The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-05-18
Proceedings of the Police Jury,
Parish of Ascension.
POSTPONED REGULAR MEETING.

1 DonaldSonVtIle, La, May 10 1871.
/ The police jury of Ascension parish met this
/ day in postponed regular session. at the court
house, and was called to order at Il o'clock m
/ Present-jeo. B. Reuss, president, first ward
Geo. Bergeron, second ward; Sidonius Goette
third ward; Albert Esneault, fourth ward
L. w. Armitage, fifth ward; j. G.. Klos, sixth
ward III. G. SeYario, seventh ward. Absent
| j. T. King, eighth ward.
The minutes of the last preceding meeting
were read and approved.
| The following communication was read and
received:
New Orleans, La, May l. 1907
To the President and Members, Police Jury
of Ascension Parish, DonaIdsonVille La.
Gentlemen-We have audited the accounts OF
the late Captain &. Prosper Landry parish
treasurer and clerk of police jury for the period
covering July /, 1866, to April "A, 1907 and we
find every item of cash properly accounted for.
We find, however, that no monthly reconcile
ations of bank balances have been made, and
we strongly urge upon the new treasurer to
make same every month as outlined in the re-
port made by Mr. Bienvenu, October IL, 1906
The police jury should provide the treasurer
with necessary files for filing vouchers and
other documents, and attention is also called
to the need of vault or safe. We make no
further recommendations, as all we deem nee
essary is covered in Mr.. Bienvenus previous
report.
Attached we furnish trial balance of the
bursements *The ledger was re-posted and on
taking charge the new treasurer will find all
the parish books and accounts correct in every
particular. Very respectfully,
ALEX. A. HART & EMILE BTENVENU,
Public Accountants, by Emile BlenVenu.
On motion of Mr.. Goette, seconded by Mr..
Klos, the foregoing report was adopted and
Messrs. Hart and Bienvenu S bill of $163.8O for
auditing the accounts of the deceased parish
treasurer was approved and ordered paid, roll
call resulting as follows: Ayes-Reuss, Berge-
ron. Goette, Esneault, Armitage, KIos, Seyario ;
nays-none.
District Attorney d. A. Gondran and Lucien
Gautreau addressed the jury in the interest of
an appropriation TO aid in the completion of
the new high school building at Gonzales, Mr..
Gautreau stating that should the jury set
aside S25O0 for this purpose the people of the
community interested would undertake to raise
the remainder of the necessary amount, by
special taxation, if necessary. MIR. Goette
thereupon offered the following resolutions:
Be it ordained by the police jury of the parish
of Ascension, That the sum of $500 be and the
same is hereby appropriated out of the general
fund to aid and assist the building committee
of the Gonzalestown high school in the COM
pletion of the same, the sum of $1,000 to be paid
at once and the balance of $3.50 to be payable
on the first day of January 1908 and to be in.
cluded in the budget of expenses of the parish
for the next fiscal year, commencing July
1, 1907.
Be it further resolved, That said sum shall be
paid by the parish treasurer to the school
board. who are hereby authorized to disburse
the same for the purposes herein mentioned
with the co operation and concurrence of the
building committee of said high school.
On motion of Mr.. Goette, seconded by Mr..
Esneault, the resolutions were adopted, roll
call resulting as follows Ayes-Reuss, Der.
Gnnfta too 10
vario; nays-none.
The following resolutions, offered by Mr..
Armitage and seconded by Mr. Klos were unan.
