The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-20
LEvEE CONVENTION.
PLANTERS Avn MERCHANTS IN GOWN
An Appeal TO Congress for Aid to Protect
the LOwJands.

Al Appear 10 COngress iOT anu w S'"s0''
the LOwIands.
The State Levee Convention met yes
terday In the hall Of the Chamber OF
Commerce.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. Tobias Gibson, Chairman OF the
Executive Committee, at III o'clock, by
reading an address and the bill prepared
by Hon. Randall Gibson. Mr.. John
Chaffe was then elected temporary
Chairman. and Mr. r. Upper tenn
porary Secretary.
Mr.. Foster moved that committee
on credentials be appointed. which mo-
ton prevailed, and the Chair appointed
Thos. J. Foster, E. J. Gay and Louis
Bush which committee retired to re-
ceiye credentials, and the Convention
took q recess till the report was ready.
The committee shortly presented the
following as delegates:
Copcordia-Wm +. Ogden, Col. q.
Spencer Mayo, 2. Wingate Chase ana L.
Shields.
Ibervile-Julien Gratien, J. 3. Lee
vert. p. O. Hebert and Edw. j. Gay.
JeffersoD-F. II. Hatch.
Tensas-Dr. p. Chew, J. M. McGill,
q. G.. Goldman, A. +. Brown, Albert
Bondurant and W. b. Krumbhaar.
New Orleans Cotton Exchange--Jno
Cbaffe. Louis Bush, r. T. Buckner.
Samuel Cromwell and Emory Clapp:
St. Mary-T. j. Foster, JOS II. Ack-
len. DIR. Henry J. Sanders, Geo. G..
Walker. .,
Chamber of Commerce.. Tmpper.
- 4 NJ ,t,at, nd II ,l,ia
Gibson.
Madison-W. r. Stone.
st. John Baptist. G. Freret aud b.
Ascension Burnside, Hy. Me-
? Call. Il. Gale. ID. L. Kenner and James
Teller.
On motion the report was accepted. :.
After which the Convention elected
John Chaffe permanent President ana
! J. M. Sandidge, Vice President. and L.
Topper, Secretary.
On motion to appoint committee on
: resolutions the following committee
was appointed by the Chair: Emory
Clapp, J. H. Acklen, T.. J. Gay, 4. Glib
son and b. Laplace.
DR.. Chew, OF Tensas. spoke Of the
prosperity of his parish, which was
] only checked by the fear OF coming
water. The citizens were working hard
, TO avert disaster. He favored the bill
before Congress.
Mr.. w. j. Ogden, for Concordia, ex-
pressed his approval of the bill before
Q Congress. Upon this point he thought
. the Convention a unit and it should re-
ceive the Endorsement of the represen-
: tatives.
7 The committee on resolutions and
memorial here reported the following,
r which on motion was unanimously
adopted
MEMORIAL.
y To tho Honorable the Senate and House of Rep
J, resentatives Of the United States:
o This memorial Of the people OF the
y State OF Louisiana, in convention. as,
: sembled at New Orleans, the 18th Of
: April, 1876 respectfully represents;
y That your memorialists have had I'M
n der consideration the House of Repre-.
r sentatives bill No. 1913, introduced by
1t the Hon. Randall l.. Gibson, making ap-
:, preparations for rebuilding the levees
! u and reclaimng the alluyial lands sub
d iect to overflow on the Mississippi, under
1T the direction of the Secretary of War
:; and would respectfully urge upon Con
= ! gress and the President of the United
n States the passage of this bill
d The magnitude of the work to be done
: and the number of States Immediately
:. interested, places it beyond the reacf
At of local authority. and puts it within
t. the legitimate domain Of the Nationa
! Government.
ia In the same manner and precisely
is upon the same principle, the improve
+ ment of the mouth OF the Mississippi
# river has been wisely recognized as {
s. national work.
d The Mississippi river is the great out
d let of the vast products Of the West
20 The prosperity OF the commercial ant
q agricultural interests Of the Union ar,
:. so intimately connected with its naviga
t BILE condition and that of its tributaries
q. it seems almost unnecessary to point ou
, the enormous interests involved.
W The people Of the United States, East
n West, North and South, are concerned
d in leSsening the expense of transporta
:. ton OF Western products to the sea
1le board in affording protection to thu
Dt immense agricultural interests subjec
e to destruction by overflow, and il
,, strengthening the bond of Commercial
4 union between all the sections which
D this great river SO happily unites.
/ The floods which take place every yea
~ bring destruction to vast sections con
IS nected with productive plantations, en-
dangering even the city of New Orleans
r. The loss to planters and the country a
D. large, by the overflow which took place
,, in 1874 is not overestimated at thirteen
"a million OF dollars, not to mention thu
i loss in the years following, which is 81
1t great that it cannot be estimated, anC
1t the suffering brought upon the people o
% the overflowed districts, which caused {
o spontaneous outpouring of sympathy
from the whole nation.
1t Is not our province to discuss the
y conflicting theories of distinguished en-
o gineers as to the effects of various sys
n TENS proposed in the construction o.
,, such work as the levee system of the
g Mississippi river.
# We shall be well satisfied by the pas
y sage of the bill by the Hon. Mr.. Gibson
3 and we would again respectfully urge
). upon Congress the passage of this bill,
t making appropriations commensurate
II with the importance of the work
: The people Of Louisiana are powerless
d to meet this great emergency in their
s own State. Other Southern States ap-
+ pear to be similarly situated, and our
T. only hope Of protection is in the prompt
If action of the General Government in
% this great national work.
Q o Ii the work be done by the General
n Government, millions of acres of the
most productive lands on earth will be