The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-08-23
The Atchmfalaya Basin LeVee
District.

x0Ve
SECTION ]. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly OF the State of louisiana That
that portion Of Act 81 of 1879 creating the
Fourth Ievee District be repealed and in lieu
thereof it be enacted as follows That all
the parishes and parts of parishes south of
Old river and between the Mississippi river
and the LafoaIrche on the East and q line
down to Atchafalaya river to the north
boundary of st. Martin along this line
to the Teche, thence down the Teche and
thence down the Atchafalaya to its mouth,
viz The parishes of Pointe Coupee, West
Baton Rouge, and T~errebonne, and parts of
the parishes of Iberyille, Ascension, st.
Martin, iberia, St. Mary, Assumption and
of a levee district to be known and styled
''The Atchafalaya Basin Leyee District
and alflands and other property of every
description whatsoever upon said lands,
shall be subject to taxation, local assess
ment and forced contribution for the pnr-
pose of raising funds to construct and main
tain leyees in said district and protect the
lands thereof from overflow.
SECTION 2 Be it further enacted etc.
That the Governor shall appoint from
among the qualified voters of said district
seven persons to serve as levee commission
ers for said district, three of said com
missioners shall De appointed from the
Mississippi river parishes, three from the in
terror parishes and one in the district at
large on the recommendation OF the rail
roads of said district said commissioner
shall hold their office for the term of four
years, anu uutEi IueiT SuCctbSOTS are APP
pointed and qualified.
Said commissioner shall constitute a
board styled Board of Commissioners for
the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District and
they shall have supervision of the location,
erection. repairs and maintenance Of leyees
In said district
SECTION 8. Be it further enacted, etc.,
That said commissioners shall convene ana
hold their first meeting at New Orleans on
the fourth day of August, 1880, a majority of
said commissioners shall constitute a quo
electing one of their number president anu
they shall appoint a secretary and tx his
salary they shall designate the time and Sc
lect the place for holding their regular SEES
sions, and may be convened at any time up
on call OF their president, or upon call of
two of the commissioners. In case of death
or resignation of the president, the secretary
shall call the board together to fill the va
cancy in case of the absence, inability or
failure to act OF the president the board shall
appoint one of their number chairman, who
shall perform all the duties of the president:
in ease Of neglect Of duty by any commits
sioner, or of his failure Without good cause
to attend regular meetings for three times
successfully, it shall be the duty OF the Gov
ernor, on request of the board, to remove
such commissioners and appoint his sncces-
sor. The commissioners shall receive a sal
airy of five dollars per day each during the
period they are in actual attendance upon
the board, and their actual travelling expen-
ses, to be paid ont of the funds of the levee
district on the warrant of the president, at
tested by the secretary, and a like salary
shall be paid for each day the president and
to her commissioners shall serve in snpervi-
sing the location. construction and repairs
OF levees. as may be provided by said board.
SECTION 4. Be it further enacted, etc,
That said board shall adopt bylaws for their
own government and for the government of
their employees they shall adopt rules or
tenn they shall keep a record of their pro
ceedings, which shall be published after
each meeting in a journal to be selected by
them. 1t shall be the duty Of the board at
each regular session to examine all account
or operations of the board and determine
what work shall be undertaken provided
that all work shall be advertised to be let out
by means of sealed proposals to the lowest
responsible bidder, reserving to the board
authority to reject all bids that in case of
emergency, or when it is evidently to the
best advantage OF said district, then the
board shall have authority to make con
tracts for the building and repair of ieyees
without advertisement and sealed proposals,
they shall use all means at their command to
strengthen, repair or construct any portion
OF the levees that may demand attention;
they shall appoint inspectors, with the
authority to employ guards on the leyees
during the period of high water and gener-
ally the board shall 10 all things necessary
to attain the objects contemplated by this
act.
SECTION 5. BE 1t further enacted, ETC.,
That it shall be the duty of the Board OF
State Engineers to designate one of their
members to attend each meeting of the levee
bodTO anu W TcItOTt W anu dQVlS6 WltU them
as to the location, construction and repairs
OF all levees of the district; that the State
Board of Engineers shall locate all levees,
furnish estimates and specifications, and
perform all engineering work required of
them by the levee board.
SECTION 6. Be 1t further enacted, etc.,
That the board shall be invested with the
control OF all public icvees in the district,
with authority to require the State Engin-
GERS to lay off, furnish estimates and per
form all engineering work necessary to the
nnnttnr ~ a f-tpa tNr n-l -.-.s-- -
reserving, however, the right to the parish
es in which the levees are located, also to
provide funds and to construct and repair
levees and exercise the powers BOW confid-
SECTION 4. BE it further enacted, etc,
That said board of commissioners shall in
addition to the powers herein conferred, be
constituted a body polite or a political cor
poration, invested with the powers inner
emit in said corporations they shall have
authority to sue and to be sued under the
style of Board OF commissioners for the At
chafaya Basin Levee District, and all pro-
cess against said corporation shall be served
on the president or secretary, and all suits
in behalf of the board shall be brought by
the president The board shall at its first
regular meeting elect a domicile for the pur-
pose of being sued and keeping its office
and archives, service Of process shall be
in person. Said board shall have authority
to buy and sell property, to make and exc
cute all contracts. and do and perform all
this act, subject to the limitations
and duties herein provided. They
shall have a corporate seal, and copies Of ali
the regulations and copies of proceedings of
said board certified to by their secretary,
under their corporate seal shall be received
in all courts IS prima facie evidence of the
acts and proceedings of said board. All
funds of said board shall be deposited with
the State Treasurer to the credit Of said
district, and all warrants drawn thereon by
the president of said board shall specify the
IndphtRdn QAa said warroU ka re- ipfandAd 70
liquidate, in part or in whole, and said funds
shall not be drawn from the treasury except
on the warrant of the State Auditor of Pub
lie Accounts.