imously adopted
Whereas, the police juries of several parishes
in the AtchafaIaya basin leVee district have
passed resolutions protesting against the build
ing of the locks at the head of Bayou Lafourche
by the Lafourche basin and Atchafalaya leyee
boards, and,
Whereas, we, the police jury of the parish of
Ascension, believing that it is the plain duty of
said IeVee boards to construct said locks, de-
sire to call the attention of the people and the
taxpayers of said two districts to the following
in support of the demands for the building and |
construction of said locks, being the law and |
the facts of the case:
In 1900, Act No. g. the general assembly of the
state of Louisiana resolved:
Section l. Be it enacted by the general as |
sembIy OF the state of Louisiana, That the |
boards of commissioners of the Atchafalaya |
basi and Lafourche basin IeVee districts are |
hereby auEn0ElZoQ to place locks at the head of |
Bayou Lafourche; and for said purpose are |
authorized to appropriate lands, enter into con-
tracts, and exercise all other powers proper
poses of this act
BY the rivers and harbors act, approved June
H. 1902, passed by the congress of the United
states 1t was provided that temporary dam
might be erected pending the construction of
ocks, said temporary dam to remain for a
Of said act
In 1902 Art No 81 tbe ,onarol ,s.,,,, NJ "a az
state of Louisiana resolved:
Section /. be it enacted by the general as
'embly OF the state of Louisiana. That the
boards of commissioners of the AtchafaIaya |
BASIN and Lafoarche basin levee districts are
hereby authorized to place a temporary dam at
he head of Bayou Lafourche, pending the con-
tructlon OF locks, as provided for in act No.
II the general assembly of the state of Louisi-
ma for the year 1900. and an act of the fifty
eyenth congress of the, United States, pro-
'un before January i, 1903.
On December IL, 1902, permission was granted
0 place a. temporary dam, signed by w. e.
'anger, assistant secretary of war.
An agreement to remove the dam entered into
etween the United States government, signed ,
y Chas. L. Bromwell, party of the first part,
aptain corps of engineers, United States Army: |
oard of commissioners of the Atehafalaya
svee board, Andrew III. Gay, president; board
commissioners OF the Lafourche levee board, ,
:. MaurIni president, parties of the second
art, dated Dec 3d. 1902, and approved by war
eyartmant, witnesseth: c
That IN conformity with the acts OF congress s
the United States and the general assembly | f
I the state of Louisiana, heretofore stated | c
nd IN accordance with the resolutions of the C
cards OF commissioners, all of which shall be 2
onsldered as forming part of this agreement, | Z
ae said parties of the second part hereby agree T
, remove the temporary dam hereinbefore | 2
lentIoned on or before Dec. IS, 1904, to the j
abstraction of the party of the first part. =
he said parties of the second part do hereby b
lrther agree to begin the removal of the said b
'mporary dam upon receipt of due notice in | Il
said "a g nsr fss o Pfbs s OF nls
art do hereby further agree to furnish bond
Ith good and sufficient security in the r
I'M OF nifty thousand dollars conditioned upon =
70 faithful performance of this agreement. !" r
In accordance with said agreement q fifty i =
!ousand dollar bond was furnished.
Under this legislation the temporary dam
as about TO be erected when an Injunction
as taken out by the taxpayers alleging that
g acts of the legislature we're uneonstitution- s.
and that the building of said dam is not the :
ection of leyee. and that not one cent of
q revenues of said boards can be legally used
r that purpose, The two levee boards,
at the two acts of the legislature were cons
Itutional and that both of said acts taken
q construed together have no other purpose
object than the further and absolute nro,
ction, if possible, of the ailnyial lands Behind =
9 leVees along Bayou Lafourche, which can-
: be dona with reasonable safety and even =
an only at cost far beyond the financial re- z.
arces OF respondents without the work con- 70
nplated by said acts. e
JD0rY these vfaadiuus raSsinrr -al.. at
sriv the f1nestSnn % - tb;s 70 eiy ahe an
ards to make these improvements, the dis ~
ct court upheld the contention of the plain sAs
s IN Injunction, Judge Leche therein de-.
ring: I am OF the opinion that the general | at
iembIy in authorizing the Lafourche Ieyee nr
ard to dam and lock Bayou Lafourche CON
re0 upon Enat board power which is de- no
octlVe OF the very reason for which the con- of
:ution authorized it to create a board and an
tcn ~ I1eIeIofe unconstitutional and ultra ma
as. and have reached this conclusion,
N&n A91LT aWaf6 that our courts will ALWAYS en-