Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-06-07
COMnGUNICATIJD.
T. G.. COMPTON, ESQ.
Editor Of Rapides Gazette

EUtNT " huDtuc3Uu<ottt
SIR-Those who know me, are
we'll aware of the fact, that / have
always been opposed to resorting 70
to any other means of redressing
public grievances, excepting through
the ballot box or the legal tribunals,
and that have on all occasions, un.
influenced either by fear or personal
predictions denounced public Off
Gals, who have abused the
trusts confided to them to graft
fy their personal malignity or to
plumber the people. / have also ex-
pressed the opinion, that it is the
duty of all good citizens, lat this
time more particularly when pecula-
ton, corruption, and imbecility are
the prominent characteristics Of the
acts and capacity of the majority of
our rulers to expose every attempt
of those in authority to plumber the
people which may be prevented by
a resort to the Courts. Influenced
from this motive alone, write this
communication, and ask its inser-
ton in your paper.
In the absence of the Parish At
torney, you sir, in your ca
pacity of Pesident of the Police Ju-
~, requested me on yesterday, to
give the Jury my legal opinion, as
to the right of the Sheriff and Clerk
o. the Court, to demand from the
Parish the payment of their &C
counts, for fees in Criminal prose
cutiOns, which request readily as
sented to, and complyed with, by
reading the Law regulating the fees
OF Sheriffs, Clerks and other public
officers, as embodied in the Revised
Statutes eff 1870, from pages LAG to
155, this is the latest law regulating
the fees of these officers, for all ser
vices rendered by them in Criminal,
as well as civil suits, and expressly
repeats all previous laws the upon
subject matter. Sections 765 and 766
of this law specially provides what
amount shall be paid to the Sheriff
for his services in Criminal matters,
and that is to be paid by the State,
not blythe parish. There is an act OF
1870. which allows few other items
to the Sheriff, but the Parishes are
not required to pay these fees. This
law also embodies fee bill for the
Clerks of Court, page 10y in Grim
inal cases, but the last section OF
chapter 76I emphaticaly declares
that the foregoing fees (the Clerks
shall not be paid by the State or Par.
isk, but be collected from the parties
prosecuted.I emphatically' declared
to the Jury that there was no law in
existance making the Parishes re-
sponsible for the fees of Clerks and
Sheriff in Criminal matters, and no
other law in force prescribing and
regulating the fees of these officers,
excepting the act read to them and
the act of 1870, which had prefer
ence over the fee bill in the Revi
sed Statutes, in the particular
wherein the two acts did not agree,
and that every dollar which had
or should be appropriated by the
Police Jury, IN payment Of the fees
claimed by those officers fol- servi
ces in Criminal matters, was an act
| of public plumber, and that the off
GERS of this Parish had been fully
aware for several years, that they
had no right to receive the money
of the people tor such services, be
cause l had frequently discussed
that question with them, and l had
called the attention of the Police
Juries of the Parish, since 1868 tt
the law upon this subject, and de
nounced publicly the payments
made of these fees, as robbery
upon the people, but my efforts II
correct this abuse had failed-be
cause the Ring inter ested in thii
plundering of the people, was TOT
powerful to be overcome by on
man.
The retords will prove that in tn,
| last five years, over Ten Thousand
Dollars have been appropriated b.
the Police Juries, and paid by taxa
ton upon our impoverished people
under the pretext of enforcement o
our Criminal laws, not one dollar Q
which amount was chargeable upoI
the Parish. The aggregate expen
ses incidental to the enforcement
of our Criminal laws during tn
period stated are nearly double tn
above amount, and for those expen
ses for which the parish is properl,
chargeable, the amounts paid to tn
officers are double the sum they ar
entitled to charge. The last section
of the act of I770, provides eff an
officer shall demand or collect an,
other or greater fees than are PAL
ticularly herein set forth, he shal
, ha cOnSidarad C11iItv or a miedf