Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-05-31

waited land worth in the aggregate,
at the prices mentioned, $9,122,722,
Of q return of $3.50 per acre. The
following are the parishes which are
subject to overflow by the waters Of
the Mississippi in every portion of
their territory: Carroll, Madison,
Tensas, Concordia, Point Coupee,
West Baton Rouge, 1berville, Ascen-
sion, Assumption, Lafourche, Terre-
bonnie, St. James, St. John the Bap-
fist, ST. Charles, Orleans, ST.. Ber-
nard, Plaquemines, and Jefferson.
Estimating the entire State at $4,000
square miles, or 28,000,00O acres.
these parishes embrace one-fourth of
its area. But many other parishes
are subject to partial inundation,
both by the Mississippi and Red
River. These are, Avoyelles. Bos-
sier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula. De
Soto, East Baton Rouge, Franklin,
Lafayette, Morehouse, Natchitoches,
Rapides, ST. Landry, st. Martin, St.
Mary, Vermillion, Ouachita and West
Feliciana. These parishes contain
1S,491 square miles, or 11,824,240
acres. They produced in 1860,
10000 hhds. of sugar, with pro-
portionate quantity of molasses,
312,310 bales of cotton, and $685.
COG bushels of corn. d. ...,. 81
The Mississippi river runs FIVE
hundred and sixty-fve miles through
the State, and we have also, Red
River, the Ouachita, the Atchafalaya
the Plaquemine, the Lafourche, and
numerous smaller streams which are
liable to overflow, and require to be
vigilantly guarded. There are
within this State fifteen hundred
miles Of levees, which have served to
redeem vast body of land from the
waters, and have thus added i'm
mensely to our productive capacity
and taxable property.
As we have said, the commission
ers believe that the Federal Govern
ment should take charge of this
great work; but they likewise re-
commend to the legislature the fol-
lowing suggestions z s.
LIST. The creation of two boards of
levee commissioners, to consist of
members, to be appointed by
the Governor for - years. One
board to have the control and super
vision of the levees below the mouth |
of Red River, and the other board to
have the control of all the leyees
above that line. Each district to
have chief engineer, to be selected |
by the board, and to be commissioned |
by the Governor: the engineers have |
a right to appoint such assistants
with the sanction of the board) as
circumstances may render necessary. |
2. The authority for locating and |
building levees to be given to the
board the minimum distance from
the bank of the Mississippi to be
fixed by them, according to some
settled rule.
3. The authority to be given to
the Governor to issue State bonds,
not exceeding millions of dol
lars, the proceeds of the same, to-
gether with the sums derived from
the sale of swamp lands, to be set
apart and to be used exclusively for
The construction and repair of levees
the said bonds to be secured by
special tax to be imposed on the
lands protected from overflow, and to
draw an annual interest of per
annum, payable semi-annually, and
the principal payable in = years.
4. Each levee district shall be en-
titled to the fund raised by taxation
On the lands protected by its levees
but the fund derived frow the sale of
swamp lands should be equally divi-
led. -'-'.5 a"
s@rThe forthcoming season at sar.
ltoga Springs will be one of the most
ever known. An unusu.
llIy large number of cottaoes have