New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-05


acter and properly coming wih the scoop
of the constitutional powers che genera
government The comwerciconventio'
held at Louisville in 1869, oy which ex
President Fillmore presidedlanimouslJ
adopted resolutions attirminge nationa
character of the Mississippi IT and call
ing upon the general governs to under
take the works necessary tos improve
meut and control. Congress It, in cases
of far inferior exigency, has eatedly &C
corded national aid to the movements Of
rivers. harbors and outlets. Assistance
of the general government aen granted
in this State for works ONE Atcha'
falaya, Calcasieu, Neutrality-suspicious.,
Tchefuncta anu Red rivernd Bayou
Teche. az well as at the mouf the Mis-
In 1871, a resolution passehe United
States Senate authorizing appointment
of a co mmittee on levees, ohich had
the honor of being chairman. he reports
made by that committee regng the me-
cessity of federal supervis over the
levees Of the Mississippi deved the fact
that though appropriations works OF
minor importance were reaagreed to,
there was most fOrmida bleOeitlon to
the theory that the nationovernment
should assume charge of mississippi
levees. Tie estimated expene, amount
ing to some 100000, wa objection
which had great influence. 'sequently,
| the efforts to secure aid tOl levees OF
the Mississippi river failed the time.
Indications that have receueen given
by the present Congress on subject of
subsidies and national aid trks of in
ternal improvement, seem ttoer almost
hopeless the expectation oy general
measure of relief being adj by them
during the present term. ping, how
ever, that it may have fave influence,
l recommend that your beAss a joint
resolution urging Con gress ssume con-
troll of the levees as a nat undertak-
ing, and that you also lnvole co-opera-
ton of the Legislatures oaer States,
whose interests are similaEected with
or own.
l have always been odinion that
the difficulties which thevocates of
Matchmaking the levees of Mississippi
have encountered, would immensely
lessene4 if, instead of asEongress to
assume at one step lilies which
are estimated to amount $50, 600, 900,
and which may possiblyceed that
sum, an attempt were to induce
CONFESS to appropriate gear, in de-
tailor specific works of 1t necessity,
in te same way as appropras are made
foIleepening rivers and imng harbors.
It'll be remembered thaaower house
olhe last Congress includ one of their
propriation bills an spriation of
5000. 900 for levee purpoe 800, 900 of |
INCH was to be expende this State.
fter passing the House i lost in the
Ienate by very close volt is to be
hoped that our Representa- in Congress
will be able to secure sormediate aid
tor the reclamation addiction from
overflow of the many thd acres of
fertile land within the liof this State
which the crevasse of l6hdrew from
cultivation, and which thae has been
urable to restore to produdndustry.
RELATIONS OF THE STATE THE LOUIS
lana LEvEE con.
In the meantime, until Cess can come
to our assistance, in wholen part, it is
no more than ordinary bss prudence
to inquire in what positioState stands
with regard to its lesystem and
what possible measures be adopted
to repair, as far as poe the levees
broken down by crevasf the past
few years, and to preventecurrence of
like disasters in the futlAct No. 4 of
1871 transferred the abs control of
the construction CT all tkees of the
State for twenty-one yeaa company
therein incorporated, knos the Loui-
siana Levee Company. Allowers of the
State or parishes over tvees of the
river were ven this CON-
pany. They were require construct
System of levees," buildot less than
3, 100000 cubic yards lar, to tie
amount of 100000 yart points to I
be designated, and uponaates to be t
prepared by board of cssioners for
whose appointment proviwas made.
and were to receive yearlrwenty-one t
years ten per cent of aggregate O
amount which the estinhus made O
would call for. A taxtwo mills o
IN the dollar was pro to meet n
immediate exigeucies. erious at Y
tempt appears to have. made to O
larry into effect the spirit enactment. O.
The Levee Company have,urated no II
system Of levees.' They HON time to ii
lime, built isolated leveee, epaired or Il,
patched up others, and thee received h,
he proceeds of the two INSTRUCTION h,
AK, which was only desigo be paid ~
Until such time as an estim the CON- -
emplated system Of leycould an n
lually be made. They hi no one g..
7ear, built the 100000 Cards which ar
hey were required annua4nstruct. ~
The same act which incord the com. ~
,any, and conferred UPON these no
powers of constructing leveo made il no
helr duty TO MAINTAIN and in repair no
he levees built by them, rendered or
hem responsible in damageailure tn on
10 so. In compensation fo9Dligation III
hey were to receive the PR of fnr T.,
her tax of two mills on thAed va,,o ~
# all the property in the Sthe Levea no
Company thus became VII tine in. IT,,
urers of the levees. In L oo+ ,
'assed by the Legislature uino tho D.
ompany from all insuranoet;es IN G.,
ondition that they woulav tho -.
axnayara Of ono mill of 49,