Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-02-04
SHERIFFS AND SUGGESTIONS.

bill was offered a few days since iu the
House Of the present Legislature, by, we be-
lieve, Mr.. Mckay of the city delegation, to
give to the Sheriff of the parish of Orleans the
exclusive right to sell all succession property.
The bill-as all bills do which involves pecu>
mary interests relative to others as well as the
parties concerned--was Immediately met by
strong opposition. from the New Orleans press.
with the exception however of the True Della,
which, very justly we think, took ground in
favor Of the bill.
Stree the bill was offered, it has been amen
ded il we are not mistaken, so as to embrace
all the Sheriffs of the State. If it has not
been thus amended, it ought to be.
The friends of the bill, in the Legislature
and out of it, urge as strong reason why the
Sheriff should have the right, exclusively, TO
sell the property of SUGGESTIONS, that it is an
office Of great responsibility-that a very large
sum has to be given by that officer as security
for the faithful performance of his various du-
ties and trusts-that it is an office calling for
good and able men, who should be paid in &C.
cordance with their responsibility and the va
lue of their services-and that without such
privilege 1--WE will not term it that prejudiced
word monopoly, which the enemies of the bill
use) the perquisites of the office would not be
sufficient compensation, which, all will admit,
should be a handsome salary.
AS far as we have any knowledge upon the
subject, we think, as a matter of justice to the
sheriff, and to ensure greater security to Wi
dcws and orphans, the bill should at once pass /;
for, certainly it would be safer for the sheriff
to receive and handle the funds of succession
sales, than tom, Dick Or Harry" with an auc-
~tioneer's commission fresh in his pocket, with
no public character at stake, and who, in fact,
might have a very limited reputation as a pri-
vate citizen.
Every State in the Union except Louisiana,
as we learn, gives succession sales exclusively
to the sheriff. This fact alone is sufficient proof
that it is right that it should be so.
As an instance in point, proving that some
such privilege should exist in favor of sheritfs,
we can state the fact, that for the last year that
the late sheriff of this parish was in office, and
probably longer, he scarcely made enough to
support himself from the receipts of his office
There were few execution sales, and he did not
get more than one-third of the succession
sales, if that many.
We conceive that no country member will
vote against this bill (f it embraces all the
sheriffs in the State) who reflects a moment
upon it. As a matter of righ-right to the
widow and orphan, and to the sheriff. should
become a law. But we are in favor of it for
other reasons as well. The passage of the bill
will diminish the number of Auctioneers in the
State, and as they are appointed by the Cover
nor, it will, consequently, be diminishing the
number Of public offices, which is in itself a
b~!essing-for in proportion to the number of
petty Offices within the gift Of the Executive
will there be a corresponding number OF loaf
ing "hangers-on" to the skirts of power, ready
begging to get an appointment which barely
gives them their bread, when, if there was no
such triaing Office to be disposed of, such indi-
viduals might be induced to 60 to work and be
of some benefit to themselves and to the world.
We trust that our delegation, at least, will sup.
port the bill and if proper thought is honest-
ly given to the subject by all, its passage is
certain.