New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-28

them to pay three warrants, dated in Ser,
TENDER and October. 1859, each for a sun
Gye f,, SloS; The ysse.4ess Ase sieeea ~ 9
The case OF the State OK rel. George E
Bovee va Heron, ipsti1uted under tn.
provisions of the intrusion act by the At
tOrney General, has bee1 continued to DC
tober 3, q special term Of court hsving beer
appointed Cor that day to try this cause.
The LevSes-Report Of q Csusmtfeee.
The last number of the Pointe Coupe
Echo contains report addressed to the
citizens Of Pointe Coupee, signed by Col
onel F. L. Claiborne, James Vignes, Eu
gene Tircuit, L. B. Claiborne, Robert Mont
gomery, E. c. Cooley, L. L. SHINES, and
Albert Batchlor, which we transfer to the
columns Of the REPUBLICANS:
The undersigned respectfully report that
there is now, and has existed for some time
a widespread distrust in relation to the new
having the financial ability to comply with
the requirements of their charter so as to
prevent disastrous Overt1Ows from the nu-
nlerous breaks in the levees. -
Committees from some Of the parishes
were sent some time ago to the city, to CON
fer with the proper authorities on the sub.
ject of levees, and on Sunday, the tenth
instant, delegates from three parishes, by
instructions from their police juries, paid an
official visit to Colonel ~ l.. Claiborne,
president Of the police jury of this Parish,
and in person hauded him copies of the
proceedings of their police juries. These
proceedings invited us to meet in cOnven-
tiOn in New Orleans, on the fifteenth in
slant, delegations from East and West
Baton Rouge and Iberville, and asked our
cooperation in the levee investigation they
proposed to make, and also to unite with
them in calling on the president Of the d.
rectOry of the levee company. and also on
the Governor Of fte State, aPd daecuss with
those functiOnaries every question con-
nected with levee protection. ~,.--.
The president Of the police jury of this
parish, in response to this INVITATION, brought
here in person by some Of the first citizens Of
the State, appointed delegation taken
from all professions, and from all parts OF
the parish. TO meet in convention on the If
teenth for the purpose above indicated.
He also added to the list Of delegates
several citizens and merchants living in New
Orleans, but planting largely in this parish.
Among Others We will mention A. Denis, F..
j, Daeilva, Warren e. Crawford. Charles
Allen, Peel e. Sons. And your delegation
can not omit to state thst they are under OBJ
legations to Charles Allen, Esq, and to
Aleck Peel, of the house Of Peel & Sons, for
their valuable suggestiOns, for their hearty
and the zeal manifested by
them TO have our mission prove a success.
The convention Of delegates sent q com
mittee first to wait on the president of the
levee company, who received them cour-
teously and informed them that the delay
in commencing operations was as surpris-
inr 70 IN, hat W-0a irn1t
owing to the non-arrival of the engineer ap-
pointed by the levee company, and that
his arrival would be the signal to commence
operations Immediately. The presence Of
this engineer was necessary to constitute
quorum Of the commission required by the
charter of the company, and when this COM
mission was complete. they would proceed
to locate the new work and designate the
repairs necessary to be made. and then, and
not until then. could the company take the
steps demanded by the people toward their
protection from overflow.
These were fair promises. and made in
the most frank and gentlemanly manner;
but there was nothing definite as to the time
when these locations should be made, and
when, in fact, the time had come and gone.
when all the maps, charts, estimates and
1.-THE work Of mOntbs) should have
been completed and laid before the direc-
tors OF the Iev0o company.
The convention Of delegates then, in a
body, called upon his excellency Governor
Warmoth and represented to him the gem
efal apprehension that existed In relation to
the building Of our levees, and represented
to him the widespread desOlatiOn that must
result from continued delay in
beginning the work SO much needed to pre-
vent overflow.
TO which the Governor replied, that his
hands were tied by the levee charter, that he
had nothing to do with the passage of that
charter only to insist on some safeguards
being incorporated in the agreement that
were LETT out in the act Of charter: as the
charter stood he was pOwerless to come to
the relief of the people. All that he could
do was to urge the company to prompt ac-
ton, snd it the company failed to comply
with the requirements of the charter he
would, in his first message to the Legisla-
ture that assemblies in January, recommend
the repeal of the corporate powers now en-
jOyed by the levee company.
We next called his excellency's attention
to the general apprehension that certain
parties who controlled the New Orleans and
terest in tho Leve6 Company, and that 4
tlSose levees giving protection to that rail
road would have expended on them an over
proportion Of money derived from our CON-
mon taxation than would be distributed to
other levees equally needy and equally en-
titled to the consideration Of the directors
Of the company.
The Governor promptly replied that no
lavoritism would be tolerated; that the
evee tax was for a.common purpose, and
is distribution mus be fairly made. Ii,
division Of the levee funds, and that the
was made to foster one section
10 the neglect Of another section of the
State, he would order the tax collectors to
|uspend the collection Of the levee tax.
In conclusion, the Governor said that the
eyee company had notified linn Of their
organization and their intentions to begin
work soon, and in reply to the question if
be would facilitate and co operate with our
,everal parishes in making arrangements
With the levee board as Q last resort, by
evees, he answered certainly, and that at
LII times he would exercise all his powers
IS chief executive to develope all the re-
sources of the State, and particularly to
foster the agricultural interest.
The sue committee again waited on the
president of the board of directors, who
stated that the c0mpanywere required only
to build and repair levees this season to the
amount of three million cubic yards. and
that this amount of work would be distri-
0uted where it was most needed and where
It would give the greatest protection. At
the request Of Colonel Claiborne, the presi-
dent kindly promised to write to him at the
expiration OF ten days and inform him Of
inc existing state Of things at the time.
Colonel Claiborne gave him notice that
n III ten days there was no favorable
change in levee matters, then in all proba-
oihty me parochial authorities of the par
lsh OF Polnte Coupee would submit to him