New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-04-06
The District court for western Louisiana
From the Monroe 1ntelligencer.J

H From the Monroe Inteligencer.J
states in Congress assembled:
The memorial of citizens of that part of the
State Of Louisiana embraced within the district OF
country which the United States district court
for the western district of the State of Louisiana
has lurisdlction as organized under the act of
Congress, entitled " an act for the better organi-
cation of the district court of the United States
within the State of Louisiana, y approved March g.
lS49 respectfully petition your honorable bodies
for the purpose OF protesting, in the name of the
citizens Of this district against the repeal of the
above recited act of Congress, the repeal of which
has been prayed for in petition of Miles Taylor,
Christian Roseius, and thrty-four other members
| OF the New Orleans bar to your honorable bodies.
Your memorialists respectfully solicit the atten-
ton of your honorable bodies to the history of the
organization of the United States district court for
the western district Of the State of Louisiana.
which is sought to be abolished. LPt
+ This court was first established by act of Con
gress, approved March 3, 1928, (see Statutes at
large vol, 8, p.7!4, and held its sittings at Ope-
iousas, only. This act was repealed by act Of Con-
gress, approved February 49, 1916, (see Stat at
large1vol.5 p. 772) which fixed the court at New
Orleans for the whole State. sa ss-as5b .-sr
The act of Congress which Mr.. Miles TAYLOR,
Christian Roselius, and the thirty four other mem
bers of the New Orleans bar, petition to have re-
9pealed is the act tre-estabishng the United States
courts for the Western District of the State of
Louisiana, approved March 8, 1S49. BY this act
this court was to be held at five places in the West
ern District, to wit: at Opelousas, Alexandria,
Shreveport, Monroe and st. Josephs, (see Bright
ley's D., p. 5s3, 556 and y. This increase of the
places, of holding the courts was doubtless owing
to the rapid settlement of the State.
Y twill be perceived, by reference to the State
of Louisiana that it is State of medium SIZE and
extending over six hundred miles from southeast
to northwest, and that New Orleans is situated
near Its southeastern boundary. The western dis
trict embraces the whole of the extreme western
and northern parishes of the State, including
twenty-six parishes, and much of it is over six
hundred miles from New Orleans by any travelled
route, and perhaps no part Of it nearer tkan one
hundred and fifty miles from New Orleans. Shreve
port, the most important city in the district is
over six hundred miles from New Orleans and
Monroe, the next most important point in the dis
trict, is over five hundred miles from New Or
leans. tss 5sft NJ. 0s
The main reason assigned for abolishihg the
United States district court in this district in is45
was the same assigned by Mr.. Miles Taylor and
Others in their petition in this case: that there
was too little business in the district to Justify the
But upon trying it for only three years and at a
time when the population and business was far
less than it is now. it was found indispensably
cessary that this court should be established in
order to protect the citizens OF this part of the
State from the vexation and oppression that re-
suited from being sued in New Orleans, SO far
away from their domieis that they could not give
their cases that personal attention necessary, that
tnsy could not procure the attendance OF witnesses
without ruinous sacrifices both to themselves and
the witnesses, and the costs Of the marshals for
serving writs, and mileage of witnesses sweIled
the costs 70 an amount ruinous to the ltgants. It
was found that as soon as the court in the western
district was abolished that great number of suits
were instituted IN the United States district court
IN New Orleans against citizens in this district,
that would have been brought in the United States
ceurt IN the western district: for the reason that
attorneys in New Orleans who received claims
from their correspondents living out Of the State
citizens q this district could institute suits
~ .ne court IN New Orleans, of which privilege
saey avalled themselves, regardless Of the runous
consequences TO the defendants. This vexation
ana Of the citizens Of this district eoud
1niy be obyiated by the re-establishment OF tie
uned States courts in the western district, which