St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1904-04-30
The New Parish.

a new parish to be called Blan.
chard, was held at the court house
last Saturday, April %.
The meeting was fairly well at
tended, those present being repre-
sentative men from different Sec
tions of the parish.
The meeting was too one-sided
to be real interesting. 1t was
within, at the most, six persons OF
being unanimously against the
creation Of the new parish, and
the majority of the pros were from
Avoyelles parish.
There was good representation
from the territory from ST. Ian
dry included in the proposed new
parish, and, almost to a man, they
protested against being severed
from the mother parish.
So strong was the sentiment
against the measure that Hon. D.
B. Hudson, Of Avoyelles, who was
here In the interest OF the new
parish, and who Is the supposed
and father of the move,
publicly declared that they (the
did not want to SUBJ
NIT the question to the people
did not want an enabling act-but
that they wanted the legislature
to create the new parish. He said
that he knew the people would
vote the measure down, but that
the legislature was empowered to
create a parish without submitting
the question to the people. His
though, is declared
falacious by every lawyer with
whom we have spoken on the
question. They (the lawyers) even
declare the position ridiculous.
But even II Mr.. Hudson's conten-
tion that the legislature have
power to create a new parish was
correct, that would help the mat
ter very little, as we learn that
the representatives from the three
parishes effected are opposed to
the measure, and 1t is not reasona-
BILE to suppose that the legislature
would pass the bill over their pro-
teSt.
AS things look, the proposed
Blanchard parish is doomed to die
a-borning.
The meeting was called to order
by Judge II. T. Lewis, and Hon. G.
j. Thompson was made permanent
On molten of j. ]. Barry a com
mittee on resolutions was appoint
cd az follows: j. J. Barry, Yves
Andrepont, M. d. Lewis, FL. /.
T. II. Lewis, Marius Fon'
tenor, Frank Quebedeau, w. A
O'Quinn, Chas. Lafleur, w. B
Rogers, W. B. Prescott, Henry Sin
gleton, Adelma Guidry, Paulir
Fontenot, j. Lassalle.
The committee reported the fol
lowing resolutions, which, aftel
thorough debate, were adopted:
"Whereas, 1t has come to oul
knowledge that some of the citi
sens of Avoyelles and st. Landry
parishes have formed a plan tt
appeal to the General Assembly tt
pass an act creating a new parish
to be taken from the northern par
OF ST. Landry and the southern
part of Avoyelles; and,
Whereas, no issue or question o
that character has been submitted
heretofore TO our people, or at th'
recent primary election, and oul
representatives in that body mus
necessarily be Ignorant OF tn
wishes of their constituency In tn
premises; and,
"Whereas, This meeting Is op
posed to any division of the terri
tory of our parish, and as far a
we have been informed our eiti
zens. with but few exceptions, ar
decidedly of the same opinion;
"Therefore, we, citizens, voter
and taxpayers OF the parish of 81
Landry, have this day assemble'
pursuant to the call issued for tn
purpose of making public protes
against the diversion OF any POI
tion of cur territory with which t
form a new parish, or In any man
ner changing our parochial bound
ary lines.
ave feel just pride in the fac
that we have next to Calcasieu tn
largest parish in the State; tha
we have the largest population ea
cept Orleans, and that with tina
exception our natural resources
will. in the not distant futuri