The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-10
EMENT. PRICE, FIVE CENTS.


possible, considering the means at the dig
posal Of tho Department Of Education, Grip
pied by the sqtlantiering and malvelsaHon or
the schools funds under the former adminia-
tration. Tho State and parish boards have
given their best efforts to carrying out tha
pledges made by our people Of establishing as
as far as possible u common school system i'm
which the advantages Of education should be-
equally and impartially afforded.
The report Of the Superintendent win call
your attention TO what he deems necessary.
LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY AND MECHANICAL
AND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
The report Of this institution has not yet
reached me. | am informed that 1t Ia I'm
course Of preparation, and it will SOON ba
submitted to you. There was considerable
delay in organizing this college In conser
quence Of % litigation between the former and
the present boards, which litigation has now
closed favorably 10 the latter. The moneys
which the college is now receiving COM
sist Of an annual amount OF about
$4,000, payable semi-yearly, being the
interest upon consolidated bonds for
mery belonging to the Mechanical and Agrf~
cultural College. The institution has as
assets 1876 State bonds Of $1,000 each, and one
city bond Of $1,000. These bonds formerly
belonged to the University. The board of
that institution constantly declined to take
any action looking to the funding
Of these bonds, taking the position
that they represented trust fund
and did not evidence a debt in n
technical SENSE and that the State was bound
in good faith and under the constitution for
their whole amount. Whilst the board was
taking this position tho Legislature on its
part took no steps for making provision for
the interest on the same, and as result these
bonds have been for some years entirely use
less. When the present board met 1t deter
mined to take action such as would bring
this matter to a test, and accordingly reso-
luton was adopted directing the Secretary or
State and the State Treasurer, who we're the
Joint custodians OF the bonds to present them
for funding to the Board of Liquidation.
These officers declined to do so on the ground
that their duties were special, and were de-
fined precisely by the law, that this particu-
lar duty was not imposed upon them by the
law, and that the board had no authority 70
give them orders on the subject. The board
then applied for writ Of mandamus to force
q compliance with their resolution, and after
argument and hearing the mandamus was
issued and made peremptory, as prayed for.
and the mandate Of the court acquiesced In
by the State officers. When the bonds were
presented for funding, the Board OF Liquida-
tion declined to fund them. In consequences
of this decision ! have, as President OF the
College Board, ordered called meeting Of
tbn in Mo ri for ftfv xsF
taking steps to have the correctness or incor-
rectness Of the decision reached by the Fund.-
ing Board iudicialIy determined by the s,u-
preme Court. AS the matter Is one Of great
public Importance, every effort will be made
to have decision in the case before your ses-
sion is over, to the end that the General Az
sembly will be able to act with full and cer-
tain lights before 1t.
BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, LEvEEs AND
PUBLIC WORKS
The Board OF State Engine created under
act No. 40, Of the extra session Of 1877, has
energetically, faithfully and economically
performed it's duties, and has accomplished q
great deal with the limited means through
which it had to operate. The levees contracted
for and in process of construction, and which
have been judiclously and equitably located,
aggregate ,030, 600 yards, at cost Of $242,5
averaging less than 22A cents per yard, and
ranging from 1e14 to 20 cents per cubic yard.
The basis assumed In estimating the amount
Of money authorized to be expended, was
three-fifths OF the three mill tax on an ASSESS
ment Of S170,O0o,O00, with deduction OF
20 per cent for delinquencies and expenses
Of collection, giving the sum OF $244, 500
as available.
The contracts for these levees were based
on warrants to be drawn against the above
mentioned tax assessed in 1877 and collectibfe
in 1873. It is aecertained that the assess-
ment assumed In making the estimates was
too small and that the real assessment will
probably be between $176OO00OO and
$3.50, ,oOO, 900.
The report OF the board is submitted here
with, and attention ID specially called to it's
application made on page thereof, that ths
Legislature devote to levee purposes In 1878
the sum OF S2t, 900 referred to.
The board estimates that 1,475,0O0 cubic
yards will have to be built in 1873 to maintain
the levees Of the State in thorough order at
present grade.
This does not contemplate the closing OF
the large crevasses at Ashton, Diamond
Island Bend, Glasscock's, Morganza, Bonnet
Carre and other points, nor does it look to
the reeIaiming of new or abandoned lands or
to extending any interests-it has references
to what is strictly necessary for the protec-
ton of industry and capital now engaged
In farming.
This work is proposed to be distributed as
follows: Cubic Yards.
Required on the Mississippi river
above Red river ................. 650.0O0
On the Mississippi below Red river 100000
On tributaries and outlets ........... 1000
Total Observation-Disclosures. Ats, 600
1t must be borne in mind that the means
which have to be applied TO the work OF 1877
are the taxes eolectible in 1878, and that they
have been nearly exhausted.