lands of this
State be worth if they were unprotected
by I~evee>! They would hardly be
worth paying taxes on. What are they
wo:th now? Many Of them that arc
under cultivation are worth from fifty to
q hundred dollars per acre. When We
consider that New Orleans, aid nearly
all OF these valuable sugar estates, and
the principal wealth Of these parishes,
besides numerous cotton plantations OF
immense value, owe It. cir very existence
to these ~Ieyees, aud would all be blotted
out OF existence aud valueless were it not
for suc! protection, We must admit that
the State should take hold Of this sub
Iect in earnest, and never allow this I'M
portant interest to be overlooked or neg
iected.
Whether we close up existing outlets,
or open new ones. our levees should be
made higher aud more substantial
They should in our humble opinion,
everywhere be made a foot higher than
the highest water mark ever known in
the country, and they should everywhere
have a base of such a breadth rs expe-
rlence has taught to be properly proper
toned to the height to give strength
and security.
And this expense should be borne,
not by the inhabitants Of poor piuey
woods parishes, and those residing III
high la'Js that need no protection but
the wealth Of these low parishes which
has accumulated behind and under the
protection of these l~evees, the reclaimed
swamp lands, everything that these
levees protect and help enrich should
contribute toward e|eyating and strength
ening them. And when once built sub
stantiaIIy, as they should have been
built fo.n the beginning. they wonld
need little expense to keep them in or
der for the next fifty years. They will
stand like Indian mounds, and old forti-
hcatlons, except where they are disturbed
by the cavjng i'll Of tue banks.
Then, whether our representatives can
agree on the outlet question or not, let
them set themselves to work in earnest
to make the levees higher and stronger.
And suppose this improvement to cost
tie State ten, or even fifteen millions Of
dollars. An investment Of fifteen mil
Of dollars would be equal to Il per-
manent yearly expense Of twelve thous-
and dollars, Which is eight per cent in
terest on the principal. Probably sugar,
cort, and other crops and prop
erty to the amount of ten millions of
were destroyed ia Louisiana by
overflow last spriug. The $4,000
~hogsheads Of sugar, and AS many r more
of motasses lost last year would
be worth six millions Of dollars. As
much more may be destroyed another
year. We venture the opinion that if
all the property in Louisiana lost in the
asst twenty-five years by overf]ows could
been j%udiciousIy expended on the
evees, 1t would have raised them. in all
,arts Of the State where they exist, six
eet above the higf'es. water mark ever
snown.-Phontcr'y Banner.
The follcwing is the vote Of both Houses
Senator:
SEsArE.-For J. p. Bemjamin.--Beard, Cot |
rel, Ducros, Evans, Griffin, Goode, Hyams,
1oo;e. Pearce, Philips, PeIterin, St. Paul,
,1adburne, Smart, SHINES, Sterling, Tucker,
Talbot, Withers, Womack. 81.
FOR Mr. Gray'-~Adams. Burlington, Delo~
Y; Dufreese, Heard, Kidd, I.aaidlaw. Mall
S.
For Mr., Randall Hunt:--CLew, Gardere,
.ocoul. g..
-Ahsaa,t H @ Mouton T iout CauaaaA |