The Progress., 1894-05-12
THE ANTl-LEVEE MEETING.

twenty planters assembled at the
opera house in this city to protes
against the leyee system. The meet
ing was presided over by Capt. B. "
Marsden, who made strong anC
effective speech denouncing ut every
step the present system, which had ,
telling effect upon the audience
Capt. Marsden is an earnest talkel
and his argument against the build
ing of ropes of sand, As he called it
a0d closing all the Outlets provided
by nature seemed almost unansWer,
able. He closed by calling upon
those present to seek relief for the
planters of the Red river valley by
petitioning the Legislature and Con
greSs,
A committee of 8 was appointed
for this purpose, composed of the
following named gentlemen: Messrs
}. {. Egan, D. e. Scarborough, H. G.
Stringfellow, J. NJ, Alexander, S. NJ.
Thomas, J. Y. Hughes, j. K. Crich-
ton, J. S. Hutchinson, E. Robinson.
There was much discussion, pro
and con, pending the time that the
committee was framing the resolu-
tons, and while the committee
ignored The PROGRESS in its request
to publish the resolutions, yet our
position has been time and again set
forth as in favor Of the outlet system
We are not prepared to say it was
Intentional on the part of the com
mlttee, yet we are always ready to
give our readers the benefit of the
news of the day, and herewith ap-
pend them:
We, the residents and planters of
the Red river vally in convention as
sembled. do declare that in our opin-
ion the stopping up of the outlets
from Red river under the present
levee system is destructive of the best
interests of the section of the country.
and if persisted it will destroy this
entire section of country for plant
ters
We respectfully ask that the Leg
islature have opened all the natural
outlets and thus permit the surplus
water to be carried off as the laws of
nature provide.
That the Legislature declare that
all lands between the natual banks Of
Red river and the levees be free from
any tax by the levee boards.
That the Legislature declare all
property not benefited by the levee
system exempt from the levee tax by
the levee boards, and that any citizen
having property within any levee
district shall have the right to con-
test in the courts the facts whether
his property has been benefited or
will be benefited by the levees erect
ed or to be erected, and that the fact
that his property is located in levee
district shall not be any presumption
in favor of his being benefited by
sue b levees, but that the question
shall be submitted to the courts and
iuries of the country as any other
question and be determined by the
proof. And that the levee boards of
Caddo and BosSier be prohibited |
from issuing any more bonds or cir
tifcates of Indebtedness, except on a
majority vote Of the property holders
of the district prior to the creation of
the Indebtedness.
1t is the sense Of this meeting that
no levee district be created or any |
territory be added to the existing dis
tricts except the same be recommend
ed by the majority vote Of the prop
erty holders residing III the territory
to be added, taken prior to the iotro-
1uction and passage Of the act
That the Shreveport Caucasian,
Times and Bossier Bsnner be request
ed to publish the proceedings, aud
a copy Of these proces ding5 be fam
shed to the Senators and Represen-
satives IN the Fourth congressional
district.