The Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1870-1871, 1871-02-09
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
New Orleans. january =, 1871. 4

10 the HOnofaDle Speaker ana MeAS DeFs " Tie
House of Representatives;
find many anG grave objections TO tie
net entitled san act rslatiye to the Mis-
sissiypi Valley Levee Company, snd pro-
viding for the constitution, repair and
lpaintena,ae, of certain levees by said
company, and for compensation therefor
by tolls on lands protected by said levees,
and the crops of said Lands" which have
induced me to withhold nay approval.
The same is therefore returned to your
ht n 'ral4e body.
Ny first objection is that this bill gives
the C, a trol Of one Of the most important
public works i'll tie State into the hands
of private company, Independent OF, and
in no wise sui ject t., the control of the
government.
Iobject TO the bill, in the second place,
because it takes without any cOnsidera-
ton, the leyees already constructed, and
valued at DO less than seventeen millions
of dollars, and gives them to this COM
pany, without allowing the State even an
interest in the enterprise Should this
plan be adopted, can not see why the
State is not entitled to become stock
holder to the amount of money which
her people have already expended upon
the work,
Again, there are nearly thirteen mil
hons of acres of land il this State subject
to overflow from the Mississippi, Red,
Ouachita, Atchafalaya and Black rivers
1t is proposed to tax this land, row held
pr soon to be held, by private individuals,
five cents per acre, which would Weld a
revenue of six hundred and fifty thousand
dollars per annum. This SUM, of itself,
will he, when the leves are once compile
ted, sufficient to keep the whole line in
repair. On the lands or real estate
situated within the limits of all towns
and cities in the overlooked regions, in
Guiding the city of New Orleans and the
surrounding country, an ANIMAL tax of
one-tenth of one per cen. is to be levied
The taxable property being al o 1t one
hundred and fifty million dollars, tho re-
venue from this source would amount to
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
But in addition to all this, the bill pro-
poses to tax the products of the land SO
subject to overflow. Fhat, OH every pound
of lint cotton, there shall be assessed and
collected ioll of ona-fourth Of one cent,
or one dollar on every four hundred pound
bale, reaching in the aggregate between
sixty and seventy-fvc thousand dollars
per annum. On every pound of sugar,
One-eighth of ons cent on one dollar and
twenty-five cents per hogshead. making
nearly one hundred thousand dollars per
annum. On every g Llon of melasses,
one-half cent; thus agggregating total OF
OYER million of dollars per annum on
the products Of year, whose yield is
equal to the present, and this large re-
venue must be continually increasing with
population and productions believe
that the company, under the provisions
of this act, would, in less than five years
receive revenue Of four of five million
per annum.
Avery important objection to this bill
is, that it is in direct conflict with our
constitution, ipasmush rs it wholly
ignores the provision requiring that tax
alton shall he equal ard uniform through
out the State Under this bill all the
lands subject to overflow ere taxed five
cents per acre, whether worth two, five or
II hundred dollars. Cotton, sugar and
molasses without regard to q lality, are
all taxed i'll the same unequal and unjust
manner. The Supr me Court, in session
at Monroe, during the last summer, d.
cided that n tax of one dollar per bale o.
every bale OF cotton was unequal and Ltt
uniform, and therefore unconstitutional.
The offensive manner in which this hi |
proposes to collect the revenues demands
your most careful reconsideration.
The exemption from the operation OF
the law of any Of the principal parishes
and corporations within the alluvial dis
tricts u certainly unconstitutional and
unjust.
In consequence Of the multiplicity Of
matters claiming my immediate aitentit,n
at the present time, ] am unable to state
more fully nly views of this measure.
H: c. WARMOTH,