Speech #470040023

In 1865 the riparian counties. including more than onehalf the river frontbetween the mouth of the Yazoo and the Tennessee line. and a few years later the remainder of the riparian counties. a second thu immugurated by leislative enactment the levee system. again supported by taxation upon the people of the district. This time a tax of $4 per bale on cotton waslevied. in addition to a tax on land. and this at a time when a tax of $12 per bale was required from us at the hands of the National Government. With the assurance thus again given of protection from overflow the fertility of our soil and genial character of our climate irresistibly invited immigration. �The recently enranchieed colored race in thousands deserted the less favored interior country and nought the alluvial lands. willing to pay the tax on the product of their labor demanded for protection. because tbe returns from that labor protected were so great. The cost of all this has been shnply enormous. We underestimate whon we say that the inauguration and maintenance of the levee system from 1858 up to this date has been at a cost of $8.000.00.