The Opelousas courier., 1871-02-04


The grave and serious reasons that in
fiuence your memorialists in making this
protest, and asking your honorable Body
not to act favorably OH the petitions to
which they have alluded, are numerous;
but they will confine themselves herein
to the giving ofa few, that they deem the
most weighty,
The proposed division of this Parish,
they have understood, will establish a
new Parish lying to the South of this
Its Northern and part of its Eastern
boundary will be for considerable dis
tance but few miles from the town of
Opelousas, the seat of justice of St. Lam
dry.-Its form will be somewhat oblong,
and from the central part thereof, where
its seat of justice will undoubtedly be
located, eight or nine miles only from
! Opelousas, the distance to the Western
and Northern portions, where its pop
ulation will be dense, will be
greater than from the same sections to
Opelousas. The advantage as to distance
! from the Eastern portion of the proposed
Parish to its center, to result to the peo-
pie Of that section of the country, from
the formation of the new parish, would
be, if any, trifing indeed;-Very many
of the undersigned, your memorialists,
inhabit the western and northern por-
tions of the proposed new parish, where
very large proportion ofthe population
thereof exists, and they do not hesitate
, to join in the protest herein made. The
proposed measure would leave Opelou-
sas three Or four miles from tho northern
limit of the proposed parish, and consc-
,, quently far from the center of the parish
of St. Landry, thus inevitably leading to
the removal from that town of the seat of
justice, which would render necessary
the erecting of new public buildings,
such as Court House, Jail &c. at heavy
cost to a people already bowed to the
earth and groaning under the weight Of
enormous State and Parish taxes. The
aggregate amount of these taxes for 1870
is one hundred and sirteen thousand dol
lars ISL 16, ,O0O); s56, 900 of which compose
the State taxes, and $4,000 thereof, the
Parish.
During the year 1870, the property of
two hundred and fifty six delinquent tax
payers were seized and advertized for
sale. This state of things is appalling.
What an unfortunate moment for in
augurating a measure that will add to
the burden of taxation under which we
are now staggering! What reasons can
the originators of this scheme possibly
give that can justify them in appealing
to you to grant them what they ask at
your hands? What great public good is
to result from this measure that will jus
tify the accumulation of taxes to result
therefrom.
Since the year 1906, Opelousashas con-
tinuously been the seat of Justice for this
region Of country. The singular exemp-
tion of this town, for period of thirty
years, from epidemic diseases, has proven
the wisdom of those who selected it for
that purpose. During that long period
of time, yellow fever in on epidemic form
has prevailed in other villages and local
tiles of this and the adjoining parishes,-|
the town Of Washington, for. example,
only six miles distant, has. during that
time, been repeatedly afflicted with that
dreadful scourge. Opelousas is undoubt-
edly one of the NEST healthfnl, if not the
most heahhfal town in the State. It's
public buildings are of the best kind
The Court House, erected about thirteen
years ago, is large, commodious and subs
tantial; the Clerks aud Recorders Off,
ces, excellent fire proof buildings. all
erected at considerable cost to the people. |
The attractive features of this place,
among which are those above enumera-
ted, have invited many persons to locate
themselves here; pleasant homes and
substantial interests have sprung up in
and around it.-These, if the proposed
change be made, will be broken up and
prestrated; and for what purpose That
small lumber who are now somewhat |
distap tfrom the seat of Justice. may have
o few miles less to travel, when called
uponIto attend there on business of their
own, or that Of the pablic.-That addi-
tional Offices may be created to be filled
by men who live on the public, or that
spectators may realize schemes intend
ed aloneto fll their pockets. |
1t will thus be perceived that the pro- !
posed meqsure. whilst it will infict upon
the Ear greater portion of the people of
this Parish great evils, will be attended
with questionable advantages only to o
portion of those who are to compose the
population Of the neVnP Parish, and none |