New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-01
NO. 90.
AN ACT

the Parish Of st. Landry, and TO repea
all existing laws on the same subject
matter.
SECTION !. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives of the State
of Louisiana in General Assembly convened
That the Inhabitants of the town of-Wash-
ington, in the parish of st. Landry, be and
they are hereby made body corporate and
polite by the name of the town of Wash
ington, and as such can sue and be sued,
plead and be implicated, and shall possess
the right OF common seal, and have
power the same to amend, alter and change
| at pleasure.
SEC 3 Be it further enacted, ETC., That
the limits of the town of Washington afore.
said shall be included in the following
| boundaries, viz: North by Bayou COurta-
beau, west by Bayou Carron, northwest by
the division line between the property Of
DIR. John Moore and Mr.. Carso from one
| baJo 10 the other, and southeast by line
beginning At point just above the old saw
mill on the Bayou Courtsbleau, twelve hun
dred and twenty fSur feet below granite
post at the lower corner of the town,
| and running thence south furty-fve degrees
west parallel with the division between the
| properly Of Messrs. Offutt Brothers and
| Thomas Gardner to the Bayou Carron.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, ETC.. That
| the name Board OF Police" and "Presi-.
| dent of the same, shall be changed to that
| of " Town Council and Mayor" OF the town
| OF Washington.
| SEC. 4. Be it further enacted ETC., That
the present incumbents Of office in said
| town shall continue in office under the
| name herein given, until the first Monday
| OF May eighteen hundred ard seventy one
at which time, and every two years there
after, Mayor and tour Councilmen shall be
| elected by the qualified voters of the town,
n hpIr +Nr t1,a irI oT
years. Said election shall be held BY g.
| magistrate and two commissioners, appoint.
| ed by the Mayor, and in the event Of the
| death. or refusal of the Mayor to act then,
and in-that case the Town Council shall APP
| point said magistrate and commissioners 10
| hold said election.
SEC. 5. Be il further enacted, etc. That
the corporation of said town. under the
name and style herein given, shall have
perpetual succession of office, and shall have
the right to buy and sell, to hold and enjoy
property OF any description not prohibited
by law, and generally to exercise all the
| rights OF pereons III relation to property,
| real and personal, provided the same be for
municipal purposes.
SEC. G. Be it further enacted. etc., That
the Mayor and CouDcilmen, before entering
upon the discharge of the duties prescribed
by this act, shall lake ard subscribe the
Z
under the constitution and laws Of this
State.
SEC. 7. Be it further enacted. etc. That
the Mayor shall be commissioned by The
Governor justice Of the peace, who shall
exercise civil and criminal Jurisdiction. The
said Mayor shall preside at all meetings of
the Town Council. and shall Call meeting
thereof whenever he shall deem il neces-
ssry; he shall execute and sustain all laws
and ordinances passed by the Council, and
shall only vote when there is Il tie. By vir.
tue Of his Office he shall have, in order to
enforce the laws and ordinances Of the
Council, fuii AID exclusive authority ana
power TO try ali otfense5 against, OR viola
ito IS OF the same, upon 3 simple rule to
show cause Immediately, or as such time
and place as he may judge proper, to com
mand the Town Constable, upon war
rant and execution, signed by him in
his official capacity, to execute his order or
judgment, and satisfy the same by sei2ing
and txposing for sale, with the usual fer
malities in ordinary cases, the property, real
and personal of the persons against whom
any judgment shall by him be rendereeor
by committing the offender or ofJeL ders, to
jail as the case may be.
SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, ETC.. That
the Mayor and Council shall, as soon as they
are indicted into Office, appoint the follow
ing officers, tO-wit: One Constable, one
Assessor, one Collector, one Treasurer, and
such other officers not herein provided, as
said Mayor and Council may deem necessary,
to hold their offices until their successors
shall be appointed, who shall take an oath
faithfully to perform their duties, and shall
give such bond and security as the Council
BY their laws may require.
SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, etc, That
it shall be the duty of the Seer, tary of the
Town Council to be present at all Its meet.
lngs, and I'm Ter the direction of the Mayor.
to keep fair and correct journal of their
proceedings, in books kept for that pur-
pose. He shall attest all laws passed by the
Mayor and Council. and signed by the
Mayor. He shall file all papers belonging
to them, and do and perform such other
duties as may be imposed by the Mayor and
Council.
SEC. 10. Be it further enacted. ETC., That
the Constable shall attend the meetings Of
the Council, and execute such summons,
warrants or orders as the Mayor, by this
set, ls authorized 10 issue, rs well during
the recess as during their sittiLrrs. In case
of the sickness or absence of the Constable
the Mayor shall appoint suitable person
to discharge the duties Of the Office.
SEC ii. Be il further enacted, etc., That
it shall be the duty Of the Assessor and Col
leCtor to assess aud collect the town taxes;
they and the Treasurer shall make an ex-
hlbIt OF their accounts whenever required
TO do so by the Council. and for any Gere-
LECTION OF duty or defalcation they, Or either
of them, shall be deprived Of their func-
tons, and prosecuted before any court Of
competent Jurisdiction. The Assessors
shall have the same power TO assess, and
the Collector the same power to collect all |
taxes due the corporation as the Assessor
and Collector OF State and parish taxes now
have under existing laws, and such other
powers as the Mayor and Council may de. |
termine.
SEC. IL. Be it further enacted. ETC.. That |
the Mayor and Council shall have power |
and authority to levy and collect annually |
such tax on real estate as they may deem |
necessary for the improvement of the town, |
for the comfort and convenience of it's in. |
habtants, and for maintaining well organ. |
lied police; provided said tax shall not ex.
coed one per centum of the assessed value |
of all the real estate within the corporation.
They shall have power to impose such a tax |
as they may think proper on all stores,
wholesale and retail, retailers of spirituous
liquors, tavern-keepers, keepers of billiard |
tables, grog shops, restaurants, ten pin
alleys, beer, wine or cake shops, exhibitions, !
hawkers, pedars, auctioneers, boarding |
houses, livery stables, carts, wagons, drays,
and carriages running for hire, steamboats,,
fatboats, or other water crafts landing with
In the limits OF the town, and on ali other
property, occupations, trades or professions,
not enumerated above, should they deem 1t
expedient or necessary.
SEC ID Be it further enacted, etc., That |
the taxes assessed under and in pursuance
of this act shall constitute first privilege
and lien on ell the property so assessed. to
rank next after the privilege and lien given
by law for the collection of State taxes.
SEC IA Be it further enacted, etc., That
1t shall be lawful for the Mayor and Council
to enact from lime Ia TING snch lava end