New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-23


thousand dollars. OF, in other words,
the total present salaries of these
judges being tifty-fou thousand dol
lars this bill increases them to
eighty-one thousand dollars. The saI,-
iies of Judges now receiving twenty-five
hundred dollars each now amount to
sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars
twelve thousand five hundred dollars
In short the total existing salaries being
now one hundred and sixteen thous-
and five hundred dollars, will
be increased by this bill to Si56.0D0. Be
| sides this there are three new parishes pro-
posed. in each of which there will of course
be Il parish judge, making $4,000 more,
which will increase the total salaries of
| parish judges in the State to Slb5, 900. In
| than three probate cases have ever been
entered. In the parish of ST. Tammany
| there have been but three cases brought
before the parish Judge. In the parish of
| Washington | venture to say there are no
more. but in the parish OF Claiborne. in the
| parish of st. Landry i'll the parish of Caddo,
| and in one or two more cases. the appeals
| from the Justice courts amount to some
| thing. while III Washington and ST. Tam
many there is hardly ever an appeal. These
parish judges receive, in addition to their
salaries. certain fees and emOlumcntS which
with the proposed increase. would make
their salaries in some of these parishes equal
10 that Of the district judge. five thousand
dollars year. | am creditably informed
by gentlemen who have had experience by
practising their profession as lawyers that
in many of the parish courts the Judge re-
fuses to enter an appeal unless the sum of
ton dollars Is paid in advance by the
person taking the appeal; and some
men have been prevented from prose
cutting their cases to Il conclusion in
these parish courts merely for the want of
ten dollars topay this fee. have been told
this by lawyers and by judges, by the district
bill TO make the salary Of the parish Judge
three thousand dollars and to allow him
no fees, | say it Is unconstitutional from
the simple fact that the Supreme Court has
already decided that tho Legislature can
not give them salary and deprive them
of the right to receive fees "a expressly
provided in the constitution of the State.
As have shown already, TO increase the
salaries of these parish Judges will increase
the taxation, and besides will only whet the
appetite of certain gentlemen to grab il
little more money out OF the treasury OF the
State. | hope the Senate will indefinitely
postpone the bill.
Mr.. Lewis: 1t is true the increase Of these
salaries will necessarily increase the State
expenses: but l notice one observation of
the gentleman that the prescn. class of
parish judges, according to his information
had been in the habit Of making persons
pay certain amounts before they would en-
tertain an appeal. If this he true suggest
it is high time the salaries of the parish
judges should be increased SO as to enable
honest mon to take the position. If i is a
fact patent to the gentleman that so many
of these parish judges exact fees from poor
men in order to exc out the pittancr on
which they live, then, sir there is bad ma
tcrial in the Office now. and it is much bet
ter to give larger price and get material
that is honest and efficient. One of the gen
tleman's objections is that the parish
judges living in the large parishes get no
more. under this bill than Judges who live
in a very Sparsely populated country: but
they have all to live upon their salaries, and
the gentlemen who hold Office in the popu-
lous districts. where their business is in
creased fOurtold. have Il proportiona.ely
larger income from the perquisites they re-
ceve. This law provides that there shall be
no perquisites. and that the office shall live
on the salary of his office. Then. s;r. their
salaries should be such as will produce good
material, such us will induce men of ability
and men of the stlictest integrity to take
the Office. and then am inclined to think
there would not be so much complaint about
the parish Judges exactng small fees.
Mr. Blackman: | hope this bill Will not
pass. Year after year. year after year. mem
bers of the Legislature rise for the purpose
of increasing the salaries of officers OF the
State, and Louisiana to-day is more o;fcercd
those officers are better paid. and the State
is worse ruled than any other State in the
Union. Tho argument of the gentleman
from st. James Mr.. Hunsaker that the
salaries should be increased in order to get
merit. capacity and integrity. is perfectly
ridiculous and absurd. The more an office
pays. the moro corrupt. incapacitated and
unit for the position is the man who usually
gets into it. That is the history OF the State
in which We live | assert to-day that the
salary OF tho parish judges is sufficiently
largc-entircIy too large for the men who
fill the position. No professional, ability is
required by the constitution. The most
humble citizen can fill the position. A Sen
ator, now present informs me that the par
ish Judge of his parish can scarcely read
l state they are doubly paid, yea, ten times
paid. in comparison with the ability and
capacity they possess. Isay it is wrong: not
only wrong to increase the salaries of par
ISL Judges. but wrong to increase the salary
of Supreme Court judges. When these
men were elected to Office they knew what
their salary was i'll law. That salary is
sufficiently large; it gives them a competent
anu eoou supl'oIt. nope tHat t1lS luolIon
to postpone will prevail. Let gentlemen
remember that while we are here we ought
at least to protect the interests of this
State. We have no right to throw away
the money of the people. The constitution
fixes these salaries. and we have no right to
change them. If these people are unwilling
to discharge the duties of their office let
them resign; and l will guarantee there will
be thousands upon thousands willing to
take these offices ut the salary fixed by law
Mr. Futch: This proposition was submit
ted to the Committee on Judiciary. 1t was
discussed. l participated in that discus
think the salaries of parish judges ought to
be raised, and l support the bill because l
think it will secure better parish judges.
At the present time the parish judges ara
the most important judges in our State.
They handle more cases than the judges OF
the Supreme Court themselves. hold We
ought to bring good men i'll competition for
these Offices 1t may not be that when
these salaries are raised there will be a
great many more competitors for these
offices. but it will bring a better class of
competitors. Now you can not ask a good
lawyer to run for the office. will hazard
the assertion that there is not one good
lawyer throughout this State holding the
position of parish Judge. Give sufficient
salary, and lawyers will accept the office.
l don't care to what party they belong, so
that they are good lawyers.
Mr.. Anderson said lac was i'll favor OF the
bill.
question to postpone indefinitely, resulted
i'll Il tie vote.
The Chair ruled that tho motion to post
nI, ;.I