New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-12

levee system can be put into excellent re
pair for q sum varying from ten to twent,
millions of dollars. I'm reply to question
proposed by Mr.. Yorke. Of Carroll. MI
WOrralI statedthat he had nothing tOalo will
the Board of Public Works.l repeat tina
from estimates given mel by gentleman il
whose ability [ have undOubted confidence
believe that the whole levee system cai
be put in perfect repair at a cost not ex
ceeding twenty millions of dollars. ask
therefore, if the gentlemen Of this House
are prepared to vote away the whole of thu
money of the people. whose interests they
profess to protect, to this company. If foul
years can not complete the levees why tileE
let us take ten, fifteen, twenty or twenty five
to do this work. What does this bill pro
pose to do! 1t proposes to give q mea gre
guarantee of u paltry million of dollars
where tens OF millions are at stake, and
these gentlemen come here and unblush
ingly ask tho members of this HOuse to
vote for such measure as this. say sir,
that l will never vote for the measure.
Another thing is this: they mOdestIy ask
that an individual shall be appointed as
agent Of the general government at Wash
iAgtOn to come down here to assist them in
dividing the boundaries of this levee sys-
TEN. What guarantee have we that the
general government will come into our little
scheme down here! To appoint this COM
missioner would require a special enactment.
Let us suppose such a law was made. What
then This gentleman comes as an agent
| OF the parent government, We are told.
Who Is to employ this agent The company
propose TO pay his expenses. They are,
| therefore. the employers Of this individual.
and as he looks to them for his pay, he will
naturally seek to please his masters.
Another thing, sir: l think this bill
violates the provisions of the constitution.
t<at Ia e., Al
| gentleman get up on this floor and say that
to have so much charged ON this, so much
on that. 80 much for each bale of cotton.
each barrel OF m"asses, each hOgshead of
sugar. and say that it ia not taxes. call it
taxes. and say that if this tax is put upon
the people of those parts that are to be
covered by this levee system, the taxation
immediately becomes unequal. 1t will be-
come 40 burdeIlssme that the whole of this
land. not now under cultivation, will fall
into the hands Of this corporation. can
not see how it can be otherwise; the taxes
| viii eat them up. Our farmers. our plant
tiers vii. be obliged to give up the charge of
their lands. / am in favor of the improve
ment of the Land. but l do not want to see
it taken out of tie hands of the proper per-
sons and sobbled up by others.
want to ask another question in refer
ence to this bill. Who are the gentlemen
that ask for these great things at our hands:
| AS far az know, they are not Republicans,
and l want that thing to be distinctly un-
| ders.ood. Do not misunde rstand me; do
not want them to be Republicans. that they
may have the steaiings. l wish no man to
steal. Here are the gentlemen John G.
Governor Hebert. These are among the
names Of the men who ask for these great
| .hings-men who ought to know better
| men who belong to the very party that has
been holding up the Republican people in
this State. and especially its Legislature. to
the contempt of this whole nation. And
what have been the charges they have
made against us: Simply this, that we are
corrupt.
(rhe honorable gentleman was here called
TO order by Mr. Sartain. of Carroll who,
however. gave no grounds for his call.)
There lis another thing. gentlemen. with
reference ~ this bill, that I object to. l
would Ike to have had further considera-
ton Of it. The new members who have
not vote for any bill until they have had an
opportunity Of examining its details.
Mr.. Stamps. of Jefferson. called attention
to the rule of the House limiting each
speaker to half an hour.
The Speaker: l have been timing the
honorable gentleman. He has thirteen
minutes vet.
Nj. Worra!l: wish to ASK whether
The tine of interruption Is 70 be counted
in. This bill has been placed before the
House only since we came in session this
morning. I: is an insult to the new mem
bers of this House to be asked to vote upon
a bill the conditions Of which they have not
had al opportunity to read. We have been
in session now only tive hours. and if gen
tleman can read this bill and make up his
mind in that time. all have to say is that
he very easily makes up his mind move
the postponement Of the consideration Of
this bill until tomorrow at two o'clock.
iir. Sa;tam. of Carroll: | second the
move.
Mr.. Davidson. of Livingston: Like the
previous speaker. l consider the bill often
siye. This is an important BILL and should
not be hurriedly dealt with. 1t proposes
10 put the levees of the State OF Louisiana
into the hands OF Il private company. The
great prosperity OF the State is directly
concerned in these levees. They have cost
millions of dollars to the Legislature. and
1T is proposed grayely by the members of
this House to take the entire control of this
important branch of the public works out
of the hands of the Governor. These gen
tlemen are exceedingly anxious to force
this measure upon the public without any
respect for the interests Of the minority.
If this Dill should be pOstponed-and l am
opportunity of sitting and deciding for our
selves whether the Governor has not
acted wisely in vetoing bill which pro-
poses to take this important public
work out of the hands Of the State and sur
render the already vast sum Of seventeen
millions of dollars expended by the State
to enable them to make dividend and
fund for their own benefit. 1t is we'll set
tied question Mr.. Speaker. that when You
vest in this company the control of our
lcvecs. you will lose all control of them, and
if they do not that which they propose to do.
and an overflow comes. what will become OF
them, They will come wringing their !
hands and bcseeciing the Legislature to |
come to their relief. From the effects of |
this llasty and destructive legislation we are |
now suffering. Your honorable Republican
Legislature passed this bill last SEES
sion. and are now trying to get |
clear Of it. and if the Governor ever did |
anythin. to be styled most excellent Gov |
crno-. / say go and do likewise again. and |
still be excellent Governor. i'll all cases |
where such monstrOsities as this are pro-
posed. The bill is unconstitutional. for the
reason that the people residing on these lands |
are no longer taxed for the benefit of the
State of Louisiana, no longer to relieve us
from the burdens Of government. but to put !
money in the pockets of these stockholders
that they may declare dividends. Is not
this /, monstrosity. You tax the lands of |
the State of Louisiana that have been pro-
tccted at a cost Of seventeen millions. for
the benefit of this company. Is this the con-
st!tution! That provision which you have
sworn TO support. that says taxes shall be
equal. have to pay taxes. and my neigh
\