The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-08-03

TION OF LAWS.
TO the Honorable the Police Jury Of the
Parish of Rapides:
Gentlemen:- Your Attorney, in
structed by you to revise and rcpub-
lish all the laws relating to Police in
ries generally and particularly to the
Police Jury of this Parish, has the hon
or to make the following report to
your Honorable body, and to submit
herewith five hundred copies of the
said compilation as the result of his
labors.
His object was to put in the hands OF
the Police Jury in convenient form,
such compilation of the laws relative
to its powers and duties as should en-
brace everything they wished to have
before them, without being too prolix
on the one hand or too brief and con
densed on the other.
He has kept THAT object constantly
before him, and sincerely trusts that
the result will meet the expectations
and merit the approval of your Honor
able body.
He has taken much pains in examin-
ing the Acts of the Legislature since
1855 to 1870 inclusive, as we'll as the
last revised statutes published by au-
thority of the present Legislature, and
can confidently assure you that moth
ing has escaped his attention through
negligence or want of care.
He finds that while there have been
some material changes in the laws re-
lating to Police Juries Of late years;
yet that the main body of them have
suffered no change and stand as they
did in days ante bcllum.
He would call your attention, how
ever, to the following changes, to-wit
SCHOOLS.
The Act No. 121 of the Legislature
in the Acts of 1869, changes entirely
the old public school law and divests
the Police Juries of any and all contro
Of the public schools, and places thu
entire management of them in tho
hands of State Board of Directors
and Division Boards of Superintcn-
dents. 1t moreover provides that or
| the first Monday in March of every
year all the voters of the Parish OF
| School District may assemble and may
| vote tax, not to exceed five mills OF
the dollar, for school purposes.
| ELECTIONS.
The Acts of 1868 (No. 164) change
the old election law i'll regard to cleo
tions, and places the control of al
State elections in Board of Registers
and Commissioners to be appointed b,
them. Your Attorney believes, how
ever, that this Jury has right to APP
point Commissioners for all parochia
elections without registration.
TAXES.
There has been no material chang
in the laws relating to roads and levces
The Acts of 1870 (Act No. 6S) pro
hibits the levying of tax more tina
two per centum on the cash value Q
all property in the Parish, and NOR
than one hundred per centum on tn
State tax for any one year, and prohib
its the per capita tax Of SIS permittc
| by former Act
He might refer to other changes, bu
refers Your Honorable body TO til
compilation itself, where he believe
You will find them all in their order
As regards the management of the dii
ferent headings, he has endoavored t
follow the most natural order and Iai
TO a certain extent, followed the gene
raj plan of the old revised statutes ,
the State.
He commenced with the Organic
ton of the Jury, then its Powers an
Duties, then Roads and Levees an
Miscellaneous Subjects. As far ;
practicable each subject is in cliaptc
to itself that it may be readily reiere
10 by liz lnaliuna 4 rcnardS the O.