The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-03-11
Improvement Of Bayou Courtableau'
WEDNESDAY, February Is. 1871.

WEDNESDAY, February Is, 1871.
The bill providing for the improvement
of Bayou Courtableau, and making a
appropriation therefor, being under COZ
sideration--
Mr.. Anderson said will state, for tn
information Of the Senate, that at tn
mouth of Bayou Courtableau, which emf
ties into the Atchafalaya river, bar ha
been formed, and the citizens of that seq
ton of the State are put to great inconve
nience in consequence of having to emplo
an inside and outside boat to carry thci
freights. Three years ago aH appropria
ton was made by the Legislative for thi
work, but it was not sufficient TO complet
it. The amount of that appropriation wa
fifteen thousand dollars. The trade which
comes through this bayou is very impor
tant one TO the city of New Orleans. TIL
Parish of St. Landry ships over twent,
thouaand hogsheads of sugar yearly by
that route. The Parish of Avoyelles ship
nearly the whole of her immense crop ii
the same way. If the bar was removed
all the sugar and cotton could get through
this channel For the last six months
with the exception of the last four weeks
they hav" had to reship their freight at tht
mouth of Bayou Courtableau on account
of this bar 1t is necessary to stop the
outlets which permit the water to 60 ur
| into the swamps. The two currents meet
| ing there have formed this large bar
which we now seek to have removed. The
work is proposed to be done under the su
perlntendence of the State Engineer. II
will be for the benefit Of a very large and
wealthy section of the country, the people
of which ship very large amount cffreight
to this port. They also pay large amount
of taxes. We ask for nothing more than
has already been granted to other parishes
ofthe State. There is no Job in the
measure, and hope there will be no OBJ
lection to it. 1t is simply q work of great
importance to the people whom represent
on this floor. hope the Senate will have
liberality enough to grant us this small
pittance, which will be of such immense
benefit to the people of that section and to
the city of New Orleans. I move that the
bill be considered as engrossed for a third
reading.
Mr.. Ragan / do not propose to make
any opposition to this bill to. night, because
I am not prepared to do so. observe,
however, that 1t calls for an appropriation
of sixty thousand dollars from the State
treasury Inasmuch as bills of this charac.
ter, calling upon us to. assist in cleaning
out bayous, building railroads and digging
canals throughout the State are constantly
before the Senate, and inasmuchs as there
has recently been SO much talk here about
economy and retrenchment in the man.
agement of the finances of the State, |
would like to examine into the matter before
I am asked to vote up n it. move, there.
fore, that it be made the special order Of
the day for to morrow, to come up in its
regular order in the calendar, and that the
on which the bill was based, and
the bill itself, be printed in the journal.
Mr.. Lewis I do not doubt the propri-ty
of giving sixty thousand dollars of the mon
ey of the State for the improvement Of the
Bayou Courtableau, but if we have the
and bill printed the cost will be
that much moro. AS a matter of economy,
opp Sc the motion of the Senator from
Ba!on Rouge Mr. Ragan]
s..Mr Anderson: think it unnecessary to
put the State to the expense of printing
this bill and memorial. The bill only asks
that the amount to be appropriated shall
be expended only after the report of the
State Engineer shall be made, the warrants
to be approved, on the return of the engi-
lcer, by the Governor. Tt also appoints
board to carry out this woLk If | could
zee any advantage to be derived from having
printed i; if thought it would give any
more information to the Senate than can be
obtained at present. would certainly have
10 objection to the motion of Sena or Ragan
but hope that gentleman will withdraw
lis objection and allow the bill to come up
Immediately. If the Senate will not pass
he bill, of course, cannot helpit. I shall
lave done my duty to my constituents in
presenting it and advocating its passage.
rhe petition for this appropriation has been
.iven to me By the Representative from
hat parish, and has been drawn up by the |
steamboat captains, and signed by all the
alked about in the parish for several years.
The people thought it very strange that the
,arish of St Mary and the Bayou Teche
ould get all the State aid they wanted for
heir Improvement, when they could not |
,et anything atall They concluded, there
ore, that theirrepresentiyes in the Gene
al Assembly were not dong their duty.
Mfr. Barber: am pretty familiar with
hat section Of the Statesin which the gen.
leman proposes to make these improve
nents. was SO unfortunate at one time
o be compelled to lay for sixty hours on
he obstruction which he desires to remove.
t is an obstruction which was placed there
y the confederate authorities during the
Tar In order to prevent the federal boats
rom coming up into~ that section of the
tate. Trees were cut. down and rocks
unk there in order to prevent the passage
any vessels. am of the opinion, from
II that could observe during the time we
'ere laying at that place, that sixty thou.
and is more than is required for the re-
,ovai Of that obstruction. j think the
roper expenditure of twenty thousand
ollars would complete the job. In all
sixty thousand dollars eouzd
e expended there, but | doubt very much
'hether the, people would be benefited any
lore by the expenditure Of the whole
mount than they would be by the expen
itare OF one third Of it. The last time I
as there, which was not very long since,
le obstruction was not more than five
undred yards long. and after its removal
1e balance Of the work can be done very
asily and at Q very reasonable expense.
am opposed to the appropriation of such
large amount of money for this improve
lent, and, I, therefore, move thatthe bill be
} amended a. TO appropriate only twenty
lousand dollars.
Mr.. Anderson Since the gentleman
ON Orleans Mr.. BarberI was In that
sction of the country, q large bar has been
,rn1ed &c the mouth Iof this bayou. The 7