The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-02

principal and Interest OF the ia ne snai faii dne
w. requisite for Che said ss~essn,ont and ooiee-
nm 1nn: and fcr such payment from the sEsssary"
point reached after the Gsbt il funded. The
state tsx i.r ~ purposes L. hz the same amend
| ccpt Tor school purposes tpow two mills, The
| reSenues Of each year are restricted solely TO
!. Fl sa dsSy SrD": .
SeosssG n a ana .od These SSaS nal
s. xsrs :SS a. a. :s
| Tho consolidstsd bonds have Of lats rapidly
advanced In vAluA, and IL In believed that when
| their. nature 9 better known TO the financial
world. they Will apgrsciats To- par. Tho ability
Of the state 70 pay the interest ON these bonds 10
already placed beyond any contingency.
Slainsesssce asa Csutrsi Of the Levees.
The csnstructon and maiutepsnce Of perms-
nent system Of levees on the m,..iseipW river is
your attention, bcatcely another question bears
70 directly on the future prosperity OF the state
specss dc;ssS 70 ,Dve:s ssss nso sSIs inter
compute that an efficient leyce system would
bring into safe cultivation In tho course Of few
capable Of producing one bale 70 tho acre. and
2.bOoo 00 acres Of sugar lands Of proportionate
fertility; Interests 60 vast extending over ai
dsmain OF state regulation and become nt sub,
John O. Calhoun. che chief exponent 81 state
rights and the necessity OF striot construction
ct the Federsi Consultation, inside exception ID
favor Of a Msssspps river tn the railing Of his
party against national aid TO internal improve
n,enis. DECLARING that river 70 BE- On finland
and properly co,nns within the scope Of the con
sutntiOnal powers Of the general government
The commercisl ccnveption held. q louisville.
sided. unanimously adopted resolutions afIirm:
ing the national character Of the Mississippi
s:9 s's 4. The 81 e @
provcnent and CONTROL Congress-, itself. in
osscs Of far inferior exigenoy, has repeatedly
rivers. hafbors and outlets. This assistance Of
the general government has been granted In this
stats ,or works on the Ascnns.t.:{s calcail:u
rivers, ana Bayou Tschs. - well ~ At The mouth
OF the Mississippi.
Senate authorizing the appointment Of q oom-
mittce on levees. Of which had tho honor Of
being chairman. The ieports made BY that
| supervision over the ievses Of tho Mississippi,
developed the fact that though appropriations
agreed to. there W.. . %ost for%id.nis op s
i ton to the theory that tho National Govern.
Dent should assume charge Of the Mississippi,
to some 100000. 900, was an objection which had
great inhuenCo. Consequently, the eifOrta to
River failed FOR ths time. Indication that have
| the subject Of smbsidtes and National aid Co
almost hopeless the expectation OF any general
measure OF relief being adopted by them duripg
,he present term. Hoping. howover. that !.
that Jour body pass ioint resolution nrgina
Congress TO assume control Of the levees ~ y
he GO operation 81 the Legislatures Of other
states whore interests arc similarly affected
have always been Of opinion that the d,fIlcul
llee which tho advocates 81 nationa'izing tht
levees Of the htesise'ppi have encountered
would be imme nsely lessenei H. tnsteed % ash
ing Congress 10 assume at one step liabiltue.
which are estimated Mt e30.Oo0 Co., aud which
may possibly exceed thst sum. an attempt were
year. IN detail, for appetite works Of urgent
Docessity. in the same way rs npprOpria tOns are
fer ryss ana ,ss ns
house Of the last Congress- included In one Of
their appropratiou bills an appropriation Of
was 20 Be- * pended IN tbs state. Alter passing
the House u wes lost In the Senate by y very
Close vote. y y to b hoped that ;. our Repre-.
protection from overflow Of the many thousand
state which the cTevasse Of 1874 Withdrew from
cultivation, and which tho state has been uu.
able to restore to productive industry.
Relates sfHhs State asa sAs 1osislaaa IIeves
Company.
In tho mesntime, until Congress San como 20
our assistance. IN whole or In part, 10 II no
qu,re In what position tho State stands with 70
gard 70 its levse system and what possible meas
ure. can BE- adopted to repair. as far .s possible
few years, and tO prevent the recurrence Of like
disasters In tho future. Act No. OF 1871 trans
Of ali the ievees Of ths state for twenty -one
years 10 company therein incorporated. known
NJ the Louisiana Levce Company. All tho BOW
era ef the State Or parishes over the evees Ut the
Mississippi river wore veated In this company.
They were required to construct . "Aystem Of
"rs 10 hs ssn ,SsS ySrSs
points 70 be DESIGNATED. and upon estimates TO
Be prepared by , beard Of commissioners for
were 70 receive yearly FOR twenty zone years ten
per cent Of the ssgreGete amount which the es-
Innate tass mad. would call scs - , tsa 81 Two
diate exiaenoies. No serious attempt appears Ia
have been made to carry into effect the spirit Of
s aug no .sy.ssm Of isvees They have
from time to time. built isolated levees, and re-
paired Or patched up Others, and they have re
tsx. which YVES only designed 70 be paid until
such time ~ an estimate Of the contemplated
S.y or ne one SS0 Year. S" NE 90
cubic ards which they were required annually
The same act which Incorporated tho com.
pnny. and conferred upon them these powers OF
constructing Ievees, also made It their dnty IL
40" ssrp ~ ~ dam
ngea for failure 10 do In compensation for this
obligation, they were TO receive the proceeds OF
q further tax Of two mills ON the assessed value
0f all the property In the State. The Levee Com
puDy thus became virtually the insurers ~ the
levees. In 1873 an act was paesed by the Legis>
laturs releasing the company from al insurance
liabilities, on condition that they would relieve
the taxpayers Of one mill Of the two mills
levied for epair and insurance. When this net
was presented for approval. II seemed TO ms
that the direct benefits which the taxpayers
generally would derive from remission OF one
mill taxation were 10 much greater than the
possible advantages which riparian owners
could expect to receive from the insurance OF
their levees by 0 company. who had not even
sufficient assets meet their current liabilities
that gave the bill my approval The terms NJ
this amendmtory act however, suggest grave
legal questions ~ to the existence OF any valid
contract between the state and the company |
There is no specific work contracted for. The
company become simply the agents Of the State
10 let ont certain levee work for which they are