New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-04-16
JOURNAL
LAWS OF LOUsSIsy
No.aS.l

No. as.l
An AcN OF THE BoARr
aEIATrvE TO THE oReANpHE< TowN or opE-
or poLICE IN AND
loosAs. acted blythe Senate and
SECTION L. Bedtatives OF the state q
House Of Bepeneral Assembly convened,
Louisiana uafter the passage OF TINS acs,
That from male inhabitants residing WITHIN
all free ysof the town of Opelousas, VINO
the ike attained the age Of twenty-one
shaUof and are citizens OF the limited
yess, and Of the State OF LOUISIANA, shall
Set at the court house in said town, on the
g6rst Monday III April Of every year, to elect
IN ballot seven freeholders of said town, as
members Of the board Of police, OF
seIectmen 81 said town. as hereinafter
directed Provided, That those who vote
N such members of the board o.
Doiice or selectmen, shall have resided pre-
Il yious to said election, six months uninter
ruptedly within the limits of said town !: and
also, that no person shall be eligible as {
member Of the board Of police, or selectme,
OF said town Of Opelousas, who has not at
tained tie age Of twenty-five years, who il
not citizen Of the State, and who has moi
resided previous to said election twelve calen-
dar months uninterruptedly within the limits
Of the town Of 0pelousas. a3
SEC. 2, BE it further enacted. etc, That
4 the aforesaid election shall be held at the
court house in said town, at the times aiore-
said, which shall be conducted by ballot.
The polls shall be opened 1T nine O'Clock IN
the forenoon and closed at four o'clock ia the
evening, and shall Le superintendent BIZ the
clerk Of the district court in and for the
parish of ST. Landry, and two EeeholdeFs,
residents for at least six months in said town.
III the event Of the inability to attend orao-
sence of said clerk of the court, the president
of the said board Ito be chosen as hereinafter
directedl shall appoint three freehelders resi-
dents for at least six months in said town, to
hold said election. The clerk Of the court
shall give at least ten days notice Of said cleo
ton, IN d newspaper, if any be published IN
said town, or, in the absence of any news
paper, by posting up advertisements to that
effect The seven persons who shall obtain
the greatest number Of votes, shall be de-
clared duly elected as members of the board
of police Of the town of Opelousas, to serve
for one year from the day on which they are
elected, OF until their successors are elected.
SEc. 81 Be it further enacted, etc, That
If the persons thus authorized and appointed
to superintend the election aforesaid shall fail
to perform the duties herein imposed, they
and each Of them shall forfeit and pay the sum
Of fifty dollars as penalty for said failure, to
be recovered before any court of competent
Jurisdiction, unless prevented by sickness OF
events beyond their control, which penalty
shall be for the use of said town, and subject
to the disposal of the board of police.
SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, ETC., That
the members of the board of police of the
town Of Opelousas, before they enter upon
the duties of their offices, shall take an oath,
or shall affirm, Gas the case may be-, before
some judge OF justice of the peace, to sup
port the Constitution and laws of the United
States, and Of this State, and to faithfully
perform their duties impartially and to the
\ best of their abilities, which oath shall be
certified to BY said judge or justice Of the
peace on the certificate of election.
SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, etc, That
in case of q vacancy in said board of police
either by death, resignation or removal O
any member of said board, it shall be til,
duty Of the president Of said board ito b
chosen as hereinafter directed, TO post III
written notices of such vacancy within twent,
days after the said vacancy shall happen, an(
in said notices to fir a day for filing the sait
vacancy by d new election, to take place al
the court house aforesaid, Within twenty days
after the date Of said notice, at which election
the said president Of the board and one other
member thereof may preside and give such
certificate as Is directed in this act.
SEo. 6. Be it further enacted. etc, That
the said members Of the board of police to be
elected pursuant to the provisions Of this act,
shall meet on the second Monday in April OF
every year. and afterwards on their own adj
ou1nments. and at every annual meeting on
the second Monday of April. The members
shall proceed If there be a majority of them,
to elect one Of their own number as president,
which election shall be signed by the mem
beTs of the board and transmitted to the Gov
erTor Of the State, who is hereby requested
to give the person SO chosen as president a
commission as Justice Of the peace in and fol
the Incorporated limits of the. said town of
Dpelousas, which commission Shall BE for ard
during the time the said person shall be
president of the said board Of police, and by
virtue Of which he shall have power to try
all otfenses against the laws and regulations
of said board Of police, and to assess such fines
and toindict such penalties as the said board
may have fixedfor non-obseryance or breach
of their laws and regulations ; and by q war
rant signed by him in his official capacity to
command the town constable; to be APP
pointed as hereinafter directed, to cause his
Judgment to be satisfied, by Selling and ex-
posing TO sale to the highest bidder, the goods
and chattels Of the person against whom such
Judgment shall be rendered; Provided, Such
person shall iail TO pay the sum. after three
days notice of said Judgment, to be made BY
said constable and all moneys So recovered.
as aforesaid, shall be paid into the hands of
the treasurer, Ito be appointed as hereinafter
directed, ] for the benefit Of the town of Ope-
1ousas. And il any person shall be arrested
in the night time, he shall be brought by the
keeper Of the public prison, next morning
before the said president of the board Of
police, on any magistrate residing in the said
corporation of Opelousas, to show cause, ii
any he has, why the line and imprisonment
imposed by laws or by the regulations Of the
forced against him, and the keeper Of the
public prison Of the parish of st. Landry is
hereby required to receive and keep in his
custody all persons that may be delivered to
him by virtue Of any law OF regulation of the
said board Of police, and the said keeper shall
have the right to demand and receive for
each person So delivered the sum of one dol
lar as prison fees, and thirty and a halt
cents per day for maintenance, to be paid by
the person 50 committed and if the person
so committed cannot pay the said fees and
maintenance, the same shall be paid by the
said town. The said president shall preside
Ct the meetings Of said board of police, shall
sign al laws end regulations passed by said
noard, she'll have power to call special meet
lngs when he shall deem it necessary, and
snaA commission all officers of said town to
pe up pointed BY virtue of this act.
SEC. 2. Be 1t further enacted. etc. That
an the event Of the absence of the president
o. SAD board Of police, the members thereof
shall nave power TO elect one of their number
pro tenn, "
SEC. s Be it further enacted ~ M.
the said board Of police shall appoint q. clerk