Semi-weekly Louisianian., 1872-01-21
secuted the charters be repealed. They
stard in the way of capitalists who can
and would do the work, and should be re-
moved.
THE LRvEES.

THE LRvEES.
On this most important subject have
much to say. Upon these works depends
the prosperity of our State in her agricul-
ture and railroad interests. Possibly New
Orleans might exist upon the commerce
passing between the great Northwest and
the outer world, because of her position
on the Mississippi river but the wealth
of the State is dependent upon the CON-
pleteness and safety of our levee system,
and it deserves and should have, az it has
heretofore, your most earnest considera-
ton. For the inst time in the history of
Louisiana, one comprehensive plan has
been adopted, and let hs hope it will be eff
fective.
The various laws passed since the settle
ment of Louisiana to 1871 have all proved
Intellectual to stop crevasses, and occasion
ally vast destruction of property; and if it
were then even proper to trust to the old
riparian proprietor plan, all such ideas
are now obsolete, from the change of the
labor system; and the only way to compass
the object was decided to be either by a
constitutional amendment making the le-
wee tax perpetual, or by contract with
private company or corporation for a
term of years, that some plan could be de-
veloped for permanent security, instead of
the facilitating policy that has heretofore
been followed.
The first contract proposed and passed
by the Legislature of 1870 was subject to
many constitutional objections, and 1 was
compelled to veto it. The next act, No.
of 1871, for the same purpose, had and
has several Objectionable features, and the
additional act or contract, known as act
No 81, approved February %, was re.
quired to Obviate these objections, and
still the two bills do not properly harmon.
ize. You may, therefore. during this ses-
sion, be asked for supplemental Legislation
to make the system complete and effective.
Act. No. 4 provided for the issue of one
million of dollars in State bonds, but as
the constitutional limit of indebtedness
has been reached, this assistance could not
be given to the company. They were also
authorized to issue five hundred thousand
dollars of their own bonds, on the antici-
pated estimates. This was not permitted
to be done, and the company were either
unable or indisposed to commence the
work of building the levees until since Oc-
tober l. While probably without my
sphere of duty strictly construed, yet
felt compelled to take an interest in the
of the affairs of the Louisi-
INA Levee Company and 1 hope my inter-
eren, has Injured to the benefit of the
State as well as the company, for their in
ercsts are now identical, and it is to be
hoped that under the present management
our alluvial lands will be protected, our
,ailroad communications preserved, and
'ur State resources developed, according
% the prophecies of the most sanguine |
riends of the present levee system. The |
outlet and the cutoff advocates are |
he most bitter opponents of the present
'ystem, and have directed the State En-.
yineer to prepare papers on these subjects,
which will be embodied in his annual re-
,ort.
In Act No. z, approved February
"A, 1871, creating the Board of State
engineers and abolishing the Board
# Public Works, you allowed one
hundred thousand cubic yards to COM
'lete the existing contracts of the
Board of Public Works. This was
lot sufficient, as appears from the re-
'ort of the State engineers, and you
re asked for an appropriation of $751;
"a 76 to pay the certificates of in
lebtedness issued by the Auditor for
he one hundred thousand cubic yards,
nd S57, 1853 70 in payment of the GER
ificates of Indebtedness issued by the
'tate engineers to complete the works.
During the high water last spring a
lumber of crevasses occurred, and as
he Levee company had not taken
barge of the works, and there had
'een no legal provision for such
I was compelled to pro-
ide means to close or attempt to close
he breaks. For this purpose the Citi-
ems Bank advanced sixty thousand
oHars, and the Louisiana National
sank twenty thousand dollars, which
honey was expended by the State En-
ineers, assisted by Senator Lynch as
agent, with the result you
I'LL read in the State Engineers re-
'ort, and the special report of Mr..
lynch on this subject.
That promptitude of action and the
ssistance given by these banks pre-
ented vast destruction of property
evident, and 1 would ask you to
make the proper appropriation to re-
md the money as early as practicable.
70 special appropriation was made at
he last session to defray the expenses
+ the engineer corps, and much iu-
was the result. II ia