The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-28


dent. was much beyond the States abllh..
| promptly to pay fot
+ We have ia all respects faithfully commit.
! with the terms u our contract. aud perior,nss
much more than ri right we could or shsuld
have been required to do as such contfatto,
and we claim that In no particular have wede
servedly forfeited the confidence and esteem
the public II has become the fashion 10 aius.
the Leyee Company:to Willy. misrepreseht and
Islander il without right. cause or reason. pobn-
| lar clamor and prejudice seems to demands
but so far ~ we know, every investigation Of
its affairs has failed to Justify or furnish apv
grounds for such abuse.
| Certain it Is that until the General Govern.
ment comes to the relief Of Louisiana. no other
method SO economical 10 the taxpayer for ca.
| curing even the partial protection which aloha
the State can provide for. can be devised. Tfths
public think otherwise we are willing TO with
draw ~. soon rs the indebtedness II the State 4,
us for work done is Inundated.
| ] would now respectfully call public attentlo,
| to the following resolution, unanimously adopt,J
by the Board Of Directors ut their reptlIar
monthly Ineeting held November D. 1875. AS A.,
expression Of the views and purposes Of thlv
Company:
Whereas. the Louisiana Levee Company IL
unable to build all the lecves Of the State ont ~
the taxes assessed and collected for that purposs
more particularly "a large amounts have heen
deducted from said collection. 10 meet the cur.
rent wants Of the State. and as commissions IN
assessors and tax collectors. under construc.
ton Of the law deemed by us erroneous. and
even in direct conflict with the act incorporating
this Company. aud
Whereas, II Is the desire Of this Board th.t
the United States Government shall take entjra
charge and control oi all the lcyecs Of The S,ats
be II therefore
"Resoiret. That this Board will use MI ts In.
fluence to Ahduce the General Government IN
iis ms eplltrol of all the leveos Of the State ~
Louisiana. aud In case such action be aknn bv
Congress. the Louisiana Levco Company win
surrender all The rights. titles aud franchises
conferred upon It by the act incorporating said
Company. provided that the State Of Louisiana
makes lust aud equitable settlement of thu
same due said Company at that date for repairs
upon and construction Of levecs as per contra,t .
JOHN HENDERSON.
President Louisiana Lcvee Company.
NoTE. In as much as our attention has been
called 10 The fact that an impression exists In tho
minds Of many that the series Of bonds known
as Lcvec and Special Levce" bonds were a.
sued to this Company we bog leave to add. in
addition 10 what is stated above, that no bonds
Of any description have ever been issued to or
In favor Of the Louisiana Lcvce Company.
Neither has any portion Of tho proceeds OF
such bonds Injured to the benefit Of or been paid
to the Lcvce Company
The taxes annually leyiod and collected for
tho "Leyce" and Special Levee" tax funds arc
used to pay interest on bonds issued anterior to
the existence Of the Levee Company. for leyees
| constructed under the old Boards Of Levee Com
missioners. and the present Lcvec Company has
nothing TO do with the disbursement Of said
funds. The interest alone on said bonds has
about "uuallcd the present assessment Of three
mills for tho annual construction and repairs Of
levces under the contract with the Lcvee Com.
pany.
The first cost of levccs. paid for IN bonds under
the old system. was much higher than this price
paid 10 our Company. while the annual interest
on the old bonds has been az much as Is now
paid to the Company for Levce work done
For instance. the State Treasurer. in his re-
ports for 1872 and 1873. gives the amount of the
annual assessment to pay interest on bonds IL.
sued for levec purposes anterior to the exist.
ence Of the Levee Company. at 1867 500 per an.
mum. an amount far in excess Of the three mill
tax annually received by the Company. d25 a