The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-05-07
PUBLIC ROADS
Report OF the Grand Jury.

To the Hon. the Judge of the Eighth Judi
cial District of the State Of Louisiana
holding Court in and for the Parish o
Saint Landry.
The Grand Jurors of the State of Louisi
ana, duly empaneled and sworn, within ant
for the Parish of Landry, with respect re
plesent, that they have given that portion
Of your, Honor's charge relative to the CUB
lie roads Of the Parish, the consideration
demanded by the Importance of the subject
They find the condition of said roads deplo
rable. For the last ten years, little, or nc
labor has been expended upon them, and
the consequence now is, that even on ou1
most frequented public highways during
the entire winter season intercotnmuniea.
ton is almost entirely suspended.
The mile posts and sign boards required
by law are things of memory; and the
bridges on nearly all the public highways
of the country in such a condition as to en-.
danger alike the life and limb of the travel
err. In fact, we doubt if throughout any
other section of the Southern country, the
public highways are in so wretched a con-
dNion as in our own parish. This condi-
ton Of the public roads, SO detrimental to
the material ~aprospeEity Of the country, has
been sapernducsd by a variety Of causes,
chief amongst which may be enumerated,
the impoverished condition OF the country
caused by the war, and almost total failure
of the crops for two years thereafter, the
~disorganized condition of society, the preva-
lence of military rule rather than of law,
and last but not least the generally received
opinion caused by the different legislative
acts upon the subject that persons could not
be made to work upon the public roads.
In 1857 the Legislature passed an act
authorizing the Police Juries of the several
parishes throughout the State, the parish
of Orleans excepted, to levy and collect a
road tax. The generally received opinion,
however erroneous, was that this law re-
pealed all other laws, and hence a general
antipathy to labor on the public roads, has
grown up throughout the parish. Men Who,
work cheerfully in their fields, are 10th I'd,
be seen laboring upon the public roads and
highways, under charge of a road overseer;
and a resort to the means pointed out by
the act of 1920, would, we are certain in a
great majority Of cases, fail not only to co
cree the labor but to collect the fine impo
sed on failure of the party to comply.
The Grand Jury would further represent,
that taking into consideration the causes
enumerated, viz: The utter prostration of
the arish by the war and subsequent fail
ure of the crops, the decentralization, and
.diserganization Of society Induced thereby,
the long continuance of military rule-the
generally received opinion that men could
not be forced to work upon the public high
ways under charge Of a road overseer, the
difficulty attending the collection of fines
imposed on those who would not work as
by law, added to the almost cor
failure of the Courts for many years,
find not ouly ample reason why the
roads are in such condition, but whose du-
ty it Swas to have them worked, except the
road from Washington 10 Opelolsas, on
which Especial report is made, therefore
while at this term of Court they have not
presented road oYerseers for neglect Of du-
~ they earnestly hope that now since the
attention of the public has been so forcibly
called to this subject by your Honor, that
at the next term of Court, the law may be
enforced.
The importance of the subject demands
the restoration of law and order, and the
returning prosperity Of the country justify
It and have removed all reasonable Reuse
FOR not putting eur highways and roads
,nce more in proper condition, and We
justified in hoping that even be-
fore the meeting Of the next Grand Jury in
Saint Landry great and material changes
Tor the better will have taken place.
LEW. ID. PRESCOTT,
Foreman Of the Grand Jury.