The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-20
PRICE. FIVE CENTS.
LEVEEs.
Report of the House Committee on
Lands and Lsyees.
| Prappsal To Pay and DO Away with
the Louisiana Levee Company.

H.
the Louisiana Levee Company.
The following report was submitted
by the COMMITTEES on Lands and Levees
in the House yesterday, and received by
that body
Rooms or COMMITTEE ON
LANDS AND LEVERS,
Odd Fellows Hall, Feb. 49, 1877.
TO the Honorable speaker and Members Of the
House of Representatives
| Gentlemen obedience to resoltt-
| tion Of your honorable body, Of date
January II, TO us directed, and In con-
formity with the requirements OF law.
| your Committee on Public Lands and
| Levees beg to inform your honorable
| body that they have examined the
affairs of tho Louisiana Leyee Conn
pany, and ask leave to submit our fol-
| lowing report, to wit:
| First-The Louisiana Leyee Company
| IL q corporation organized - ttnaes. a He lie
general laws OF the State, by notarial
act, passed on the 11th day of February,
1871. before Chas Cqvillier., q notary
| public Of tho city OF New Orleans, and
duly recorded in the Office Of Recorder
of Mortgages OF the parish of Orleans,
in book 8, folios 247, 248 and 249, on the
same day.
Second-That contract for the con-
struetion. control and maintenance OF
all the levees in the State was entered
into by Act No. OF the Legislature OF
1871, between the State Of Louisiana
and the Louisiana Levee Company, the
State being represented by the Cover
nor thereof, and the company by It's
proper officers. Said Act No. was APP
proved Feb. 20, 1871, and the contract
entered into therein was ratified by Act
No. n Of the same year, approved Feb.
28, 1871, said acts having been subse-
quently amended by Act No. 43, APP
proved March 8, 1873.
Third-The terms OF this contract, In
brief, were: That the Louisiana Lsvee
Company agreed to build and maintain
or In the State Of Arkansas, when
necessary to protect lands in Louisiana
| from overflow (the consent Of the said
State of Arkansas being tsHained there
toy, upon the banks OF the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, for period OF
twenty-one years from Feb. %. 1871.
The work was to be done under and
according to the direction Of the Board
Of Engineers appointed by the
one by the Levee Company, and one
by the United States-and no work
was to be required or permitted, except
such as was authorized and ordered by
the said Board OF Engineers. All work
completed by the Levee Company was
to be examined monthly by "cGtn-
mission of persons" one OF whom was
to be appointed by the Governor, one
| by the Board OF Directors Of the COM
pany, and one by the. President OF the
! United States, and. In company with.
the Chief Engineer they were to make
estimates OF work done and certify the
same to the company. OF these persons
the one appointed by the Governor and
the one appointed by the President of
the United States were to receive salaries
of $4,000 each per annum. For all work
done and received as above, the State OF
Louisiana was to pay at the rate OF sixty
cents per cubic yard, and, after October
/, 1873, the price was reduced to fifty
cents per cubic yard; and for this pur-
pose tax OF four mills up to and in
| Guiding the year 1878, and OF three mills
since that day for levee construction,
and a tax of one-half of one mill for
Ieyee repairs was levied upon all the
property of the State.
Fourth-The original charter mem
bers of the Louisiana Levee Company
were persons who were not identified
| with theinterests OF the State, and their
object seems to have been one OF spec
ulation simply. These persons, under
their charter and contract, issued and
placed upon the market one million
| dollars in stock, and after pocketing
| the proceeds Of the stock, their connec-
tion with the company seems to have
ceased.
| The stock thus thrown upon the mar
| ket was bought up by the present hold
ers, who are for the most part gentle
men largely interested in the mainten-
ance OF Ieyees in the State, and a cash
subscription was at once raised amount
ing to $4,000, and with this sum work
was begun.
FifthoA careful examination OF the
books OF the company and comparison
Herewith, OF the reports OF the Conn
| missions OF Engineers and persons"
| shows the total amount OF work done
| by the company up to February |, 1877,
as follows, to witt
| 8. $50, ,0eO cubic yards completed pre-
vious to October /, 1873, at 60
cents .s............s ....... sz, l91, ,65o W
3,09),599 cubic yards completed
since October /, 1873, ut 80 cents 200 SO
| Repairs on levees as ordered by En-
| gineers to February /, 1S76....... 99,si6 "a
Total amount earned. ........s3, ,796, ,7s2 2l
| To which should be added:
$50 900 cubic yards now under con-
tract for 1877, at so cents. 80. S175. 900 90
400, 900 cubic yards now under con-
tract kr 1873 at at50............... 100000 90
company. ................. III, ,783 24
The amounts paid the company by the State arc
During the wear 1872. ............ s400 900 90
During the year 1873. 549 ,290 90
During the year 1874. ............ 434 200 90
During the year 1876. 569, 800 90
During the year 1876. 6.............. 3z3,O50 90
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