Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1860-11-24
PROJECT OF A CODE WITH REGARD TO
PATROLS. IN AND FOR THE PARISH
or POINTE COUPEE.

ARTICLE l. In ordinary eases, there shall be at
least one natrol, and not more than two per week,
in each patrol district. The limits Of the patrol
districts shall be the same as those OF the police
iury districts. A director OF patrols for each
district shall be appointed each year at
ART. 2. All the white male population, from
the ages of Is to so. shall be held subject to pa
troll duty, when called on. The directors and
captains of patrols must be shareholders or sons
of slave holders. The directors of patrols shall
have the right to divide their districts into as
many sections as they may think proper, and to
appoint a captain for each section.
ART. 3. Every patrol shall be made in conform
itv to a written order, addressed to the captain
of each section, by the director of the district.
The patrol shall consist of five persons, to be
taken in their order on the list of persons subject
to patrol duty. Patrols shall be made on foot or
on horseback, according to the orders of the
captain. During the patrol. the men composing
it are bound to obey the orders of the captain.
ART. 4. Any slave found without a pass from
his owner, or the agent of his owner, beyond the
limits of his owners plantation. shall be detained
by the patrol. 1t shall be the duty of the cap
tain of the patrol to notify, as soon as possible,
the owner of the slave thus detained of his ar
rest; and the owner shall pay to the captain for
each slave thus arrested, if on foot, one dollar; if
on horseback. two dollars. If a slave arrested
as above shall refuse to tell the lame of his owner.
or if arrested at a distance of more than ten
miles from the plantation of his said owner,
he shall be considered as a runaway, and COM
mitted to the parish prison.
ART. 5. Within the twenty-four hours after the
patrol, the captain must make bis report to the
director, detailing in it what has taken place with
regard to the police of slaves during the preced-
ing round. He shall also report the men of the
patrol who may have refused, while in the per-
Torrance of their duty, to obey his orders. Every
captain, refusing or neglecting to make the above
report, shall be subject to a fine of five dollars for
each offense, recoverable before any competent
tribunal at the instance of the director.
ART. 6. Each director of patrols shall keep a
book. in which shall be unregistered the orders
by him given to the different captains, as also the
reports made to him by the latter. This book
shall be submitted to the inspection of the police
jury at it's regular sessions, accompanied by the
reports of the captains, under a penalty of SIS
for each contravention, and further, the forfeiture
of his salary for three months. The above fine
shall be recoverable, at the instance of the Par
ish Attorney, before any competent tribunal.
ART. Z. The fines received under the provisions
of the 18th Article, shall form q special fund for
patrol purposes. Each director of patrols shall
receive $50 a year for his services. Each cap
tain ofpatrol shall receive IS cents for each round
which he shall report. Each man of the patrol
shall receive so cents for each round. Every
person subject to patrol duty who refuses to at
tend confornably to the orders of the captain,
without a good and valid excuse, shall be subject
to a fine of So for each refusal, recoverable, at
the instance of the captain, before any competent
tribunal.
ART. 8. The patrol shall arrest and commit to
prison all white persons or free persons of color
whom they may find, either in negro quarters or
in company with slaves, and who may appear to
be suspicious or dangerous. The captain of pa
trolls should take.with him, during his round, the
order of the director appointing him as such;
otherwise the patrol shall not be considered
legal.
ART. 8. 1t shall be the dirty of the directors of
patrols to make from time to time a visit of in
s%pection to the negro quarters and negro cabins
of their respective districts. The director shall
for this purpose put in requisition the number of
men that he shall think proper; and before going
into the quarters or cabins, shall notify the pro-
prietor thereof. This notice may be made verb
ally or in writing. The proprietor or agent who
| may refuse to permit the visit of the director, shall
be subject to a fine of at least $50 and not more
than $500 for each offense, to be recovered, at the
instance of the Parish Attorney, before any CON-
petent tribunal.
ART. 10. In the exercise of his functions, and
particularly during his visits to the cabins and
quarters, the director Of patrols shall be bound
to present to every person who may request it
the commission which he holds from the police
jury. None of the directors acts shall be con-
sidered legal unless he complies with the preced-
ing regulations
ART. ii. Every patrol shall have the right to
enter into the grog-shops, ~taverns, or stores when
ever they have reason to suppose that they are
disorderly, or that there are slaves there assem-
bled. p. BOUANCHAUD.