Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-01-31
Judge RoBertson's Charge to the Grand
Jury

last Ny JuuSO w." NHSNJS 49,
clear and comprehensive. He explained the
different criminal laws prevailing in this couno
try, obtained from the common law of Eng
Iand-the punishment under those laws, in the
various degrees Of guilt pertaining TO the of
fences mentioned by them-and was very mis-
mute in his instructions respecting the duties
of the Grand Jury, its privileges and powers.
The Introductory remarks and comments of
the Judge relative TO those laws which the Le-
g~islature %enjoins him to call the attention of
the Grand Jury, were peculiarly appropriate
and correct.
In introducing the law relative to the preser~
walton Of public timber, the Judge took occa~
sion to animadvert severely upon the manner
in which the magnificent donation which Cons
gress gave to Louisiana in l848 (the Swamp
Lands) has been taken care of, which, he as
serted, has become comparatively worthless
by ignorance or Encouragement on one hand,
and on the other, by allowing spectators to
enter all the valuable lands, leaving only that
portion which cannot for a long length of time,
if ever, be rendered valuable or available
OF course, past legislation is responsible for
the evil.
The subject of Education was among those
which the Legislature thought necessary or pos
litic for the District Judges to bring to the es-
pecial attention of the Grand Juries of the
State. He deprecated very much the present
system, or the manner in which the public
schools generally are conducted throughout
the State. There was a time, said Judge Ro~
BERTsoN, when the public schools in West Ba-
ton Rouge (the parish of his residence) pre-
scented a sound and healthy condition-but
now a very different aspect prevails; the re-
mark is equally applicable to Iberyille. Now,
the public schools are in a wretched condition
in that parish and again we can make the
same remark about them here-and we pre-
sumo the same remark can be truthfuIly made
respecting them throughout the State; all is
confusion and disorder connected with this i'm
portant branch Of Legislative duty. The Judge
recommended TO the Grand Jury that they
memorabilia the Legislature to ~reinstate the
system of Parish Superintendents. which for
merly prevailed, and then the public schools
were in a comparatively iourishing condition.
Now there is no head to the public schools in
the parishes, or Pretty nearly SO, and as a mats
ter of course, no good could grow out Of such
a system. Here in Iberville, where the popu-
Iation is so thick, the plan of Parish Superin~
tendent is peculiarly applicable. The Judge
paid a high compliment to Prot. DmITRY, who
had travelled through the State, made himself
thoroughly acquainted with the subject and the
requirements of the people, and made one of
the best reports on the subject ever presented
10 our Legislature, and who, moreover, drafted
at the same time the best law ever enacted in
State upon Education, in which the pae
superintendent plan was embraced, and its
efficacy established.
The subject of the retail liquor license, as
t exists in this parish, was pretty severely
and deseryedly so, we thought. The
Judge read the Police Jury law of this parish
IN the subject, and commented upon it in no
fattering terms. Thirty dollars is the amount
asked for a license, which any person can
obtain on application TO the Police Jury clerk.
long as such a law exists, we will hear Of
numerous complaints of selling liquor to slaves.
he asserted, and justly, that no mar need
wish a handsomer fortune than the right of
liquor TO slaves in this or any other pa
ish and with the law as it now stands, any
ow and unprincipled fellow could obtain a
license, and restrained by no law, moral or le-
raj, fill his pockets by the ruin Of our slaves,
nd thereby endaDger our lives by thus excite
ng their passions.
THE remainder Of our synopsis Of Judge
toBERTsoN's charge to the Grand Jury, we are
compelled to defer till next week-being our
elf on the Petit Jury, it was only at a late
our on yesterday, when necessity compelled
IS TO seek permission, that we obtained the
Of giving our attention to the issues
1g Of our paper, which nevertheless is delay
d to a late hour.]