New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-15
ton, which was ordered to be referred to

ton, which was ordered to be referred to
the Committee ON Contingent Expenses:
WHEREAS, Certain witnesses having
been summoned and having attended in
Representatives, to appear before the com.
mittee to examine into the affairs of the
Boeuf and Crocodile Navigation Company;
and
Whereas According to section 1854 of the
Revised Statutes of the State Of Louisiana
witnesses are entitled to their pay; there
fore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representa-
tivee, That the sum due each of the wit
nesses be paid out of the contingent fund of
the House of Representatives when said ap-
preparation shall have been made.
Mr.. Booth submitted the following reso-
luton. which was ordered to lie over under
the rules:
Resolued, That it shall not hereafter be
necessary for the Clerk, in calling the yeas
and nays on the original order, to cali the
name of member more than once.
Mr.. Booth also submitted the following
resolution, which was ordered to lie over
the rules:
Resolrcd, That the House Committee on
Federal Relations be requested to examine,
and as soon as possible report, the question
whether the repeal OF the bill known as the
lottery bill of 1868 would or would not be a
violation of the constitution of the United
States
Mr. Booth submitted tho following reso-
luton:
Resolred, That a committee of three be
appointed to investigate and examine
whether the honorable gentleman from St.
John, Mr.. Demas, has not, while in the dis
charge of his off ,ial duty as q member of
the Board Of Audit. received q compenss-
ton, with the promise Of assisting in audit
ing certain claims against the State.
Mr. Demas offered the following amend.
ment to come at the close of Mr.. Booths
resolution:
And that the committee be also instructed
to inquire of the said member from St John if
he has received his per diem for the services
rendered in said board, and if not, that the
committee present a bill to appropriate the
necessary sum of money to pay the said
member for ninety days services.
The above resolution was adopted as
amended.
Mr.. Mcclellan offered the following reso-
luton, which was adopted:
Resolved, That a committee of three
members of this House be appointed to in
vestigate the charges against Thomas P.
Sherburne, parish judge OF the parish of
TerrebOnne, with power to send for persons
and papers.
PETITION AND MEMORIALS.
Mr.. Booth presented petition, asking for
the relief of Max Sherer, Louis Wolf and
L. A. Burgess. against the State Lunstic
Asylum, which was read and referred to the
Committee on Claims.
Mr.. Elliott submitted a memorial in re.
lation to the fares of the Crescent City
Railroad Company, the reading of which
was dispensed with and referred to the
Committee on City Affairs.
Mr.. Jones, of Pointe Coupee, submitted
a petition of citizens Of the parish of Pointe
Coupee, praying for an appropriation to re-
pair the bridge, and construct the road on
New Texas, in said parish, the reading of
which was dispensed with and it was Or
dered to be referred to the Committee on
ParOchial Affairs.
EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION.
The Speaker laid before the House the
following communication from the Gov
ernor:
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Executive Department, ,
New Orleans, February IA, 1867
To the Honorable Speaker and Members of the
House of Representatives.
l transmit herewith copy of communi-
caticn from General Longstreet, president
of the commission, referring to matters of
Importance affecting the levee interests Of
the State. to which respectfully invite the
attention of the General Assembly.
The following amounts remain due and
unpaid for services rendered during the
past year, no opposition being made
gineers for the State, $4,000; salary of Sec
rotary of Board Of Engineers, $4,000; amount
loaned by Levee Company to enable the
commissioner to charter boat to make
their annual inspection of the levees, as re-
quired by law, $1,000. These amounts
should be paid.
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSION OF ESsiNEERs,
New Orleans, February ii, 1876.
To his Excellency William P. Kellogg Governor
S1R-It has recently become manifest that
under the law authorizing the organization
of the Louisiana Levee Company, the Gus
tom prevails of making partial estimates of
work done on leveee, and that during their
construction certificates for payments are
issued from time to time without proper
regard to their probable completion, and
that payments are made upon these certiti-
Gates. This practice subjects the interests
of the State to those of the Levee Company
and its contractors, and exposes us, as in
the case of Disharoon and Point Pleasant
levees, to total loss, as we'll as inundatiOn Of
valuable lands.
1t Is obvious that under such practice the
State must suffer severely; in that the in
terests Of the contractor tend to procrasti-
nation as long as he is assured OF full al
lowance upon his work as it progresses,
and the privilege of employing or refusing
labor whenever his own interests prompt
him to do 80.
The authority to require the immediate
construction of levees after they have been
located and ordered to be built by the COM
mission of engineers is not vested with that
| commission. nor indeed in any other author
| ity. So that the execution of our order
! may be suspended or delayed when ever
interested parties may choose to do so.
l will futher suggest that the two COM
missions, one Of engineers and the other OF
| persons, add to the confusion of the laws.
| These troubles have been more irksome,
owing to the non appropriation OF al
lowances for travelling expenses of the
| commissions and the withholding of the
| salaries of some of the officials of the COM
mission of engineers during the entire year
| of 1875. These circumstances, coupled with
| the opinions of the Auditor and Attorney
| General of the State, to the effect that this
| commission can only order in any one year
such levees as can be paid for by the tax
| that is actually collected during that
year, at the rate of fifty cents per cubic
| yard, are matters that l must respectfully
| invite your attention, and that Of the Gen
eral Assembly, in order that the interests OF
the State may be duly recognized and pro-
| tected,