[125] Session Laws, 1869, No. 147. It is interesting that even this early the wiser of the legislators were turning to the Federal government for help on their problem of bayous and levees. [126] _Ibid._, No. 146. [127] _Ibid._, No. 140. Its achievement was the removal of twenty stumps, people complained. [128] It must have been this date because it vanishes from the record after the 12th and the record of this one day is missing in the files of the paper. For the record of the Senate for 1869 we are dependent on the report in the _Commercial Bulletin_, no journal nor Senate debates being extant. [129] Laws of Louisiana, 1869, No. 26. [130] Session Laws, 1869, Nos. 143, 145. [131] _Ibid._, 1867, No. 115. [132] _Ibid._, No. 123. [133] House Deb., 1869, 446. It was eloquently and lengthily debated on March 1. _Ibid._, 399-429. [134] House Deb., 380. [135] “We have passed a bill to-day for Claiborne Parish, and where is the consistency of refusing to aid improvements in the parish of Lafourche?” House Deb., 1869, 381. Senator Ray declared it one of the “fundamental principles of my political theory that the State of Louisiana ought to aid all the works of internal improvement that appear to be beneficial.” Sen. Deb., 1870, 627. [136] _Commercial Bulletin_, Sept. 21, 1869. See also the same paper, same date, for agitation of opening of the southwest pass. [137] Jan. 3. See also issues of Jan. 26, 29, 30. This paper failed in September of that year. [138] Jan. 23. [139] Warmoth adduces proof of these statements. House Misc. Doc., 42 Cong., 2 Sess., No. 211, 285. [140] In the State bond bill were implicated some of the most respectable distinguished Democratic leaders of the State. House Misc. Doc., 42 Cong., 2 Sess., 333. See Scott’s testimony which shows a written contract between the bankers of New Orleans and certain lobby brokers, by which several millions of dollars were to be paid for getting a measure through which failed. _Ibid._ [141] “That there were ‘rings’ formed in both houses of the legislature for the sole and express purpose of blackmailing the people and plundering the treasury of the State, is perhaps a lamentable and humiliating fact. That there are men of both parties engaged in this disgraceful proceeding--men who would sell out their birthright for a mess of pottage, may also be true.” Quoted from the _Crescent_ in a Congressional document. The _Bee_ says, Feb. 17, 1869, being reproached with accusing Democrats of joining in the corruption: “It was only yesterday that one of their own number, in our hearing, confessed the truth of the charge.”