# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/17th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 44

Chap. XLIV.—An Act for the better organization of the district court of the United States within the state of Louisiana.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the more ​State of Louisiana divided into two districts, the western and eastern.convenient transaction of business in the courts of the United States within the state of Louisiana, the said state shall be, and the same is hereby, divided into two districts, in the manner following, to wit: The counties of Attakapas, Opelousas, Rapide, Natchitoches, and Ouachita, shall compose one district, to be called the western district of Louisiana; and all the remaining part of the said state shall compose another district, to be called the eastern district of Louisiana; and all criminal actions, or civil suits, which have arisen in the western district, together with all process, writs, recognisances, and records, belonging thereto, shall be transferred to the western district;Three stated sessions to be held annually for the eastern district at New Orleans, and one for the western at Opelousas Courthouse. and there shall be, annually, only three stated sessions of the district court for the eastern district, to be held at New Orleans, on the third Mondays of November, February, and May; and there shall be, annually, one stated session of the said court in the western district of the state, to be held at Opelousas Courthouse, to commence on the third Monday of August; and the district judge of the United States, for the state of Louisiana, is hereby authorized and required to hold special sessions of the said court, in the said western district, for the trial of criminal or civil causes, whenever he may deem it expedient: That all process, writs, and recognisances, of every kind, whether respecting juries, witnesses, bail, or otherwise, which relate to the cases to be tried at the said special sessions, shall be considered as belonging to such sessions, in the same manner as if they had been issued or taken in reference thereto: That any special session may be adjourned to any time, or times, previous to the next stated meeting of the district court: That all business depending for trial at any special court shall, at the close thereof, be considered as of course removed to the next stated term of the district court:Judge to appoint a clerk for the western district court. the said judge shall appoint a clerk of the said court in the western district, who shall reside, and keep the records of the court, at the place where the sessions of the court are held, and shall receive for the services performed by him, the same fees and compensation that are allowed to the clerk of the said court of the eastern district of the state, and shall be subject, in every respect, to the same responsibilities.
President to appoint a marshal and district attorney for the western district.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States, be, and hereby is, authorized to appoint one person as marshal, and one as district attorney, for the said western judicial district of the United States within the state of Louisiana, created by this act, and that the terms of appointment and service, together with the duties and responsibilities of the said marshal and district attorney, respectively, for the district aforesaid, be, in all respects, the same within their said district as the terms of appointment and services, the duties and responsibilities, of the marshal and district attorney, respectively, of the eastern district of the state of Louisiana; and said marshal shall receive such fees and emoluments as are received by the marshal of the United States for the state of Louisiana; and said attorney an annual compensation of two hundred dollars, and the same fees and emoluments as are allowed to the attorney of the United States, for the eastern district of Louisiana.
Approved, March 3, 1823.