Five commissioners to constitute a quorum. Powers of board of commissioners to said levee district. SEC. 18. Be it further enacted, etc., That five commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting the business of said district. SEC. 19. Be it further enacted, etc., That all public State lands sell certain public donated by Congress for levee and drainage purposes, situated lands accruing to within said levee district, shall by this act accrue to said levee district, and the commissioners are hereby vested with power to sell the same to the highest bidder at public outcry at Simmsport, after a notice of thirty days in a paper published in or nearest said levee district, and to devote the net proceeds of the sale to the benefit of said levee district. Police juries of Landry authorized the adoption or re trict. Manner and same. SEC. 20. Be it further enacted, etc., That this act shall be subAvoyelles and St. mitted to a vote of the property tax payers residing within the to hold election for limits of the proposed levee district. That the police juries of jection of the pro. the parishes of Avoyelles and St. Landry are hereby authorized posed levee dis to hold said election on the first Monday of October, 1886, in time of holding the that part of the aforesaid parishes lying within the limits of said district, and held under the present laws governing elections. If a majority of votes cast at said election shall be in favor of the proposed levee district, the result shall be promulgated within ten days, making this act operative and in full force; provided, that this act shall have no effect in either parish unless a majority of the votes therein shall be cast in favor of the same, but if one parish vote for and the other against, the district shall be composed of the parish voting for; and in that event the commissioners named for either of said parishes shall constitute the board as herein provided. Proviso. Time and place of meeting of the sioners. SEC. 21. Be it further enacted, etc., That on the first Monday Board of commis- of November, 1886, the commissioners of the said levee district shall meet at Simmsport and proceed to organize for the purposes of carrying into effect the purpose of this act, and thereafter meet at such time as they may deem advisable. SEC. 22. Be it further enacted, etc., That all laws and parts of laws in conflict, inconsistent or contrary to the provisions of this act, be and the same are hereby repealed. H. W. OGDEN, Removing the parish seat of the parish of Avoyelles, from Marksville to a point on the right descending bank of Bayou Rouge or Bayou des Glaises, within a distance of not more than one mile above or below the junction of said Bayou Rouge and Bayou des Glaises, at a spot to be designated by the police jury, and providing for the submission of this act to the electors thereof, at a special election, pursuant to the provisions of Article 250 of the State Constitution. Whereas, Due proof has been made that the notice of intention to apply for the passage of this act, has been published, pursuant to the requirements of article 48 of the State Constitution. Preamble Removal of the parish of Avoyelles town of point on Bayou des Glaises. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, That the parish seat of the parish of Avoyelles, parish seat of the be and is hereby removed from Marksville, and it is now and from the hereby established permanently on the right descending bank of Marksville to a Bayou Rouge or Bayou des Glaises, within a distance of not Rouge and Bayou more than one mile above or below the junction of said Bayou Rouge and Bayou des Glaises, at a place to be designated by the police jury. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the police jury of Police jury to prosaid parish of Avoyelles be, and it is hereby empowered and vide, by ordinance, authorized and directed, to pass ordinances and to make all and objects of this act. every provision, that may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of this act, within thirty days after the promulgation of the adoption of this act. for carrying out the This act to take held for or re SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, etc., That this act shall take effect after the proeffect and be of force immediately after the promulgation of the mulgation of the result of the special election hereinafter provided for, at which election the special it will be submitted for adoption or rejection to the electors of adoption said parish, pursuant to article 250 of the State Constitution; electors of said Provided, The majority of votes cast at such election be in favor parish. of its adoption. jection by the vember next, at shall be submitted ticket to be voted SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, etc., That the police jury of the Police jury to or parish of Avoyelles be and it is hereby authorized and required be held on the same to order the holding of a special election, on the same day of tion of member of day as for the elec the Congressional election in November next, at which this act Congress in Noshall be submitted for adoption or rejection to the electors of which time this act said parish, pursuant to Article 250 of the State Constitution, for adoption or reeach elector voting at said election shall cast his vote thereat jection. Form of by using a ticket on which shall be written or printed the words at said election. "for