The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-07-12


of this bill in the Senate, the parishes of
st. Mary and Iberia, sent delegations, to
protest against the measure. For some
unaccOuntable reason, the parish of st.
Martin, though more deeply interested
than either Of her sisters on the Techp,
was not represented.
After a close study of the subject, on
the part of the delegation from Iberia, il
was agreed to ask the committee on lands
and levees. in whose hands this bill hal
been placed, to allow us to cut loose en-
tirely from this proposed leyee District.
and to allow the three Teche parishes to
form levee district Of its own; as that
section was not alone subject to overflow
from the proposed district, but that, if
breaks happened in any leyee to the
North Of the proposed district, and even
in the State Of Arkansas, parts of these
three parishes will inevitably go under
water. The water finding its way
through Black River swamp. Tensas Ba-
sin swamp, and Red River into the Atch-
afalaya and thence into our own Lakes.
There are % miles along our Lakes from
the upper part of st. Martin to the lower
part of st. Mary. We are willing to be
taxed, but let the tax be utilized in such
a way that when we build levee and it
holds against water encrOachmentS, that
at least cur lands be- protected. As it is,
if the whole front of what is misnamed
the Atchafalaya Leyee District stands
firm against high water Yet breaks in
POSsum Fork leyee or i'm the Tensas levee
and other leyees above the proposed Dis
trict we are bound to be OverflOwed.
Our only protection is by private levees,
along the Lakes, then why not be allow
ed to build our own leyees? For reasons
best known to themselves, the st. Mary
delegation would not entertain the pro-
position, ST. Martin, was absent. The
next proposition came from the parish
of Iberia, again it was doomed to the
same fate. 1t was to the effect that in
stead Of the Teche being the line of divi-
sion, between taxable and nOn-taxable
property, that high water mark be
adopted. In 1884, the Teu,d5 Basin Le-
wee District was formed. 1t provided
that where any portion of sixteenth
of section has been OverfiOwed since
1865, the whole section would be assess
ed and taxed. In 1855, this section was
amended so as TO read that the whole
sixteenth of such section should be as
sessed, but taxes paid only on the por-
ton actually subject to overflow. This
was exactly the proposition of the Iberia
delegation. st. Mary offered it and de-
feated. 1t is nothing but fair and just.
It is well-knOwn fact that lands on the
West of Bayou Teche will overflow quick
ly and even more quickly than some
land on the East of it. Particularly is
this so in st. Mary, and even in Iberia
and st. Martin it often happens.
The only reason assigned for the re-
lection OF this proposition was that the
high water line of a given year could
not be ascertained. MarOr Richardson,
of the State Board of Engineers who had
been invited to attend the conference
stated that it was quite possible to as
certain this fact, still the proposition
was defeated. without its ever going to
vote. st. Mary then worked to strike
out the produce tax, (section 10) This
was acceded to by the committee. leav-
ing US to pay as levee tax ) cts. an acre
and 10 mills OH the assessment, on all
lands lying East of the Teche, or about
double our present levee tax. As it was
done in the Tensas Basin Levee District
so should it be done in this District.
This arbitrary line should be rubbed out
and more just and equitable line adOp-
ted, according as the Constitution pro-
yides. Voters of IBERIA, st. Martin, and
st. Mary should see to it, that their Re-
presentatives are correctly informed on
this issue before they are elected in 1892
Member of Committee from Iberia in
Iberia Democrat.