New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1899-07-22
NUMBER 90


plo, Mt special election held for that
purpose, the president of the council
giving five days notice for tho purpose of
an increase The town constable was
made ex oilicio tax collector
Act No, 100, approved April 2lth. ls47.
The town chatter was amended aud the
name of the town changed to New Iberia.
The amount of taxes to be laid not To ok
ceed the sum of five hundred 5000 dollars
III any one year. the Police Jury of the
Parish of st. Martin should have no luris-
dlct,on within its limits. or impose any
taN on persons OF property therein, except
such rs would become necessary to main
tam tn" public ferry, ur to impose n
| special tax rs may bo required to make
and repair the Court House, Jail. public
bridges and ferries IN SAID parish, and tho
| making of the schoolhousc. and maint ain
ancc of public school or schools in the
| town for which purposes taxes may he
levied on the property and persons within
| said town by the Police Jury, but not to
exceed that imposed on the parish
Act No. 1873, approved March lith, 1853
The Charter was again amended The
| amount allowed to be raised by taxation
should not exceed one thousand (*i0UO)
dollars. Full power was given the Board
| to imprlson all slaves found within said
limits without n proper permission, and to
| cause any aud all runaway slaves. to be
imprisoned in the quad house and their
feet III the stocks, and charge tho fees
allowed by tho slave law III such eases,
(poor negro thy bed has been hard II
was again stated III this amended charter,
that the Police jury of st. Martin, should
no longer exercise any jurisdiction within
the said town of New Iberia, except over
property belonging to the parish of st
Martin.
Act No. lO1, approved Sept 25th, 1868.
under the first Reconstruction administra
tion, tho charter was again amended and
the limits of the corporation extended to
Hopkins street, and extending twenty five
acres from the Bayou Techo on the west
side, and ten acres on the east side there
of, In this amended charter, tho limits of
revenue was abolished provided the
amount imposed and collected. did not
exceed lite parrish tax tit airy yrnr nnt
the number of Trustees was increased
from five to seven. The power to enforce
criminal laws was only given to tho Presi
dent of the Board in ease of sickness,
absence, resignation or death of the jus
tce of the Peace. holding Office in the
limits OF the town. The Mayor was only
to have jurisdiction of ordinary infrac-
tions of the law.
Tho charter was again amended at u
special election held by tho legal voters of
the town on the 2Sth day of Dee, 1880
except the increase of the limits which
was submitted and did not pass, remained
the same as in the amended charter of
1868. This last amended charter was
passed pursuant to the requirements of
Section Of Act No. 10, of 1880, author
lied the qualified electors of any city or
town, to change or amend their charter.
was proclaimed by James l.. Burke,
Mayor, on the Oath day of Dee. 1881.
The first council we find that was elected
after the war was on the 18th and 18th of
April, 1863, to-wit Ulger Decuir, JAS.
l.. Burke, j. ID. Swain, Il. j. Etie and
David Riggs. Their oath of Office was
sent to the commanding general Of the
Fifth Military District. f.. j. Etie was
elected President of tho Council Ulger
Decuir, Treasurer VIM. Robertson,
Secretary, and Octave Etie, Constable and
Collector. AT tho meeting of Nov. 1868,
ID. U. BrOussard and Alexis Hebert were
-v~vvS es@s.-
crease the number to seven, as per amend
ed charter of Sept. 25th, 1868 which
created two more members. T.. }. Etie
resigned on account of having been elect
ed Parish Judge, the parish of Iberia
having just been created Mt that time.
DR.. E. Bown was appointed to fill tho
and was elected President of the
Board, in Dec, 1869.
On the 7th Of June, 1869, the following
named parties were elected as the Board
of Trustees p A. Veazey, Martial Con
soulin John }. Harry, Il. J. Etie, ID. u.
Broussard, Esteve Lamperez and Achille
Bessan At the organization Of this council
A. Bcssan was elected President. Tho
governor failed to recognize tho election of
the council, in 1871, and appointed A. b.
DR.. Alf. Duperier, W. +. Weeks,
Jno. }. Taylor Jasper Gall and Theodore
A. b. Henshaw was elected
President Louis DeBlanc, Secretary and
Jules Blanchet Treasurer.
In 1879, the governor appointed the
named council, still ignoring the
sovereign voice of the people, Wig VIM.
William Southwell, l.. o.
Hacker, John Emmer, J. d. Swain, p. Il.
Burke and John Marsh. VIM. Robertson
was elected President and Jules Blanchet
secretary and Treasurer. It was under
This administration that the first canal on
Weeks street was built, that done so much
5owards drainage.
The election of June, 1873, was re-
by the powers, viz: Z. T.. Burke,
Marcel Boutto (the only colored man that
aver sat on tho council) Louis Delcambis,
los. A. Breaux, Jasper Gall, p. l.. Rem.
)udet and Theodore Fontelieu. =. u.
Burke, was elected President. From that
council to date, the board have been
elected by the people.
We will turn back the leaf n little as we
omitted the names of some who wero also
he pioneer settlers, with the French and
spanish The Derouen family who are so
lumerons in these parts, were originally
rom Canada and emigrated to this section
after the English defeated the French in
\ battle near Quebec in 1859. Wolfe was
N command Of the English forces and
Montcalm the French both were killed in
hat battle but tho victory remained TO
% the English arms. Many Of the French
among whom were the
Derouens, did not want to live under
English rule, bade farewell to their native
and-a land that had been consecrated by
many hallowed associations. They and
many others left the country and tho
Derouens finally drifted to the wilds Of
Attakapas and were some of the worthy
pioneers that Helped to build up the wids
and waste places of our now prosperous
Another numerous family who
figured conspicuously in the settlement of
his section, was the Hebert family They
arc more widely scattered than any other
'amily of the Acadian exilcs. You will
ind them in the river parishes, the La
'ourchc and Terrebonne and from thence
20 the Calcasieu. A great many Of them
planted their destiny with the first pioneers
,f Attakapas and many honored citizens
If that name still survive in town and
parish. The name of Paul o. Herbert,
who occupied the governors chair from
1853 to 1856, and other prominent citizens,
nave given honor and dignity to that
name.
After the purchase of Louisiana from
Napoleon by President jefferson in 1903,
here came many English speaking citizens
rom different States to cast their lot with
he honest primitive pioneer who had by
industry made the country n
haven for those who were seeking
rev fields, to build q home and an altar
n the little village of New Town.
As memory turns back, we recall the
,nno NJ M nv NJ tbasa. Jnhn na aIonurt