the adoption of the act of the General Assembly removing Election to be held according to existthe parish seat from Marksville to a point on the right descend- ing laws. ing bank of Bayou Rouge or des Glaises, within a distance of not more than one mile above or below the junction of said Bayou Rouge and des Glaises," or "against the adoption of the act of the General Assembly removing the parish seat from Marksville to a point on the right descending bank of Bayou Rouge or Bayou des Glaises within a distance of not more than Police jury to orone mile above or below the junction of said Bayou Rouge and der at the des Glaises," said election shall be held and conducted pur- determine whether suant to the provisions of the general election laws of the State, or not property taxand the result shall be promulgated ten days after election in to be taxed to depayers are willing the manner provided by said laws; and provided, further, That fray the expenses at the same time, the police jury shall order an election to de Form of ticket to termine, whether or not, the property tax payers are willing to be voted for and to be taxed to defray the expense of said removal, and separate separate box. Retickets shall be provided, upon which shall be written: For sult of said election being opposed to special tax to be levied by police jury to defray costs of re- the tax, this act to moval," or "against special tax, to be levied by police jury, for a null and of no 66 same time an election to of said removal. be deposited in a be removal," said tickets to be deposited in a separate box, to be provided for this purpose. And in the event there be a majority of votes against said special tax, then this act to be of no effect, whatsoever may be the vote cast on the question of removal. ized to Contract For the better protection of buildings and property belonging to the State, situated in Baton Rouge. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Governor author Louisiana, That the Governor be authorized by this act to conwith the Fire De. tract with the fire department of the city of Baton Rouge, from partment at Baton and after the first day of July, 1887, for the special protection cial protection against fire of all the buildings belonging to or occupied by the against fire of all State, and their contents, being situated in said city, for such buildings belonging to or occupied by annual sum, not exceeding twenty-five hundred dollars, as he may deem proper and necessary. Rouge for the spe the State, and situ- Provided, That such sum be expended by said fire department for the purpose of making the same more efficient and better able to protect the property of the State, reference being had to the report of said fire department, dated June 10, 1886, and on file in the Executive department. H. W. OGDEN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. Approved July 8, 1886. S. D. MCENERY, Governor of the State of Louisiana. A true copy from the original: OSCAR ARROYO, To encourage, protect, regulate and develop the oyster industry in the State of Louisiana, and imposing penalties for the violation of the provisions of this act. lakes, coves, inlets, sea marshes and ali that part of risdiction of this SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, That all the beds of the rivers, bayous, creeks, lakes, Beds of rivers. coves, inlets and sea marshes bordering on the Gulf of Mexico, creeks, bayous. and all that part of the Gulf of Mexico within the jurisdiction of and this State, and not heretofore sold or conveyed by special grants the Gulf of Mexico or by sale by this State, or by the United States to any private and within the ju party or parties, shall continue and remain the property of the State and not here State of Louisiana, and may be used as a common by all the tofore conveyed to people of the State for the purposes of fishing and of taking and and remain the catching oysters and other shell fish, subject to the reservations property of the and restrictions hereinafter imposed, and no grant or sale, or natural oyster beds conveyance shall hereafter be made by the Register of the State or shoals. Land office to any estate, or interest of the State in any natural oyster bed or shoal, whether the said bed or shoal shall ebb bare or not. other persons to be State. to be made son, and be com limits of his lawful SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That if any river, bay, Where river, bay, lake, bayou, cove, inlet, or pass, makes into or runs through the lake, bayon, cove inlet or pass make land of any person, and is comprised within the limits of his law- into or runs through ful survey, such person or other lawful occupant shall have the land of auy perexclusive right to use said body or bodies of water for planting prised within the oysters and other shell fish, but the right of the owners or occu- survey. the owner pants of land on any of the other shores, bays, rivers or bayous, thereof shall have within the jurisdiction of the State, shall extend to ordinary low to bed or plant oys water mark, but it is not intended thereby to deprive them of ters. the privilege extended to others by the first section of this act. the exclusive right Oyster industry, sor in assessing ties of the tax col ties for failing to section. SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, etc., That all capital invested, Assessment of and things of value employed in the oyster