New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-12


bill No. g. entitled IAN oct recognizing ths
PcnUsJo1ss ofSAD1 gzse; Dsk6kyDgpSfn
judges membe1, and perform the duties Of
presidents thereof, pfeserihing the number
thereof, and the mode of election, and fix
ing their duties. and congregation, and
MAKING clerks Of the district courts in each
parish clerks OF the police juries, and pro
SSidi1g how their compensation shall BE-
| The bill was taken mp section BY section
and the first section read.
Mr.. Ingraham: can not see any neces
| eity for the passage Of bill Of this kind
Ever since the first organization of the
State a. State, in 1872, down to the pres
emit time, We have had in force the same
system Of organizing police juries through.
out the State, and It has been found to
work well and satisfactorily to the people.
It is strange, indeed, that at this late day
| an act should be introduced into the Gen
eral Assembly to do away with the police
juries entirely.
Mr.. Lynch explained that such was not
the intention of the bill.
Mr.. Ingraham: What defect exists in
| the present eystem which requires cor
recti0nl I repeat that am opposed to the
adjustment of the present police jury
| system, and ann confident that it will cause
dissatisfaction among the people. In the
parish Of St Landry there are thirteen or
| fourteen jury wards, and this bill proposes
| to reduce that number to three. "A party
might live seventy or eighty miles from the
courthouse of the parish, and if he wanted
| Q public bridge prepared in his immediate
vicinity, he would he compelled to travel all
that distance when the police jury is in ses-
sion in order to have the work done. Under
~ - L.
two or three miles to one of his neighbOrs,
who has been elected as police juror from
that ward. In the parish OF St. Tammany
it Is forty-dve miles from what ia known as
the '.Rigolets woodward" to COvington;
twenty miles from there to Bogue Chitto;
twenty miles to Pearl river, and about
twenty-five miles to the parish line Of St.
Helena. -
Now, suppose Q party was living at Pine
built or repaired in his neighbOrhood, he
would be obliged to travel all the way to
Covipgton to have it done. / repeat that
can not see the object of this bill, unless it
is one of those measures which look to the
concentration Of all the political power Of
the State into the hands Of few men. If
such 10 not the intention Of the Till. it will
the parishes Of Claiborne, St. Landry.
Natchitoches, Rapides, Pointe Coupee,
Madison, Tensas, 0uachita, and other popu-
lous parishes that l could name, which
have heretofore been under the control Of
fourteen OF fifteen police jurors, each, the
number is to be reduced to three. I trust
that the Senate will carefully consider this
measure before taking final action upon it.
Sections first and second were then
adopted. on motion Of Mr.. Lynch.
The third section was then read.
Mr.. Ingraham: So far as ! am personally
concerned, I am opposed to the passage Of
this bill In any shape Whatsoever. The
General Assembly can not impose any other
duties upon the parish judges than the
constitution has prescribed, even though
these duties are to be performed ex-oficio
bill. Another objection is that it will have
the effect Of destroying the public schools
Of the State. / venture to assert, without
fear of successful contradiction, that this
bill will cause the public schools of the
State to be closed to the class of people
that represent, simply on account Of their
color, and that result will be brought about
in q covert manner.
Mr.. Campbell: This is a police jury bill.
and not q school bill.
Mr.. Ingraham: 1t is bill which, if passed,
will take away from the people one Of their
inalienaSle rights. knew that such was
the intention on the very day that the bill
was introduced. 1t is one of the many links
which are being connected together for the
purpose Of destroying the present system of
public education in this State. 1t is one of
those sinister schemes concocted for the pur-
pose of depriving the people in the rural
parishes of the enjoyment of their rights and
privileges, 20 far as their local affairs are
concerned. I can not cit here in my seat
and permit such measure as this to become
q law without raising my voice and sOlemnly
against it. If it does become
law in spite Of all can do, ! shall bid a long
farewell to the liberties of the people.
Mr.. Campbell: And "wipe your weeping
eyes,"
Mr.. Ingraham: Yes, land wipe my weep
ing eyes," As ! said before the practical
effect of this bill will be to deprive one
class Of our citizens Of the rights they now
possess under the constitution, and it will
add fuel to the fire of discomfort which is
now slumbering. but which will break out
ere long and politically destroy some of the
prime movers of this infamous scheme.
Mr.. Lynch: The claptrap that We have
listened to for the last few minutes, it seems
to me, il unworthy of an answer. This is
ton Of the police iuries in the different
country parishes of the State. don't know
but what we have been guilty Of an act of
presumption in not referring it in it's incep- !
ton to the city delegation. 1t would seem,
from all that we have heard from a city |
Senator, that this is measure
affecting the city of New Orleans
alone. In reference to the objection that |
the General Assembly can not compel the |
parish judges to perform other duties than |
those prescribed by the constitution, that |
clause has already been stricken from the |
bill. If the gentleman had paid proper at |
tention to the proceedings Of the Senate, he !
would have noticed that fact. l will not |
occupy the valuable time of the Senate in |
replying further to the remarks of the gen. |
tleman, and therefore move that the third |
section be adopted. Carried.
The fourth, fifth and sixth sections were |
then adopted.
The Secretary read the seventh section, |
Do follows: THAT the clerks of the district |
courts in the several parishes in this State |
Ihall perform the duties Of clerks Of the po-
ice juries in their several parishes, and
shall be paid therefor such fees or compen-
,ation as may be provided by the police
Dry" -. ...7.....,..-
Mr.. Anderson moved to strike out.
Mr.. Ray: think this is one of the wieest
provisions in the bill, and l will explain
pretty my reasons for thinking so. The
luties of the clerks of police juries are not
leavy enough to keep them employed one
enth of their time. When person wishes
% see him he does not know where he can
,e found. The reason that this section has
,een attached to the bill is that the clerks
# the district courts have their offices in
- AsHn~o~k v,or;ahoc or1 ;f <hov vcvsfnrv,, |