New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-15

STATE or LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
New Orleans, Aug. 25, 1866.
To the Board Of Leyee Commissioners;
GenEenen-I have received, at the hands of
your secretary, 2 copy'of resolutions adopted by
you setting forth the necessity Of further appro-
priation of money by the State to rebuild the
leYees, and in order to provide for the same,
you ask me to convene the legislature in extra
session.
In the matter Of protecting the State from over
flow, Think my past acts show that have. and
do appreciate the importance thereof. Itook the
responsibility last year of letting out contracts for
the building of the most important levees, ap-
pointed your present board TO direct and manage
the same, trusting to the legislature to ratify my
acts, and to, provide the ways and means to pay
for the work. For that purpose, ! called it to-
gethef as early as November that provisions might
be made by them TO meet the first payments due
Contractors.
The Legislature met, approved the levee con
tracts, and passed a bill authorizing the issue OF
one million of dollars of bonds for levee pur-
poses, but the effect of an amendment introduced
in the house, implying that the bonds were not to
be sold under par, rendered the act wholly nuga.
tory, so far as disposing OF them by sale. How
ever the form of advertising was gone through
with; thirty days was lost in waiting for bids,
which it might have been foreseen would never
come under the restrictions referred to, and the
consequence was. the first payments to contrae tors
became due, without one dollar in the hands of
the board to meet them. need not describe the
condition of the contractors in failing to receive
their money and the serious delay occasioned to
the work thereby.
The responsibility for this state of things does
not rest with you, gentlemen, nor with met
must be charged where it belongs.
T. 10 the failure on the part Of the State to meet
the first payment due contractors is in my opn-
ism, to be aseribed the non-completon OF the
levees in time to resist the high water, though
also believe the board committed an error in not
adhering to the terms OF my advertisement, which
restricted contractors to one section of leyees.
At the regular session of the legislature that
body refused to adopt q permanent State leyee
system, as recommended by your board, and even
further appropriation for the completion of the
leyees was obtained by great exertion, the meas
ure eneountering strenuous opposition from repre-
sentatiyes from the high lands and a number Of
the city delegation.
In view of this opposition, and the failure of the
board to prevent general inundation of the best
lands of the State, with two millions of dollars
under their control, i have serious doubts if any
further aid and assistance can be expected from
the legislature towards reeonstructing the levees
Their constituents will say that two millions Of
dollars have been spent, with no benefit to the
So far as preventing the disastrous Gre
vases Of the current year. this allegation is true
but, at the same time, do not admit that the ex-
penditares of the board have been useless. The
levees built will be permanent protection; and
if the funds Of the board sufficient to complete
the Grand, Morgan3a and Ghinn leyees, | consider
with ordinary vigilance on the paftof the local
general inundaton of the country
can be avoided at the next rise of the river.
Entertaining these views, / must, gentlemen
differ with you as regards the expe-
diency of conyening the legislature for the pur-
poses you ask and therefore decline aeceding to
your request.
am, very respectfully, your ohedient servant,
j. MADISON WELLS,