industry in this State, and things of value capital invested shall be assessed, and the tax on the same shall be collected in employed in the the manner now provided by law by other property, and it shall and taxes collected. be the duty of the parish assessor, where he assesses the other Duties of the assesproperty of his parish, to require all persons depositing or plant- such property. Du ing oysters or shells, to state, upon oath, the cash value of all lector in collecting such oysters or shells deposited or planted during the preceding such taxes. Penalyear ending on the first day of February, or remaining in their comply with the re possession from the planting of former years, which amount quirements of said shall be entered by the said assessor in his lists, in a separate column, and the person thus depositing or planting such oysters or shells, shall pay a tax upon their assessed value equal to the tax imposed upon other species of property, and the said tax shall be collected by the collector of the parish, as now provided by law, and any person failing to comply with the provisions of this section shall be fined in a sum not less than ten nor more than five hundred dollars, and the revenue due the State therefrom shall be paid into the State treasury to the credit of a separate fund to be known as the "oyster fund" and the revenue due the parish therefrom shall be paid into the parish treasury of the parish, where said tax is collected to the credit of the school fund of such parish. Police jury to SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, etc., That the police jury of any provide by ordi- parish, in which natural oyster beds are formed and in which the provisions of there are water beds and water ways suitable for oyster plant nance to carry out this act. Application to be made by the owner ing and cultivation, are hereby empowered to make all needful rules and regulations, and pass all ordinances, not otherwise provided for in this act, necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this act in their respective parishes. SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, etc., That if any owner or occuor occupant of land pier of land having a water front thereon, not owned by him, having a water suitable for planting oysters, shall be desirous of obtaining a lofront thereon, to cation thereon for planting oysters, he may make application to the parish in which the police jury of the parish in which his said land is situated, Duty of the police and said police jury shall order the parish surveyor of said parjury in relation to ish to assign to him, on such location as such owner or occupant the police jury of the land is situated. the same. veyor in making the assignment of the reservation. may designate in front of his land, a quantity sufficient for said purpose, to be judged of by the said parish surveyor, subject to appeal to any court of competent jurisdiction in said parish, either in term time or vacation, which court is hereby authorized to take cognizance of the same and make such assigument as shall seem proper; provided, that the said assignment shall not exceed three acres; and provided further, that the privilege thus accorded to the riparian owner may at any time be revoked at the pleasure of the General Assembly, said revocation to take effect two years from the date of revocation. It shall be the duty of such owner or occupant to cause the same to be marked with suitable stakes, according to the assignment, and thereafter he shall have the exclusive right to the use thereof for the purpose aforesaid, and this privilege is accorded to said owner or occupant in consideration of the extra valuation, ordinarily assessed upon such land for the water privileges supposed to be Duties of the sur- attached thereto; provided, however, that the surveyor making the assignment of the reservation shall be paid by such owner or occupant a fee of five dollars, and if such owner or occupant shall sell any oysters from said reservation, he shall also pay an annual rent to the State of twenty-five cents per acre, and the like amount to the parish; said rents to be collected by the tax collector, and to be by him paid over, as provided for by section three of this act. If any portion of said water front herein reserved or provided for said riparian owner or occupiers of said land shall be occupied by others, with oysters actually planted thereon at the time a location is made of such reservation, the person so occupying the same shall have two years to remove said oysters so planted thereon; the balance of said water front or fionts in excess of that, is herein reserved for the riparian owner if not already owned by him by purchase from the State; the residue of the beds, of the bays, rivers, creeks and bayous, other than natural oyster beds, may be occupied by any person or persons for the pur, ose of planting oysters for the propagaLimit of time fixed tion of oysters thereon, and it shall be the duty of a y such for persons occupy; person desiring to obtain a location for planting or proby them to remove pagating oysters on any portion of of the water fronts the oysters there- and beds aforesaid not located or reserved, as herein before ing lands no owned from. provided for owners and occup ers of lands as aforesaid, to apply to a resident parish surveyor to have his location ascertained and designated, and the same shall be marked with suitable |