The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-02-09
The Governors Aid Invoked.

The Governors Aid Invoked.
Among the declarations of the con-
stitution of Louisiana relative to the
duties of the governor of the state is
this:
"He shall take care that the laws be
faithfully executed
Among the laws enacted by the gen.
eral assembly of Louisiana are acts
No. 81 OF 1898, No. of 1900, No. "a
of 1902 and No. AZ of 1905, authorizing,
empowering and directing the Atcha-
falaya basin and Lafourche basin
levee boards to issue notes, expropri-
ate lands and take all other steps
necessary to raise funds for construct
ing a temporary dam at the head OF
Bayou Lafourche. and subsequently
to replace that dam with locks; and an
act of the congress of the United States
also grants permission for the OBJ
struction of this navigable stream with
dam, provided that the levee boards
to whom the permission is given shall
within specified time replace the OBJ
struction with lock. The work can
not possibly be completed within this
time, hence congress is about to grant
an extension of the limit to the end OF
the year 1910, without in any manner
releasing the levee boards from the OBJ
legation imposed upon and voluntarily
accepted and assumed by them to re-
move the dam and construct lock to
take its place SO that the navigable
character of Bayou Lafourche as an
affiuent of the Mississippi river would
be restored.
A public meeting of representative
citizens of Assumption and Ascension
parishes was held at Napoleonyille
last Saturday, and reference to the
report of the proceedings published
elsewhere in today's Chief will show
that resolutions were adopted reciting
the status of the matter under discus
sion and memorializing the governor
of the state to call upon the levee
boards to comply with the letter and
intent of the law, to the end that the
rights and interests of the people may
be protected and subserved. A strong
committee was appointed to present
the resolutions to Gov. Blanchard, and
confidence is felt that his ready CO.
operation will be secured in bringing
the levee boards to proper apprecia-
ton of the official responsibility that
rests upon them to provide ways and
means for the construction of the La
fourche lock without necessary delay.
1t will not suffice that these boards
should1 rest content with offering to
contribute a half million dollars to-
wards the cost on condition that the
federal government will assume the
execution of the work. The acceptance
of this proposition would, of course,
be satisfactory to the people-in fact,
they would much prefer to see such an
arrangement effected-but it may be
that the sanction OF congress cannot be
obtained, in which event the plan will
fall to the ground.
What the people demand and what
the laws require is that the Atchafa-
laya and Lafourche levee boards shall
make all necessary provision for the
construction of the lock and see that
the work is done.
To do less than this will be to dis
obey the laws.
It is demanded of the governor by
the constitution that 'sHe shall take
care that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted."
II the members of the Atchafalaya
and Lafourche levee boards fail to
execute the laws enacted for their ex-
press guidance and direction-and we
hope they willnot SO fail-then itwillde-
volve upon the governor to exercise his
official authority and prerogatives in |
as to cure the recalcitrancy
and insure the enforcement of the laws
and it is to be hoped that he will |
promptly do So.