The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-09
THE LEV EES.
THE POSSIBILITY OF SECURING IA.
vORABLE LEvEE LEGISLATION
FROM CONGRESS-.
senator Eustls' speech-Why the Federal
government should Take Care of
the Letees and the Mississippi.

| WASHINGTON, December 3. 1873.
| The experience OF last winter taught me
among other things, to take pessimist views
Of the possibility of securing
| FAVORABLE LEvEE LEGISLATION
from the Forty-fifth Congress. | remember
to have laid before the readers of the DEMO
CRAT at the opening of the last session q
glowing prospect of millions to be appropri-
ated by generous government, of work to be
speedily begun and actively prosecuted, and
finally of results wide and permanent for the
benefit of the great riparian interests of the
Southwest. The promises OF the successful
candidate for the Speakership had been large
and even gushing. The President had mani
tested abundant good will in his first message
| and our own Representatives were loaded to
the guards so to speak, with good
Intentions and great resolves. Projects
all the way from four millions and a
half for repairs upon the old system to forty
millions for the elaboration of an entirely
new one were rife In the brains of our dele
CATION, and the outlook had a surface fair to
see. But, as the eight months session drew
to close, 1t became more and more apparent
that the rebuilding Of the lower river levees,
like many another well-aid plan OF men and
mice, was "ganging aglee," and when the
Speakers gavel fell upon the hour of adjourn
ment the mighty river still held its course
unvexed by even so much as the stroke of n
spade or the trundle Of wheelbarrow to
make Its prison-channel secure. It is not
worth while to go into resume Of
THE CAUSES OF OUR DISAPPOINTMENT LAST
WINTER
they arc well enough understood The true
policy is to take new start. and do the best
we can This new start has been taken early.
and taken well, by Senator Eustis who yes
terday introduced q bill for reconstruction
and repair of the levees, giving notice that he
would call 1t up one week from to-day for the
purpose OF laying before the Senate and the
country the considerations in its favor.
AS the plan or policy involved In
SENATOR EUsTIs BILL
differs materially from any of those put for
ward last winter, it calls for somewhat elabo-
rate description and analysis.
THE PLANS OF LAST WINTER
may be divided into four classes, based upon
as many different conceptions Of the relations
between the general government and the RI
parian communities. One Of these theories
was that the government should simply af
ford financial assistance to the States within
whose limits the levee system prevailed
leaving the management of the work to the
local authorities. This scheme was based on
the theory that the change in the labor sys-
tenn OF those States and the impoverfshment
Of their people had made them objects of
THE BENEVoLENCE OF THE GENERAL GOV |
ERNMENT
in this respect, and entitled them to the char |
liable assistance Of their ellow-conutrymen |
in their struggle with the gigantic demon of |
Hood and destruction. Another project was |
that the Federal government should take en- |
tire charge OF the levee system under the
avs relating to navigable streams. and upop
The hypothesis that proper confinement Of
Jhe stream within bounds was requisite to |
,he maintenance Of it's navigable character
third theory was that the old system of |
evees had been destroyed by the war
md should be rebuilt in the form Of re-
Inducements for war damages. While Cant.
Eads came forward with fourth suggestion.
iiffering from all the others both as to the
method of operations and the theory Of Fed
raj relations which it involved. All these
schemes and theories were discussed and ex- l.
lmined with more or less exhaustiveness in
'ommittee and upon the floor of Congress
asst winter, besides being made O standard
subject OF newspaper criticism and popular
Comment in the localities most Interested.
objections were raised spainst all If thnyn
)ne was too sentimental: another too com
'llcated, third too POLITICAL and the
ourth too vast and costly. Whether any or
ii OF these objections would prove fatal to the
rand deSideratum under any and all cirrI,u
tances need not be taken into consideration
20 lar as ] know none of the respective
uthOrS or advocates of the schemes of last
winter have showed any sign of intention to
ring them forward this session. 50 that, at
ruT, H.. H.,
D himself.
The bill which Eustis has introduced speaks
)r Itself The theory upon which 1t is based
, perhaps the simplest, pIainest and most
that could be applied to the !
ubJect. At all events 1t Is the most thorough y,
Y business-ike theory yet advanced. and Il is s
ntlrely free from any Of the sentimental.
ectional, political or economic objections that
ave been urged against the others. Briefly,
ustis theory is that
HE MISSISSIPPI RIVER rs THE PROPERTY OF +
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT 4
hat not only the right Of eminent domain \
nd the prerogatiye Of legal Jurisdiction over I
le geographical space OF its waters are vest o
! IN the government, but also the RESPONSE b
llltles OF ownership, such as restraint from b
10 perpetratlon OF damage upon adioin- &
X property, are entailed upon the govern t
ent by the fact Of possession. That is to b
~, by way OF illustration, it is the duty Of
le government to manage, control and re-
ram iIS chattel the river, from encrOaching
pom the lands of citizens from dpstrovin0
leir houses, killing their stock, uprooting O.
'eir crops and neutralizlng the results 0f %
ielr laborS; very much the same as q rail ;
'ad company is bound in law and equity to =
.erclse similar care, supervision and re-
ralnt upon and over the operations Of its
ne.
Under this Interpretation of the relations of
e general government as the visible repre-
ntative or agent OF the nation to the river G
q highway owned by the nation and oper- 81
ed for its benefit. Eustis proceeds to argue II
at the only question left to be determined is h
10 OF method; the question is not, Shall the
,yernment undertake to meet this RESPONSE
lity but, How can it re met most cheapIy
q at the same time most effectively?
Upon this point the speech which Senator
l5tls delivers next Thursday Is exhaustive. y
embodies all the information attanabJe a.
ON any source upon every department Of
&c subject; the extent OF the territory to be
otected; the exportabIe value Of the pro-
Icts Of that territory the volume Of dftri-
ent. present and nOtentIaI rl.anItina. e. | q.