The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-13

charge OF levee construction and maintenance
throughout the whole length of the A1lss1s-
sippi River, and is willing to yield all OF its
rights and privileges, so far as necessary 10
secure that end, to the General Government,
if required to do so.
We entirely approve of the clause in the
levee bill of the last Congress-, which reads as
follows
That the Secretary of War shall after public
advertisement, under the supervision of the said
Chief of Engineers, let all work to be done by
virtue of this act and under this appropriation,
to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders and
In no event shall the sum herein appropriated,
or any part thereof, be apple d to the payment Of
d BITS incurred by the local levee authorities, or
10 anv other work than such as may be contracted
for and constructed under the supervision of said
Chief of Engineers.
We have no interests which are antagonistic
to those of our fellow citizsns of Louisiana in
this or any other respect. We claim that we
have conferred a great benefit upon the pub
lie by maintaining the levees of Louisians, SO
far as it was possible with the means available
to maintain them, and so far as the State, the
proprietor, has required them to be built and
maintained during the past five years, which,
as is now evident, was much beyond the
States ability promptly to pay for.
We have in all respects faithfully complied
Will tU6 ttTuS Vi Out CoAt1dCS, uhu pclAoi LIEU
much more than of right we could or should
have been required to do as such contractor
and we claim that in no particular I'VE we
deservedly forfeited the confidence and es-
teen of the public. 1t has become the fashion
to abuse the Levee Company; to vlllify, mis-
represent and SANDER it, without right, cause
or reason. Popular clamor and prejudice
seems to demand it, but, so far as we know,
every investigation of its aftirs has failed to
Justify or furnish any grounds for such
abuse.
Certain it is that, until the General Gov
eminent comes to the relief OF Louisiana, no
other method SO economical to the tax payer
for securing even the partial protection which
alone the State can provide for, can be de-
vised. II the public think otherwise, we are
willing to withdraw as soon as the indebted
ness Of the State to US for work done is
liquid ated.
I would now respectfully call public asten-
ton to the following resoiu ion, unanimously
adopted by the Board Of Directors at their
regular monthly meeting, held November 9,
1875, as an expression of the views and pur-
poses of this company:
Whereas. the Louisiana Levee Company is I'm ,
able to build all the evees of the State out OF the
taxes ass. ssed and collected for that purpose,
more particularly as large amounts have been
utuuCltu lrpm sdlu COlIcCG'oL, W iliccb tuc cur
rent wants Of the State, and as commissions to
assessors and tax-coectors, under construction
of the law deemed by US erroneous, and even in
direct conflict with the act incorporating this
company: and
Whereas it . the desire of this board that the
United States Go eminent shall take entire
charge and control of all the leyees Of the State,
be it therefore
Resotred, That this Board will use all its in.
fuence to induce the General Government to as
sumo control of all the levees of The State of
Louisiana, and in case such action b. taken by
Congress, the Louisiana Levee Company will
conferred upon it by the act incorporating said
company provided that the state of Louisiana
makes just and equitable settlement of the
sums due said company at that date for repairs
upon and construction OF levees as per contract.
JOHN HENDERSON,
/ President Louisiana Levee Company.