New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-31

Speaker C. ". Lowell and Messrs. Al
lain, Armstead, Antoine. Bowman, Bryant,
Baker. Boyd, Blackstone, Carey, Connaugh-
ron, Cousin, Demas, X. L. Davis. Decker,
Devezin. Dejoie, Dumont, Dayries, Devices,
Elliot, FonteIieu, Greene, CAN'T, Guichard,
Heffner, Hubeau, Hill, Hahn, Hedgepath,
Judice, Heating, kirkman, Kenyon, hern,
Keys, Lewis, Landry. Lawes, Murrell La
fourche), Murrell (MadisOn), Mahoney,
Mavo, Martinez. Mathews, Montaldo, Pey-
ton. Raby, Rochon, ROdrigues. Sawyer,
Stewart, Southland, Sutton, Sewell, Thomas,
Tureaud, Williams, Wilson, Worthy, wig
gin, Ward, Nands-S3
Quorum present.
PRAYER by the Chaplain.
On motion of Mr. Murrelf, OF Madison,
the reading of the journal in detail was dis
pensed with
on motion, the journal was approved.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
Mr.. Vands, Of Eangipahes, chairman OF
the Committee on Ways ana Means, made
the seIlowins report
GossIqvne Os %Ays sND BEAss
January 70, 1873
To I'll. Nonorasble Speaker and Members OF the
House of Representatives:
Soar COMMITTEE on Wave anq Means
has had under consideration Senate bill NO.
a., and recommend Its passage.
.. D. WAHDs, GbsiHnlags
ssn ysesisfs she g4ssgt gas eae@iSeRS @R0
adopted.
MFR. sSanas, Of Tsngipanea. called u9
senate bill no 81, entitled an act TO pr"
vide FOR and regulate che clerical force in
silS Auditors office, 80 Fl & their salaries and
60 provitPe $oc Sle manner ana conditions
under (which che Chief CLERK SsU ace %
Auditor, and for other qWp@see.
Passed third poading undeG 9eSs9eEsfsH
of the constitutional Sufee.
1t finally passed. it's Sitk8 0elepre6, aAS
sotice of concurrence 09deEe4 Gao be seat &C.
che Senate.
air. Devices, az &e& &~er, chairman of
Che Committee on 9ands and &e0see, ueSe
the following report:
To the Honorable Speaker an3 Members OF ehe
House of Representatives,:
Your Committee on Bands and 8evsee
haQing been instructed to examine into and
report upon the condition of the Louisiana
4evee Company, beg leave 10 report that
they have performed that duty, aud present
herewith the result Of the examination,
with such information as they have been
able to gain respecting the conditiop OF the
levees OF the State.
The Leyee Company was Incorporated
under the general laws of the State early
in February, 1871. In the same month and
wear they made a COZ tract with the State
to provide and maintain proper and efficient
Ievees on the banks of the Mississippi river,
and on all the rivers and streams running
into and from the same, within the limits OF
the State of Louisiana, under certain con
ditions and stipulations set forth ID the CON
Sract.
Che Levee Company, Enough organize8
;a 1871 can nel DE SAID to hav6 De gun les
existence until ipeGeqslber Cd chat 9sSr.
The erfginatOrs 1s the company %Sf&
unable for che want cS funds, 90 comply
with their contract. From February 20
December, nothing had lsceD done Toward
building III. i.vses. The floods of che
scrin. Of 1871 tthe highest eSsr kuoSnl had
lett the !evees gu both sides %! the river.
i!olu the Arkansas liEc sO the Esiize. ia the
wor.t possible condition. The breaks ia
che .eyees were many and frequent. Fr"in
two hundred and fifty To- swO hUE!Test and
sixty levees required Immediate rehuil.!in.
~ protect the fairc.t ioE.; IONS % the STATE.
and the railroads connecting New Orleans
with the North and with Texas from hei..s
cye,.iuwe.i Such wa. the condition "g tile
i.yees of the State in December. 1874.
WA. was 10 build these mans !evess.
ec.n. Of them Che largest in The State. vas
:, .ue S.tof Of vi al importance % those &hs
lives; on the aili!yiai Lands a. we'll ss TO al
chose who pssti'ed by III. traffic pts.!irsre3
nu.,:, che pscs.ucs Of these lands. There
was ne law authorizing Gr ssIfscslbS She
s,ase authorities S.s cake action i's sais "a ~
s.., The s!Saris's psOl'':.s"Sss sts"HSs
threatened wit. ruin, ws:s fatally Snsi'io
~ 0r.tsss shesHsceSss. Tie 9.evss G1VsS
mans an>er the control OF its then .liEe. t.ss
va. without RESOURCES. UndeS these elf
eumssances several citizens, most .; whom
were large owners Of real estate an1 large
taxpayers, determined 10 obtain the con
srol of the Levee Company, and by the
means OF chat organization to repair the
leyees and protect the alluvial lands as far
AS possible from the threatened overflow.
Having obtained the control of che Leves
Company, the tirsS step they took to- effect
Phe contemplated purpose was to place IN
che treasury of the company the sum OF
$500, 900, which was, within 9eSv weeks,
increased to oyer 100000.
With this cash capital, and iu&icious
use of credit based thereon, the company
proceeded 20 systematically and vigorously
rebuild the levees. 6t appears From our ex-
animation that, from the time OF this or
ganization, in December, 1877, 90 April,
1872 the company constructed l23 levees,
containing ,355, 648 cubic yards, FOR which
it paid S474,477 II, and this vast amount
of work was completed and paid for before
one dollar %as received from the State,
either in bonds, securities or taxes. The
first money received by the company from
the State was on the twenty -thlrd OF April,
1872. After all the principal levees had
been completed, and the terrible losses
from o general overflow averted, for we
fully believe that but for the timely action
of this company, under the then condition
of the levees, one-half of the cultivated
lands in the alluvial river parishes would
have been under Yatero and much of the
other half seriously injured in their drain
age.
sThe numbep of levees built to October,
1872, exceeded go in number, aggregating
more than 100000 yards, at q cost OF
more than 1895, 600.
The company received from 9he State
treasury up to that time, say October, 1872
$780,, 600. Since October | the company
have continued to prosecute their work on
other levees and have finished and under
contracts in process of construction some
100, 900 cubic yards, estimated to- cost
$4,000.
The company have received fFom Che
State treasury from October 7. ss72, to
January |, 1873, S9S,OOO;
Cost of work completed ss95.OOS
Cost of work in progress
and nearly finished 40, 0O-af, 305, 900
Received from State 10 January !. 100000
Amount drawn from resources
of the company .............. e9u5,Ce
The price paid for building levees, ex-
elusive of the expenses for engines. etc,
has ranged from twenty-five to sixty-eight
cents per cubic yard. depending upon the
heighth of the levee, the character of the
land, whether through woods or open fields,
and whether intersected by bayous or
s!oughs. The average actual cash price per
cubic ward paid to contractors has been