The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-06
THE LEVEEs.

The following bill to appropriate "a, SOC, 900 fo
repairing the Mississippi levees was presented
in the House of Representatives by Mr.. Glib
son, on the 10Th OF October, read twice ane
ordered to be printed:
A bill to improve the navigation and to affort
projection and security to the shipping
trade, commerce and alluvial lands of the
BE Il enacted By the Senate and House of Rep.
resentatires Of tie United States %. Amerioa II
thorized and directed to appoint commissl ION
Of three engineers, who shall be instructed to
submit to him plans and estimates for the i'm
alluvial lands Of the Mississippi river. by re-
pairing the levees upon the same
propriated out OF any money In the treasury not
otherwise appropriated, to be drawn on the
warrant and applied under the dire ton Of the
Secretary OF War. for mixing repairs of such
leyees along the Mi sissippi river as may be
recomm 9nded by the aforesaid commission of
engineers, and approved by the President and
services. ~.
SEC. s. That the Secretary Of War shall, after
public advertisement, under the supervision OF
virtue of this. act and under this appropriation
to the lowest bidder or bidders. provided That
nc, bid shall be accepted without good and
work YORK; done Shall Be- - made 0 until IL the
same shall be accepted and approved by the
e That no poron Of The money Rereby ap
propriated shall be applied to the payment OF
debts incurred by the local leyse authorities. or
tracted for and constructed under the supervis-
ion of the said commission of engineers in ac-
cordance with the foregoing provisions.
Several other bills, we learn, will be pre-
scented, and we can express preference for
none until we have seen all, though the one
before us seems to cover the subject, and it's
author is thoroughly acquainted with and
largely interested in the subject.
The least that can be said just now is, that
the interests of this section of the Union, in
deed of the whole country, imperatively re-
quire the passage of levee bill at least as
liberal and comprehensive as this one. The
Southern and Western members Of Congress
must make this one of their Chief If not their
chief, demand, and those who fail to give a
good account of themselves on this issue will
thenceforth find little favor or tolerance in
The eyes OF people whose greatest inter-
sst they will have neglected.
The construction of the Mississippi levees
g national work, and the Federal govern
nent is bound, in the discharge of its consti-
,uUiOuhi luuCIlOllS w peIloEm H. Liz Dlll
before us asks but four millions five hun
lred Thousand dollars for this work, affecting
The commerce Of the whole Union and the
ocai interests Of many millions of people.
Many times this sum have been expended in
liver and harbor improvement in the North |
md West which scarcely interested the whole
# single State.
And there is still another reason why the
.eneral government should make liberal
appropriation for this work. Louisiana and
he other States bordering on the Mis-
issippi had expended, before the war,
many millions of dollars in building
heir levees by which their people
reclaimed and made beautiful vast areas
# the richest lands in the Union. There
lever was during the war any military neces-
'ity for destroying these ievees; yet they
we're cut and damaged by the Federal forces
10 that they were useless. The floods swept |
through them, desolating the loveliest coun-
ries the sun ever shone on, and impoverish- |
ng men women and children. This was not
he work of civilized war; it was the grossest |
Vandalism, and the government, for it's own
lonor, in simple justice, should literally re-
,air the useless ruin and desolation it's sol
liers wrought