Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1858-07-31
Communicated. I

* taS
lin your last number some remarks in re.
~lation to the mode Of distributing the
Poydras fund among the INDECENT girls
of this Parish, and | agree with you
that the plan now followed fails to carry
out the benevolent intentions OF the do,
nor.
The clauses in the will in relation-to
this donation and others ola similar
character are as follows:
"Je dome ct legue a la paroissc de Ia
Pointe Coupee, lieu de ma residence lla.
bituelle, trente mile piastres, ct u Ia.
quelle somme je dome la destination,
dams Pint6ret qu'elle donnera quasd ellie
sera acquise, de doter toutes les files
de cette paroisse qui t%ronveront l'occa,
sion de s'etablir par lie marriage. EFT les
infortun6es seront toujours preferees.
"Je dome ct legue a la meme paroisse,
vingt mile piastres, a l~aquelle somme
je dome cette destination, dams l'empioi
de l'int6r6t qu'elle pourra produire, de
contribuer a p%entretien dune academic
on dun college qui sera Superintendent
etabli dams la paroisse de la Pointe Cou-
pee.
"Je dome ct leguc a Ia paroisse d'ou'
est Baton Rouge, trente mile piastres,
pour que linteret de cette somme, lors-
qu'elle sera acquise, soft %uniquement
employee a doter les files de cette parois-
Sc qui %trouveront a Sc marier.
"J'en appelle aux lumieres ct a lhu.
mantle des membes de la Legislature
pour bonner une direction legale a Penn
plot DIES sommes que je viens de bonner
ct leguer aux susdites paroisses de la
Pointe Coupee ct d'Ouest Baton Rouge.
En- Sc penetrant des motifs qui mani
Fment, il leur sera facile de remplir mes
intentions.
Preference shall always be given to
the most needy (infortunees.) These
are all the directions which the testator
has given.
The Legislature in the act of 1925
provided that the interest should be
divided annually among those who shall
have been married the proceeding year,
in such manner as the Police Juries
shall prescribe, regard being had to the
greater or lesser degree of indulgence Of
among these whom the partition shall be
made. Thus the whole matter is left
entirely to the discretion Of the Police
Jury.
The manner in which the interest ON
this fund is now distributed is this
The names Of all the young ladies who
have married the preceding year are
obtained from the Clerk Of the Court,
(who is enabled to give them from
having issued licenses to each OF them
by the Police Jury at its June sitting,
and are published in the Parish Paper
for thirty or forty days.
If no opposition is made before the next
meeting Of the Police Jury the money
is divided among them all, equally,
whether rich or poor. / believe how
ever, that the Police Jury does, generally
reject the names Of persons who are
kmown to be in a~f1uent circumstances,
but if there is any doubt as to this, their
names are placed on the list. IF any OPP
position is made to any of the names,
which is rarely the case, the Police Jury
have to decide whether the person OPP
posed shall partake Of the fund OF not.
From the language of the testator it
is evident that he did not intend all
should receive the same amount what
ever their circumstances might be, but
that the degree Of indulgence of each
should be taken into consideration, and
they who have nothing should be pre-
ferred or receive more than those who
have.
Such are also the provisions Of the
law above referred to. For instance,
suppose there are $1,000 to be divided
among eight girls, four Of whom have
say $500 each, and the others have moth
ing.
Tie four who have nothing should
receive $3.50 each, and the others only
$50 each. which would make them all
equal, and the wishes of the testator and
provisions Of law would be carried out.
The names of many girls are placed
on the list because they have nothing
themselves, while their parents, If not
rich, are at least far from benig in indi-