New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-11
THE STAR, AND THE LEGISLATURES.


THE STAR AND THE LEGISLATURES.
We do not know that it is more reasonable 70
impute defense Of the legislature against unlus.
attacks to a grateful sense of favors received,
] than It is to explain an assault upon that BODY
| Nv referring it to the yexatous sense OF fayors
! refused. The one method Of argument being just
a. irrelevant as the ether we shall charitably re-
rain from rctorting upon the Star the graceful
innuendo which prefaces its article OF yesterday
| morning. sFag 57,
10 come to the real issue, we find that, upon the
showing Of our contemporary, it is reduced to ex
tremely narrow limits. For instance, we per-
fectly agree with the Star, that the Federal gov
eminent ought to have aided the State in restoring
the leYees which the military authorities of the
United States had destroyed. We likewise confess
the sympathy aroused in us by the vivid, if rather
aqueous picture, Of g the catfish coming in at the
parlcr windows.n Nor do we deny that the eS-
ecutive and the board of levee commissioners
have exhibited commendable vigilance in g calling
the attention Of the Federal government to the
condition of the Ieyees.n Neither has our well in
formed correspondent questioned these PROPOSE
tionss But al this does not prove remissneas on
the part Of legislature. On the CONTRARY, some
Of the very facts adduced by the Star ID support
Of its charge of negligence, prove, in fact, the
very reverse. It ID found that, on the 10th sof
December, u joint resolution confirming the cons
tracts made BY the Governor and the levee COM
nissionera was passed BY the House Of Repfesen-
tatives, ana that, on the 18th Of February an act
T to confirm the levee Commissioners in their pay
H. so
measures relating to the levees having been
adopted in the meantime. Il Hers, says the Star,
twas the legislation on this subject spread over a
period Of very nearly three months. i was wise
legislation; IT was commendable Legislation; but
it was not speedy legislation"
Perhaps, indeed, if it had been more speedy, it
would not have been so wise and commendable.
The best method Of protecting our lowlands
against inundation has not even yet been deter
mined The debates and discussions Of thirty or
forty years have not solved the problem. And
yet the Star seems to think that it ought to have
been settled with as little reflection and discussion
v are necessary in passing d bill to provide mem
bers Of the legislature with their pay It is by no
means certain, indeed, that our contemporary, if
invested with unlimited control over this subject,
would have been able to arrive at . g wise and
connendable J, conclusion, within much less time
than the three months which the Legislature is ac-
cuaed Of having wasted. But the fact that the
legislature directed its attention to this subject 50
often and at intervals SO widely separated, is
proof rather Of q landable interest and anxiety,
than Of remissness and indifference.
The real point in question is however, whether or
not the State has suffered in consequence Of neglect
on the part of the legislature to take obvious
measures of precaution against the threatened
danger. Now, we affirm that there was no such
neglect, and consequently that the legislature is
not justly chargeable with any evils which may
ensue. The only obvious and indisputable meas
ure Of precaution against this seasons fiocd was
the repair and reconstruction of the levees.
For this the legislature made prompt pro
vision as far as it was possible to do
SO. The Governor or the Commissioners had
made contracts for repairs and reconstruction of
leyees; but they had done so without authority,
and, consequently, the contractors felt some
uneasness as to their pay. The legislature as
long ago as December TENTH passed 4 joint resou-
ton radfying those contracts. The work was not
stopped but went right on and was just as effec-
tive asst could have been made had the legislature
passed hundred acts on the subject in one day.
Resolutions might oil sound very well, but they
would not produce money or supply labor All
that could be done in the way of providing funds
was done by the law authorizing the issue of bonds
secured by pledge of public lands and by the
application of a special fund to leyee purposes
These acts well nigh exhausted legislative control
over the subject They, very probably completely
exhausted such control as it was wise and com.
mandabIe y for the legislature to exercise. Had
General Humphreys not been disappointed in his
expectations of being enabled to carry his orders
ntos effect, much OF the peril which now enyirons
IS might have been ayerted We presume that the
allure of those expectations will not be laid at
he door Of the Legislature. That body might it is
rue, have spent great deal Of the time which it
eyoteds to other subjects in discussing the
ynaniics fof the Mississippi river, the laws of
unning water, the geological character Of the
lelta and the relative merits of the various sys.
ems Of protection which, from time to time have
,een suggested, but we respectfully submit that
'uch discussions would not have kept the river
iown an inch or even had prevented the catfish
from coming IN at the parlor windows. IN VIZ
atsaH1sa IL ------- .ssisssSx
sS~see second page for future auction sale. /
PRoFEssoR SEAAAN'ss I4EcTuRE. lin accordance
with previous announcement, Professor Seaman
last evening delivered, at Lyceum Hall, "a lecture
pr g the Future Of America in relation to Ciyza-
lion and Progressl" The attendance On the &c.
casion was not very large, though the audience
vas highly appretiative one. Fully orie.half Of
those present were ladies'.